Each year, HM Inspectorate of Education (HMIe) inspects and reports on the quality of education in both pre-school (nursery) centres and primary schools. When selecting schools for inspection, the HMIe ensures that their annual programme includes a broad range. For example: rural and urban; small, medium and large; and denominational and non-denominational. The programme of inspections is drawn from all 32 local authorities in Scotland and includes independent (non-state) schools.

Currently, the HMIe are moving towards what is sometimes called a ‘generational cycle’ of school inspection. This cycle is designed to ensure that parents can typically expect to receive both a primary school inspection report and a secondary school inspection report at some point during the time that their child is in the school system. In other words, the HMIe are committed to inspecting a primary school (either an initial inspection or a follow-up) every seven years. Using this ‘cycle,’ the HMIe hopes to have every primary school inspected by 2009.

In early 2006, Dundee City Council published their Education Department's Standards and Quality Report 2004-5 reflecting on the previous 18 months. This report catalogues the many activities that are continuing across the city, and it also contains a list of achievements from every single Dundee City Council school. The lists cover the whole range of the school experience including music, the arts and sport. It is a truly inspiring catalogue of our youngsters' enthusiasm and efforts.