3 May 2005
1. Background
2. Key strengths
3. What are the views of parents and carers, pupils and staff?
4. How good are learning, teaching and achievement?
5. How well are pupils supported?
6. How good is the environment for learning?
7. Improving the school
Appendix 1 Indicators of quality
Appendix 2 Summary of questionnaire responses
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Loretto School was inspected in January 2005. The inspection covered key aspects of the work of the school at all stages in both the junior and senior schools. HM Inspectors examined pupils’ work. They evaluated pupils’ achievements, the effectiveness of the school, the environment for learning and the school’s processes for self-evaluation and capacity for improvement. The nursery and provision for boarding were not inspected. Unless otherwise stated, the evaluations in this report apply to provision in both the junior and senior schools.
In the junior school, there was a particular focus on attainment in English language and mathematics. In the senior school, subjects included in the inspection were English, mathematics, modern languages and physics. The school is an independent day and boarding school situated in Musselburgh. The junior school accepts pupils aged 3-13 and includes the nursery class and Years 1 to 8. The senior school is for pupils aged 13-18, from Third Form to Upper Sixth. Seventy per cent of pupils in the senior school were boarders and 30% were day pupils. In the junior school, 20% of pupils were boarders. Boarders came from all over Scotland, England, other parts of Europe and the world. Day pupils came from East Lothian and Edinburgh. At the time of the inspection, the roll was 440, with 18 in the nursery, 149 in the junior school, and 273 in the senior school. Pupils’ attendance was well above the national average in the senior school and above it in the junior school.
HM Inspectors interviewed groups of staff and pupils, including members of the pupil councils in the junior and senior schools. They also analysed responses to questionnaires issued to all parents and staff, and a sample of pupils from Year 4 to Year 8 in the junior school and from all stages in the senior school. Members of the inspection team also met members of the Board of Governors and the Junior School Advisory Committee and groups of parents from the junior and senior schools.
HM Inspectors identified the following key strengths.
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Parents were very positive about almost all aspects of the work of both the junior and senior schools. Pupils in the junior school were happy with almost all aspects of the school. In the senior school, pupils were positive about most aspects, although around a third did not think that pupils were treated consistently by all teachers. Just under a quarter of pupils in the senior school wanted more say in how the school should improve. Almost all stated that they got on well with other pupils and felt safe and secure in the school. Almost all staff enjoyed working in the school. They felt that there was mutual respect between teachers and pupils. In both the junior and senior schools, staff wanted to be involved more in decision making processes. They wanted better communication with senior managers and the Board of Governors about how the school should improve. Two-thirds of teachers in the junior school and over a quarter in the senior school wanted improvements in arrangements for continuous professional development. Both staff and pupils wanted the school to review arrangements for lessons, games and activities at weekends.
Further details about what most pleased parents and carers, staff and pupils, and what they would most like to see improved, can be found in Appendix 2 of this report.
The curriculum, learning and teaching
Across the school the curriculum was good. In the junior school, pupils in Years 1 to 4 followed a broad, balanced and integrated curriculum. From Years 5 to 8, the increasing emphasis on separate subject areas provided limited opportunities for pupils to make links between key aspects of their learning. In Years 1 to 3, pupils had good opportunities to engage in independent play activities. At all stages in the junior school, the expressive arts were delivered very effectively by specialist teachers. Overall, there was too little continuity and progression in pupils’ learning from Years 5 to 8 through to the Third Form in the senior school. Commendably, the school was giving serious consideration to moving pupils in Year 8 to the senior school. This was likely to be implemented in the near future. In taking forward this major development, the school had recognised the need to plan carefully to ensure better coherence in pupils’ learning experiences as they moved through the upper stages of the junior school into senior school.
In the Third Form in the senior school, pupils followed a generally broad and balanced programme, which included options to study a second modern language or Latin. In the Fourth and Fifth Forms, most pupils studied nine GCSE courses, including English language and literature. Pupils were strongly encouraged to study three sciences and around two-thirds did so. GCSE photography was available as an after-school option. In the Sixth Form, the curriculum was designed flexibly in response to pupils’ needs. In the Lower Sixth, most pupils studied four subjects at AS level. Most in the Upper Sixth studied three subjects at A level. At these stages, the range of subjects on offer included history of art and government and politics. Although technology was still taught in the Fifth and Sixth Forms, it was due to be phased out of the curriculum by June 2005. The school needed to ensure that pupils continued to have opportunities to develop important skills, such as practical problem solving and design, through other curricular areas. The aim, in both the junior and senior schools, to encourage the full development of the individual was reflected in the strong emphasis on games and the wide range of extra-curricular activities on offer to pupils. From Year 4 upwards, all pupils participated in games three afternoons a week.
