Michael Russell, the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, announced on 14 October 2010 that HM Inspectorate of Education (HMIE) and Learning and Teaching Scotland (LTS) would be brought together into a new executive agency. Mr Russell has decided that the agency will be known as Education Scotland.
This exciting development will ensure that the best possible national-level systems are in place to support practitioners, pre-school centres, schools, colleges, local authorities and others as we move forward with Curriculum for Excellence.
As a key national body, it will support quality and improvement in Scottish education by:
- leading and supporting the implementation of Curriculum for Excellence
- increasing the capacity for self-evaluation and self-improvement amongst education providers and practitioners
- promoting high quality professional learning and leadership
- identifying and stimulating innovation, sharing successful approaches widely with others
- providing independent external evaluations of the quality of educational provision at individual provider, local authority and partners, and national levels
- supporting the development and implementation of policy at national level.
In February 2011, the Cabinet Secretary agreed the remit and purpose statement for the new agency which will help to shape the more detailed work to be carried out between now and 1 July 2011, when Education Scotland will be operational.
On 19 April Dr Bill Maxwell, Senior Chief Inspector of Education for Scotland, was appointed the transitional Chief Executive Officer of Education Scotland.
