About Validated Self evaluation

What is Validated Self-Evaluation (VSE)?

VSE is not inspection. It is a voluntary process which aims to support and challenge the work of education authorities to improve the quality of provision and outcomes for learners. It is led by the education authority and involves a partnership in which HMIE will work alongside the authority and apply their knowledge of educational delivery and expertise in evaluation. The purpose of this is to support, extend and challenge the education authority’s own self-evaluation, and so affirm (or otherwise) and strengthen outcomes for learners. VSE acknowledges that the responsibility for improving services and outcomes lies with the education authority. It recognises that self evaluation is increasingly well embedded across the Scottish educational landscape and that high quality self-evaluation can lead to continuous improvement for learners and the achievement of excellence in practice and provision.

In summary, VSE seeks to:

• build the capacity of education authorities to evaluate their own performance and improve the quality of services and outcomes for learners;

• promote and develop good practice and best value in education authorities;

• provide information to Scottish Ministers and the public on the quality of provision in education authorities;

• offer independent evaluation and validation; and

• contribute to a reduction in external scrutiny at service level where possible, taking account of risk, and provide high quality and robust information for shared risk assessment.

If your education authority is interested in finding out more about VSE and about how to participate, senior managers should discuss this with their District Inspector in the first instance.