Teaching in the junior school was of a high quality. Teachers were well prepared and delivered their lessons at a brisk pace. They shared the aims of lessons with pupils and used a good range of teaching approaches. In the senior school, the quality of teaching was good overall. In the many examples of very effective practice seen, teachers gave clear explanations and used questioning well to develop pupils’ understanding. They shared learning objectives with pupils at the start of lessons and reinforced what they had learned at the end. In a few departments, teachers made effective use of ICT to support pupils’ learning. In some lessons, teachers did not explain the purpose of activities to pupils clearly enough. The range of teaching approaches used by some teachers was too limited. In almost all cases, pupils were set regular and relevant homework and received helpful feedback on completed tasks.
Throughout the school, pupils’ learning experiences were good. Almost all pupils were well motivated and hard-working. However, a few pupils in the junior school needed more support in applying themselves to their work. Most pupils throughout the school showed good skills in independent learning, for example in preparing individual projects and completing homework. Pupils had some very good opportunities to work collaboratively, for example in music, mathematics, science, and drama in the junior school and in English and physics in the senior school. Overall, however, there were too few occasions for pupils to take responsibility for aspects of their own learning.
In the junior school, staff paid good attention to the differing needs of pupils. They worked well with individuals to support and encourage their learning. However, some classes were very small and the range of ability was broad. As a result, the learning needs of some pupils were not always sufficiently well met. Some pupils needed to be challenged more effectively and have better opportunities to interact purposefully with others. In the senior school, teachers regularly discussed with pupils what they needed to do to improve their work. Such discussions focused on enabling pupils to achieve success in external examinations. Teachers provided a high level of support for individual pupils. Daily study clubs, departmental workshops and regular meetings with tutors provided valuable additional support for pupils’ learning. The school did not always take sufficient account of pupils’ prior learning when they entered the Third Form. There was scope for more emphasis on ensuring that senior pupils developed the necessary independent study skills to prepare them for their future learning beyond school.
Attainment in English language and mathematics in the junior school
English language
The quality of attainment in English language was good. Most pupils achieved appropriate national levels of attainment in listening, talking, reading and writing. A few pupils at most stages attained these levels early. In recent years, there had been a steady improvement in the number of pupils attaining these levels in Years 2, 3 and 4. Almost all pupils were confident and articulate, and communicated well. Their skills in listening and talking in groups were less well developed. The youngest pupils were enthusiastic readers who enjoyed listening to stories and talking about what they had read. Most older pupils read fluently and expressively. They showed good skills in talking about and responding to texts. A few read widely for pleasure. At all stages pupils wrote for a variety of suitable purposes. Pupils in Year 2 were developing good skills in story writing. In Years 7 and 8, a few pupils were skilled in using language creatively to produce well-structured, imaginative writing.
Mathematics
The quality of attainment in mathematics was good. Overall, most pupils achieved appropriate national levels of attainment. Pupils who had not yet achieved appropriate levels were making suitable progress. Most pupils were making good progress in developing their mathematical skills and were confident in their coursework. They were able to perform mental and written calculations accurately. Pupils in P3 were confident in using numbers in practical activities. At all stages most pupils had a very good understanding of shapes and their properties. Almost all were able to interpret information shown on graphs accurately and use computers effectively to organise and present their own data. For example, pupils in P7 had used graphs effectively to display the results of a survey on houses. Pupils’ knowledge of strategies for solving mathematical problems was insufficiently developed.
Attainment in the senior school
The overall quality of attainment in the Third to Fifth Forms was good. Pupils achieved high standards in national examinations by the end of the Fifth Form. However, the quality of pupils’ classwork in the Third Form was too variable. The overall quality of attainment in the Sixth Form was very good. The very strong performance in national examinations at this stage was a major strength.
The following comments refer to examination results over the three year period 2002-2004. The school does not present pupils for examinations set by the Scottish Qualifications Authority, except in one or two cases in the Fifth Form.
The quality of examination performance at the end of Fifth Form was high. Over the last three years, most pupils had achieved seven or more A*-C grades in GCSE. The proportion of A* grades in GCSE had improved over the last three years. In 2004, more than a fifth of awards in GCSE had been at A*.
