Educational Oversight inspections

In Scotland, Education Scotland’s HM Inspectors of Education are responsible for providing educational oversight of provision offered by private colleges or English language schools, up to and including Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) level 8. These organisations are referred to as ‘providers’ and are either (a) existing, or are seeking to become, a Student Sponsor on behalf of Home Office UK Visa and Immigration (UKVI), or (b) delivering provision supported by funding from the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS).

In line with the principles of inspection and review and building on previous educational oversight inspection arrangements, HM Inspectors will work with providers to:

• provide assurance to Scottish Ministers, the public and other stakeholders of the quality of provision offered by private colleges and English language schools;
• support providers in applying effective quality improvement and enhancement approaches to deliver the highest quality of provision and improve outcomes for learners;
• assess the impact of each provider’s own quality assurance and enhancement approaches to evidence improvement;
• apply engagement approaches that are responsive to the needs of learners, staff and key stakeholders;
• minimise requirements for providers to produce additional documentation;
• take account of the views of learners, staff and key stakeholders to assess performance;
• apply proportionate and differentiated approaches to allocate time and resources to where they are most needed;
• provide constructive and appropriately detailed feedback;
• promote capacity building and
• complement internal self-assessment procedures and UKVI or SAAS monitoring arrangements.

Any provider seeking to become a Student Sponsor on behalf of Home Office UKVI must complete an initial application. Please contact HMI Sarah Halliwell to discuss the application arrangements. Providers who are in receipt of funding from SAAS should refer to the associated SAAS designation arrangements.

Links to key documents:

PDF file: Arrangements for inspection of private colleges and English language schools (412 KB)