Comments follow.

Comments

"The inspection covered key aspects of the school’s residential provision, including the environment for care, support for pupils, processes for self-evaluation and capacity for improvement. Members of the inspection team interviewed teachers, care staff, and groups of pupils. They analysed responses to questionnaires issued to pupils, their parents or carers, and care and teaching staff. They also met the chair of the Board of Governors."

No detail is provided about how many pupils were interviewed, just "groups of pupils." It is also unclear whether the questionnaires were anonymous or if interactions with pupils took place in the presence of staff.

"Around a third of pupils expressed concerns about the safety of their belongings, lack of quiet places, the toilet facilities and the lack of privacy when showering or changing."

These were problems back in the early 1980s when I attended Merchiston. This is a report from 2005, two decades later. Obviously, school inspections are minimally effective tools.

Nigel Parry, Research Hub Editor