The quality of examination performance at the end of the Sixth Form was high. Most pupils achieved three or more A-E grades at A level. More than half of them achieved three or more A-C grades. The proportion of A grades at A level had shown considerable improvement over the last three years, reaching 42% of the overall awards in 2004.
Information on attainment in the subjects inspected is given later in the report. Notable features of subjects which were not inspected were as follows.
Achievement across the school
In both the junior and senior schools, pupils participated enthusiastically in an extensive and varied range of extra-curricular activities. They took part regularly in a wide range of sports notably rugby, hockey, lacrosse, netball, cricket and tennis. Most played in matches against other schools. Individuals from the school had recently represented their country in golf, riding, cricket, lacrosse and skiing. Others had won the British schools’ fives doubles championship and the Scottish schools’ clay pigeon shooting championship. Sports teams had toured overseas, such as a combined rugby/hockey tour in Canada in 2003. Almost all pupils were involved in drama. In the previous session, the many successful productions had included a school musical, a play directed by pupils of the Lower Sixth, and a junior school play. In music across the school, more than half the pupils took music lessons on an instrument or for singing. All pupils participated regularly in whole-school singing, for example, in chapel. The Junior School choir had achieved national recognition by reaching the final stages of a BBC Choir of the Year competition. The band of pipes and drums had represented the school at many public occasions. About a third of the pupils in the senior school were enrolled for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and there were 43 awards in 2004, including 17 at gold standard. The school actively promoted pupils’ wider achievements through a range of scholarships in sport and the arts, including an "all rounders" scholarship, sporting scholarships and a Golf Academy.
Golf Academy
The innovative Golf Academy opened in September 2002 and operated on three levels catering for beginners, intermediates and advanced players. The programme provided pupils with a unique range of opportunities which ensured that they could develop their sporting talent alongside their schooling. Pupils were selected according to clear entry criteria based on their level of skill, their potential for improvement and their academic ability. Pupils were either on bursary or scholarships and had three distinct afternoon slots for golf training or performance which were built into the school day. Training sessions either took place at the on-campus facilities or at a nearby golf course. Pupils were very well supported through a planned programme of development linked to their specialist area. This included individual tuition during practice sessions, performance analysis, tutorials and a programme of competition. The provision clearly enhanced pupils’ learning and contributed to their reaching higher levels of achievement than would have been the case without the specialist provision. All of the students demonstrated high levels of achievement and performance and almost all of those in the advanced group had played at national level.
Learning and teaching in the inspected subjects in the senior school
English
Learning and teaching
Teachers consistently shared the purposes of lessons with pupils and provided clear explanations and instructions. They set homework regularly. It was relevant and clearly linked to class work. Interactions between teachers and pupils were very positive. Teachers used questioning well but did not always involve all pupils. In all lessons, pupils were hardworking and well behaved. Teachers did not use a wide enough range of approaches to engage all pupils in thinking for themselves, reflecting on ideas, issues and experiences and contributing more consistently to lessons. Overall, pupils’ needs were well met. From the Fourth Form, they had a good understanding of what they needed to do to improve. However, in the Third Form, assessment arrangements required improvement to ensure that pupils could build more effectively on their prior learning and levels of attainment.
Attainment and achievement
By the end of the Fifth Form, almost all pupils presented achieved A*-C grades in English and English Literature at GCSE level. In Lower and Upper Sixth, almost all pupils achieved A-E grades at AS level in English Literature. In Upper Sixth, almost all pupils who were presented achieved A-E grades and most of those presented achieved A-C grades at A level in English Literature.
Other features of pupils’ attainment and achievement included the following.
Mathematics
Learning and teaching
Teachers generally explained ideas and used questioning well. While some lessons were rather too teacher-led, others demonstrated very sound interactive teaching. Homework was set and marked regularly. Relationships between teachers and pupils in most classes were good or very good. Pupils were generally hard-working and well-motivated. The presentation of work in too many jotters was untidy and careless. The pace of lessons was appropriate in all but one class. Classes were set by prior attainment, with the groups for lower-attaining pupils having fewer members. Pupils had a lot of individual attention in these groups. Staff ran a workshop twice a week for an hour to offer extra assistance to any pupil who sought it. Overall, teachers were preparing pupils very carefully for external examinations.
