Tuesday April 28th 2026
Whinhill Primary School head teacher, Liz Ruddy, centre, alongside Inverclyde Council's Interim Director of Education, Michael Roach, accompanied by the school's staff and pupil senior leadership teams
Written by Glasgow View Reporter, Liam Eunson
A Greenock school has been rated as one of the best in Scotland by inspectors after achieving rare ‘excellent’ gradings.
Whinhill Primary, which also teaches Gaelic, has received top marks from His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education in Scotland (HMIE).
Inspectors awarded the school with the highest ‘excellent’ grading across all four of the key assessment areas – a feat that is rarely achieved anywhere in the country.
In a report published today, Tuesday 28 April 2026, Whinhill is praised for its leadership of change; learning, teaching and assessment; ensuring wellbeing, equality and inclusion; and raising attainment and achievement.
Inspectors commented on the ‘well behaved and articulate’ pupils who are ‘highly motivated, engaged in their learning and experience success’.
Head teacher, Liz Ruddy, is described as ‘outstanding and inspirational’, supported by a ‘highly effective’ senior leadership team and wider staff.
Mrs Ruddy said: “I’m absolutely delighted with our inspection report and it’s a testament to the dedication and professionalism of the staff who are a joy to work with.
“It’s also a reflection on the hard work of our pupils and the support from their families and the wider Whinhill family.
“Our children are very much at the heart of what we do not only in terms of teaching and education but in the decision making because they play an active role in how their school is run.
“I am bursting with pride for everyone involved and will enjoy celebrating this incredible achievement with the pupils and staff.”
The school was inspected in January 2026 and HMIE highlighted Whinhill’s ‘highly effective approaches to celebrating the diverse backgrounds and cultures’.
Inspectors also praised staff for delivering ‘an extensive range of opportunities for children relating to culture, sport and citizenship’ and for the way the whole school makes ‘meaningful use’ of Gaelic.
Michael Roach, Interim Director of Education at Inverclyde Council, said: “The inspection report at Whinhill is a significant achievement for the whole school community.
“The report, which is one of the best ever written about a Scottish school, recognises the exceptional quality of education provided to the pupils, their families and the wider community.
“We are delighted that the excellence we knew to be part of the daily educational offer has been validated and recognised by HMIE.
“Whinhill is a truly comprehensive school, serving the centre of Greenock and this report shows what can be achieved over time through the clear, visionary and inspirational leadership of head teacher Liz Ruddy alongside the dedication and commitment of the whole staff team.
“A key feature of this report, however, is how the pupils themselves are involved in leading their learning and school improvement, to create the highly inclusive and innovate school they attend.
“We are very proud of them all.”
Inspectors commented that the staff have ‘created an aspirational culture, underpinned by the school vision’ which meant that ‘children, parents and partners are empowered to lead and secure school-wide improvement and positive change’.
They added: “The whole school community has worked together to develop highly inclusive practice and a nurturing environment.
“As a result, all children are very well supported to achieve and thrive.”
The school celebrated the glowing report with a special assembly on Tuesday morning when the pupils found out their school is ‘top of the class’ with the help of balloons and the screening of a video.
The report is available on the HMIE website at Inspection reports | His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education in Scotland.
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