HMIe

Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education (HMIe) was an executive agency of the Scottish Government, responsible for the inspection of public and independent, primary and secondary schools, as well as further education colleges, community learning, Local Authority Education Departments and teacher education.

HMIe and Learning and Teaching Scotland were merged in 2011 to create Education Scotland.

The first HM Inspector of Schools (HMI) was appointed in 1840. The rationale for the first appointments of HMI linked inspection to “the improvement of elementary education” and charged HMI to say “what improvements in the apparatus and internal management of schools, in school management and discipline, and in the methods of teaching have been sanctioned by the most extensive experience”. The particular focus in Scotland on combining inspection with self-evaluation has been central to the drive to raise educational standards.

HMIe was headed by Her Majesty's Senior Chief Inspector of Education. Its remit was far wider than its English counterpart, the Office for Standards in Education. HMIe's equivalent in Wales, Estyn, had a similar remit, including adult education.

Following the Scotland Act 1998 the Inspectorate was made an Executive Agency of the Scottish Government, and HMIe was answerable to the Scottish Ministers for the running of the Inspectorate and the whole inspection system in Scotland.

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