Attainment and achievement
Over the last three years, almost all of those presented for GCSE mathematics achieved A*-C grades. More than half of them achieved A* or A grades. Most of those presented for mathematics at A level achieved A-C grades, with two-thirds of them achieving awards at A. All of the small number of pupils presented for further mathematics at A level achieved A-C grades, with two-thirds of them achieving A grades.
Other features of pupils’ attainment and achievement included the following.
Modern languages
Learning and teaching
Teachers had positive relationships with their pupils. They made good use of the foreign language for classroom management. They did not always share the purpose of activities with their pupils. In some lessons, teachers did not make sufficient use of praise or explain the work clearly enough. Pupils were well motivated and worked well in class, including in pairs and on individual listening activities. The department had identified the need to develop pupils’ skills in independent learning, but needed to adopt a wider range of approaches to help them improve. Teachers supported pupils well in preparing for national examinations. In Sixth Form, pupils benefited from a lot of individual attention in small classes. In the Third to Fifth Forms, some pupils needed a wider range of support to develop their skills in speaking.
Over the last three years, almost all of those presented for GCSE French or Spanish achieved A*-C grades. More than half of those presented for French achieved A* or A grades. In Lower and Upper Sixth, almost all pupils presented at AS level in French and all of those presented in Spanish achieved success. Most pupils presented for French and all who sat Spanish at A level achieved A-C grades. There had been a notable increase in the number of pupils continuing their study of a modern language into the Sixth Form.
Other features of pupils’ attainment and achievement included the following.
Physics
Learning and teaching
Teachers prepared lessons thoroughly using a good range of approaches including well-planned practical work for pupils. They made good use of ICT to support pupils’ learning, for example, to provide clear explanations of concepts and applications in physics. They used questioning very effectively to develop pupils’ understanding and provided regular homework to consolidate what pupils had learned. Pupils were well motivated and enthusiastic in class and most contributed well to discussions and questioning. They responded well to more active learning approaches, but had insufficient opportunities to take responsibility for their learning, for example, using group discussions to plan activities and develop explanations and conclusions. Teachers had a very good knowledge of pupils’ progress and attainment, supported them well in class and ensured that the pace and challenge of lessons was appropriate to pupils’ needs.
Attainment and achievement
Attainment over the past three years had been consistently strong at all levels with a notable increase in the quality of GCSE awards achieved in 2004. Almost all pupils presented at GCSE gained an A-C grade and over half achieved A* or A grades. The 2004 results showed a substantial increase in the percentage of pupils gaining A* or A grades. In Lower and Upper Sixth, at AS level, almost all pupils presented gained an A-E grade and most gained A-C grades. At A level, all pupils presented gained A-E grades and most gained A-C grades.
Other features of pupils’ attainment and achievement included the following.
The school had very good arrangements for the care and protection of pupils. There were clear and appropriate guidelines for child protection and dealing with incidents including bullying and drug misuse. Staff had been issued with a helpful card to remind them of school procedures on child protection. There were appropriate arrangements relating to the administration of medicines and looking after pupils who were ill during the school day. Pupils enjoyed being in the school and felt safe. They felt sure that they would be able to talk to a member of staff if they were worried about anything.
A range of classroom, sporting and extra-curricular activities helped pupils develop their personal and social skills. From Year 8 upwards, residential experiences, including outdoor education excursions, helped pupils to extend further their confidence and independence. There was a strong emphasis on developing pupils’ awareness of how to keep healthy. An excellent range of healthy foods was on offer in both the junior and senior school dining halls. In the junior school, pupils followed a comprehensive and well-structured programme for personal and social development. In the senior school, a personal, social and health education programme (PSHE) was taught at almost all stages. In Upper Sixth, almost all pupils studied a course in life skills. Pupils learned about relevant and appropriate topics such as sexual health, substance abuse and personal relationships. The delivery of the programme was enhanced by presentations by theatre groups and a range of outside speakers. However, there was no systematic approach to assessing pupils’ progress in PSHE.
The arrangements for curricular and vocational guidance in the senior school were good. At key stages, pupils and their parents were given clear information on the subjects available and tutors helped pupils to make informed course choices. Pupils had access to the very well organised careers and higher education library which contained up-to-date printed materials. At all stages, pupils received appropriate careers information through the PSHE programme including, in the Fifth Form, helpful input from the independent schools careers organisation. Pupils in the senior school attended a careers conference and visited the annual higher education fair in Edinburgh University. The school expected all pupils in the Upper Sixth to undertake relevant work experience during the school holidays. However, around a quarter had not been successful in organising placements.
