Julie Harris, Chair of Holy Rood RC High School Parent Council, writes: ‘His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education (HMIE) has a statutory duty to inspect and report on the quality of education in Scotland. Holy Rood RC High School was inspected in March 2026, and the report has been published this month.

A detailed inspection was conducted over the course of a week, where numerous lessons were observed, pupil work reviewed, school policies, procedures and results scrutinised, and in-depth discussions were held with staff, pupils, parents, and partners.

Holy Rood was evaluated by HMIE on two principal ‘Quality Indicators’: Learning, teaching and assessment, and Raising attainment and achievement. In each indicator, a school is graded between 1 (lowest) and 6 (highest), Holy Rood achieved a remarkable Grade 5, very good, for both.

To appreciate the significance of this – of all secondary schools inspected across Scotland since 2024, less than 15% can boast such results.

Findings included: The school’s Gospel values of love, forgiveness, justice and compassion underpin a highly positive and nurturing ethos which creates a very positive climate for learning, characterised by trusting and respectful relationships between pupils and staff. There is a calm, supportive and purposeful atmosphere that strongly promotes effective learning. Senior leaders and teachers maintain a relentless, collegiate focus on improving the quality of teaching. At S4 level, most pupils achieve significantly higher than the VC. (Note – The VC is used by HMIE as it has the characteristics of pupils in a school matched with pupils from across Scotland with similar characteristics. For each pupil, 10 matching pupils are randomly selected based on gender, additional support needs, latest stage and the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation).

At S4, the percentage of pupils presented for Mathematics and English is much higher than the national average and the percentage of passes are all above the national average. Last year attainment was at its highest in five years and significantly higher than the VC. The overall quality of pupils’ achievements is a significant strength of the school. Pupils contribute positively to the school’s ethos by undertaking a wide variety of leadership roles.

The school’s approach to ensuring equity for pupils, rooted in Gospel values, is a major strength of the school. Digital learning is a significant strength of the school. Positive relationships across the school ensure a caring and supportive learning environment where young people thrive and are encouraged to achieve their best.

Holy Rood’s observance of Gospel values means that it tends to go about its work quietly and humbly. The result being that ‘outsiders’ may be unaware of its excellence. We are so fortunate with our high school and are rightly very grateful for the hard work and dedication over many years which has led to achieving such a glowing
inspection outcome. The full inspection report can be found on the HMIE website: Holy Rood RC High School | Inspection Report | His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education in Scotland.’