His Majesty's Chief Inspector of Education in Scotland

at  Scottish Government

JOB SUMMARY

We are seeking an outstanding individual with relevant professional experience for the role of His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education in Scotland.
This is an exciting time for Scottish education as we implement significant reform to secure better outcomes for children and young people across Scotland. His Majesty’s (HM) Chief Inspector will play a pivotal role in leading a new independent education inspectorate to provide public assurance in the quality of education, raising standards and improving outcomes for children, young people and adult learners.
In June 2024, the Government introduced a Bill to Parliament which will see the establishment of a new office holder in the Scottish Administration by Autumn 2025 - “His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education in Scotland”. It is anticipated that statutory functions will be conferred on HM Chief Inspector, who will lead a new independent education inspectorate, His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education (HMIE), to take forward and improve the education inspection functions that currently sit within Education Scotland. This is a significant change from the current position and includes the transfer of some legislative powers from Scottish Ministers directly to the Chief Inspector.
It is anticipated that HMIE will be a new standalone public body, funded by the Scottish Government, whilst reporting to Scottish Ministers and the Scottish Parliament. As such, the post-holder will provide significant national leadership, delivering professional advice, information and evidence, to the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, other Scottish Ministers and Scottish Government officials, on the performance of Scottish education and improvement measures, including the development of educational policy and practice.
We are therefore looking for a transformational leader who, within the context of our education and skills reform commitments, can drive greater improvement in Scottish education, bringing a stronger focus on inspection outcomes, whilst creating a confident, respected and influential public body in its own right.
Appointment to the post of HM Chief Inspector is subject to approval by His Majesty at a sitting of his Privy Council.
Individuals on any working pattern can apply for any post. We welcome flexible working. If you are interested in applying on a job-share basis, please make clear in your application if you wish to be considered as a pre-existing job-share partnership or if you are interested in moving into a job-share arrangement. We will assess proposed working patterns against the business requirements for the post and discuss all options with candidates.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Until HMIE is established, HM Chief Inspector will report to the Chief Executive of Education Scotland, who will continue to hold Accountable Officer responsibilities for the inspectorate function during this period. The Chief Executive’s role will be to ensure that appropriate support is in place to enable the post-holder to fulfil their duties.
As part of our reform commitments, the approach to inspection is to be transformed and HMIE will therefore play an important part in creating the conditions for children and young people to thrive. The post-holder will have a critical role in leading a change in practice and culture, ensuring that the approach to inspection and its contribution to supporting and driving improvement in Scottish education is brought to life and delivered on the ground.
His Majesty’s Chief Inspector will have personal autonomy, direct access to senior stakeholders, including the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, and be responsible for Education Scotland’s Scrutiny Directorate, including delegated budget oversight which is anticipated to be circa £10-15m, mainly for staffing costs.
As His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education in Scotland, you will be responsible for a range of duties. A short summary is below but more detail can be found in the Candidate Pack at the bottom of this page.

NATIONALITY REQUIREMENTS

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

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