The school made good provision for pupils with additional support needs. There were effective procedures to identify and meet individual pupils’ learning needs. In the junior school, the teacher of support for learning provided sound advice for staff and liaised closely with parents. She encouraged pupils to know what they could do to improve their learning skills and provided staff with very helpful information about the needs of individual pupils. In the senior school, the head of support for learning used the school intranet very effectively to share information about pupils’ learning and to provide staff with a range of helpful strategies which they could use to support pupils in their subject. In both the junior and senior schools, pupils with additional support needs received effective assistance both in classes and in the support for learning bases. In the senior school, a number of pupils for whom English was an additional language were provided with effective tutorial support to improve their skills in English. These pupils achieved success in the International English Language Testing System.
Throughout the school, a number of teachers had remits and responsibilities for the various aspects of support for pupils. All were highly committed and dedicated to their pupils. There was scope for them to work more closely as a team, in order to ensure that all pupils received a consistently high quality level of support.
Under the requirements of the Education (Disability Strategies and Pupils’ Records) (Scotland) Act, the school had submitted its policy on disability and discrimination to the Scottish Executive. The policy included the school’s review of its approaches to ensuring accessibility. However, the school had yet to implement fully its strategy for accessibility.
Aspect |
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Quality of accommodation and facilities |
The junior and senior schools, six boarding houses and a wide range of social and sports facilities, including the Golf Academy were spread over a number of sites. The quality of the accommodation was good overall. Strengths in the junior school included the large outdoor play equipment for pupils in Years 1 to 5, the very well equipped music room and the vibrant and busy art room. The senior school was situated on a very attractive campus. The learning environment was enhanced by the very good theatre facilities and the well-appointed communication and resource centre. An extensive programme of refurbishment to classrooms and science laboratories was about to begin. |
Climate and relationships, expectations and promoting achievement and equality |
The ethos of the school was characterised by its strong community spirit. Pupils, staff and parents identified very positively with the school. Pupils were polite, courteous and well-behaved. Relationships between teachers and pupils and amongst staff were positive and supportive. In the junior school, the pupil council ensured pupils were suitably involved in decision making about the life and work of the school. The senior school pupil council had only recently been set up and was not yet fully effective. The school successfully promoted academic, sporting and all-round achievement. Over the last three years, considerable progress had been made in improving pupils’ attitudes to academic work. The school had introduced effective systems for monitoring pupils’ academic progress. It had reviewed its approaches to promoting achievement and had extended its award scheme for recognising pupils’ efforts and successes. The school successfully promoted equality and fairness through courses and programmes and its policy on multi-culturalism. Pupils from a range of different ethnic backgrounds were very well integrated. The school needed to address the fact that some pupils in the senior school did not feel they were treated consistently by all teachers. The school had very good arrangements for religious observance. |
Partnership with parents and the community |
The school had developed strong partnerships with parents and the wider community. It used a very good range of procedures to communicate with parents, including e-mail and regular, detailed reports on pupils’ progress. Parents’ queries were responded to promptly. The Friends of Loretto included parents and members of the wider school community. They successfully supported the school, for example by organising social events and the restoration of the junior school greenhouse. The school’s links with its wider community were further strengthened through the Old Lorettonian Society which had branches throughout the UK and abroad. The school was developing its links with the local community through participation in local sports clubs and competitions, musical events and liaison with local primary schools. Pupils participating in the Duke of Edinburgh Awards Scheme regularly carried out community service in the local area. The Golf Academy’s links with Craigielaw Golf Club had been developed successfully. |
Overall, both the junior and senior schools succeeded in their aim of providing a high quality, all-round education for pupils. Pupils’ overall attainment was good in the junior school and from the Third to Fifth Forms in the senior school. Attainment in national examinations from the Fifth Form to Upper Sixth was very strong. Pupils benefited from the rich variety of extra-curricular opportunities provided for them. They were achieving success in a very wide range of activities. Overall, the quality of teaching was good and much was very good. Pupils’ attitudes to learning were positive. Senior managers now needed to monitor learning and teaching more closely, to ensure that pupils’ experiences were of a consistently high quality throughout both the junior and senior schools. Staff would benefit from more dedicated time to meet and take part in activities relating to continuing professional development. Pupils’ educational, social and health needs were well met overall.
