Freedom of information - Guide to information
The Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (the Act) requires Scottish public authorities to produce and maintain a Guide to Information. Authorities are under a legal obligation to:
- publish the classes of information that they make routinely available
- tell the public how to access the information and what it might cost.
Education Scotland has adopted the Model Publication Scheme produced by the Scottish Information Commissioner and updated in November 2018. You can see this scheme on the Scottish Information Commissioner's website.
The purpose of this Guide to Information is to:
- allow the public to see what information is available (and what is not available) in relation to each class (a class is a group of information having one or more common characteristics such as subject or origin);
- state what charges may be applied;
- explain how to find the information easily;
- provide contact details for enquiries and to get help with accessing the information;
- explain how to request information we hold that has not been published.
Education Scotland
Education Scotland is the Scottish Government's national development and improvement agency for education. It is charged with providing support and challenge to the education system, from the early years to adult learning, in furtherance of the government’s policy objectives.
It came into existence on 1 July 2011 as an Executive Agency of the Scottish Government. It was created by bringing together the resources and the functions of Learning and Teaching Scotland (LTS), HM Inspectorate of Education (HMIE), the National CPD Team and the Scottish Government's Positive Behaviour Team.
Availability and formats
The information we publish through the model scheme is, wherever possible, available on our website. We offer alternative arrangements for people who do not want to, or cannot, access the information online or by inspection at our premises. For example, we can usually arrange to send information to you in paper copy (although there may be a charge for this).
Exempt information
We will publish the information we hold which falls within the classes of information below. If a document contains information that is exempt under Scotland's Freedom of Information laws (for example sensitive personal information or a trade secret), we will remove or redact the information before publication and explain why.
Copyright
The material contained within Education Scotland websites and publications is © Crown copyright 2019. You may use and re-use the information featured on this website (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence.
Images and videos on this site are subject to Crown copyright protection unless otherwise indicated. Any materials on this site, for example some photographs and videos which are identified as the copyright of a third party are not covered by Crown copyright. It is your responsibility to obtain permission or other authorisation to use such material from the copyright holder. If you are unsure about copyright of material on the site please contact enquiries@educationscotland.gov.scot
For further information on Crown copyright policy and licensing arrangements see the National Archives guidance.
Charges
This section explains when we may make a charge for our publications and how any charge will be calculated.
There is no charge to view information on our website or at our premises or provided by email. We may charge for providing information to you e.g. photocopying and postage, but we will charge you no more than it actually costs us to do so. We will always tell you what the cost is before providing the information to you.
Our photocopying charge per sheet of paper is shown in the table below:
| Type | Size of paper | Pence per sheet of paper |
| Black and white | A4 | 10p |
| Colour | A4 | 30p |
Postage costs will be recharged at the rate we paid to send the information to you. When providing copies of pre-printed publications, we will charge no more than the cost per copy of the total print run. We do not pass on any other costs to you in relation to our published information.
Please note that this charging schedule does not apply to any commercial publications (see Class 8).
Advice and assistance
You can contact us for assistance with any aspect of this Guide to Information.
We will also advise you how to ask for information that we do not publish or how to complain if you are dissatisfied with any aspect of this publication scheme.
Duration
Where available and still current, information will be accessible through this Guide to Information for at least the current and previous two financial years. If you would like to see previous versions, you may make a request to us for that information.
This Guide to Information was last updated in July 2019.
The classes of information that we publish
We publish information that we hold within the following classes:
- Class 1: About Education Scotland
- Class 2: How we deliver functions and services
- Class 3: How we take decisions
- Class 4: What we spend
- Class 5: How we manage our resources
- Class 6: How we procure goods and services
- Class 7: How we are performing
- Class 8: Our commercial publications
- Class 9: Our open data
Class 1: About Education Scotland
Information about Education Scotland - who we are; where to find us; how to contact us; how we are managed; and our external relations.
General information about the authority
How the authority is run
Corporate planning
- Education Scotland's remit and framework
- Education Scotland's Annual Review
- Education Scotland's Corporate Plan
External relations
Class 2: How we deliver our functions and services
Information about our work, our strategy and policies for delivering functions and services and information for our service users.
Functions
- Education Scotland's areas of work
- How to complain about the work of the agency
- Education Scotland's Corporate Plan
Services
- About inspections
- About validated self-evaluation
- Annual programme of inspection activity
- Resources and sharing practice in learning and teaching
- School consultation
- Support for all, including Corporate Parenting Plan
- Inspection Frameworks
- Gaelic Language Plans
- Support for continuing professional development
- Glow (requires log-in)
- Community learning and development
- Searchable directory of Scottish schools (Parentzone Scotland website)
Class 3: How we take decisions
Information about the decisions we take, how we make decisions and how we involve others.
- Management Board and Audit and Risk Committee minutes and papers
- Education Scotland Framework document
Class 4: What we spend
Information about our strategy for, and management of, financial resources in sufficient detail to explain how we plan to spend public money and what has actually been spent.
- Education Scotland Annual Review
- Annual accounts
- Government Procurement Card - The Government Procurement Card (GPC) shows items of expenditure over £500 made by Scottish Government including Education Scotland. These are reported monthly.
Class 5: How we manage our resources
Information about how we manage the human, physical and information resources of the authority.
Human resources
- As an executive agency Education Scotland follows Scottish Government policies.
Physical resources
Information resources
Class 6: How we procure goods and services
Information about how we procure goods and services, and our contracts with external providers.
Class 7: How we are performing
Information about how the authority performs as an organisation, and how well it delivers its functions and services.
Class 8: Our commercial publications
Information packaged and made available for sale on a commercial basis. Education Scotland holds no information under this class.
Class 9: Our open data
Open data made available by Education Scotland as described by the Scottish Government’s Open Data Resource Pack. Education Scotland holds no information under this class.