In 2004 Facebook was founded, George W Bush was elected for a second term as US president and future tennis star Cori “Coco” Gauff had just been born.
It was also the last time that two Scottish state primary schools and four independent schools had a full inspection.
A Scottish government publication today reveals when each of nearly 2,500 state schools was last inspected, as well as dozens of independent schools.
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The two state primary schools last inspected in 2004 are Aboyne Primary and Insch Primary, both in Aberdeenshire. Some five state schools were last inspected in 2005 and 20 in 2006 - all of which are primaries.
The state secondary that has to go furthest back for its last inspection is the Royal High School, in Edinburgh. It was last inspected in 2007, as were more than 40 primary schools.
School inspections: Some schools not visited since 2004
In the independent sector, Craigclowan School (in Perth), George Heriot’s School (Edinburgh), Mary Erskine/Stewart’s Melville Junior School (Edinburgh) and Queen Victoria School (Dunblane) have to go furthest back for their last inspections, to 2004. However, each has had a “quality improvement through engagement visit” since, in 2012 (Queen Victoria), 2014 (Craigclowan), 2015 (Mary Erskine/Stewart’s Melville Junior School) and 2016 (George Heriot’s).
The inspection dates are gathered in a document published by the Scottish government today under freedom of information legislation.
In September, Education Scotland had announced its intention to restart inspection, after an 18-month hiatus as a result of the Covid pandemic. In 2020-21, no school inspections were carried out in Scotland.
The body said it was planning “a phased return”, with schools already due a further inspection prioritised up to December and then a new programme of individual inspections of early learning and childcare settings and schools taking place from January to June 2022.
Later in September, Tes Scotland revealed that Education Scotland planned to carry out over 90 school visits before the end of 2021 and at least 120 inspections between January and June 2022.
Minutes from the 16 September meeting of the Covid-19 Education Recovery Group, published today, provide more details of the nature of school inspection as it resumes in the coming months.
The minutes record that the decision to restart school inspections “while [Covid] case numbers and staff absences were at very high levels was questioned with the request that it be delayed”.
In response, the minutes record that Education Scotland “was fully aware of these issues, and therefore a phased approach would be taken”.
It plans “a mixture of virtual and non-virtual methods to carry out the inspections and no new documentation would be asked for”.
The minutes add: “A webinar for headteachers had been produced to explain the approach and to support schools in managing their visit.”
The Scottish government document showing when schools were last inspected can be viewed here.