The headmaster of the senior school was strongly supported by parents and staff. His very effective leadership had led to improvements in staff morale, pupils’ motivation and academic achievements, and approaches to quality assurance across the school. Staff appreciated the recognition he gave to work well done. He had shown good judgement in appointing staff to key positions in management and support for pupils. These appointments had assisted him considerably in implementing important priorities for improving the school. The director of studies ably supported the headmaster in key aspects of school management. He had made a significant contribution in curriculum development, evaluating and supporting the work of departments and monitoring pupils’ academic progress. The two deputy headteachers fulfilled their current remits very effectively. They made important contributions in the areas of planning for improvement and discipline. The school had effective systems for evaluating the work of subject departments and appraising the work of individual members of staff. The remits of the two deputy headteachers meant that they were not sufficiently involved in supporting the headmaster and the director of studies in these processes.
The headmaster of the junior school was very well regarded by staff, parents and pupils. He showed considerable professional and personal skills and had a clear vision of how the school should develop. He had identified very suitable priorities for action and had worked successfully with his management team and staff to implement these effectively. The two deputy headteachers had been deployed appropriately to make best use of their skills. They were very effective in their respective, individual roles. Together with the junior school headmaster, they provided clear and comprehensive guidance and support for staff. The headteacher used a number of suitable methods to monitor aspects of the work of the junior school. The teaching commitments of the two deputy headteachers limited the amount of time they had available to support the headmaster in the important areas of self-evaluation and ensuring continuous improvement.
All concerned with the school recognised that it was in a transitional phase. There was a need to retain the best of the school’s traditions and also to respond to the changing demands of parents and pupils. A decreasing proportion of pupils were full-time boarders. As a result, a number of key aspects of the school’s provision needed to be reviewed. In this changing situation, it will be important for the Board of Governors to involve all stakeholders in on-going and open discussion about the school’s future direction.
Main points for action The school and Board of Governors should continue to improve the quality of education provided. In doing so they should take account of the need to:
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What happens next?
The school and the Board of Governors have been asked to prepare an action plan indicating how they will address the main findings of the report, and to share that plan with parents and carers. Within two years of the publication of this report, parents and carers will be informed about the progress made by the school.
Christine Roebuck |
Jane B Renton |
HM Inspector (Junior School) |
HM Inspector (Senior School) |
3 May 2005
Unless otherwise stated, the evaluations apply to provision in both the junior and senior schools.
We judged the following to be very good
We judged the following to be good
We judged the following to be fair
We judged the following to be unsatisfactory
Important features of responses from the various groups which received questionnaires are listed below.
What pleased parents and carers most |
What parents and carers would like to see improved |
All parents in both the junior and senior schools thought that:
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Parents were positive about all aspects of the school. |
What pleased pupils most |
What pupils would like to see improved |
Almost all pupils in both the junior and senior schools thought that:
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What pleased staff most |
What staff would like to see improved |
All staff in the junior and senior schools thought that:
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If you would like an additional copy of this report
Copies of this report have been sent to the headmasters and school staff, the Chairman of the Board of Governors and appropriate Members of the Scottish Parliament. Subject to availability, further copies may be obtained free of charge from HM Inspectorate of Education, T1 Spur, Saughton House, Broomhouse Drive, Edinburgh, EH11 3XD or by telephoning 0131 244 8142. Copies are also available on our website www.hmie.gov.uk .
If you wish to comment about inspections
Should you wish to comment on any aspect of inspections, you should write in the first instance to Chris McIlroy, Acting HMCI, at HM Inspectorate of Education, Second Floor, Denholm House, Almondvale Business Park, Almondvale Way, Livingston, EH54 6GA.
Our complaints procedure
If you have a concern about this report, you should write in the first instance to Hazel Dewart, Business Management Unit, HM Inspectorate of Education, Second Floor, Denholm House, Almondvale Business Park, Almondvale Way, Livingston, EH54 6GA. A copy of our complaints procedure is available from this office or by telephoning 01506 600265 or from our website at www.hmie.gov.uk.
If you are not satisfied with the action we have taken at the end of our complaints procedure, you can raise your complaint with the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman. The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman is fully independent and has powers to investigate complaints about Government departments and agencies. You should write to The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman, 4-6 Melville Street, Edinburgh, EH3 7NS. You can also telephone 0870 011 5378 or e-mail enquiries@scottishombudsman.org.uk. More information about the Ombudsman’s office can be obtained from the website: www.scottishombudsman.org.uk
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HM Inspectorate of Education
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