Education inspectors have praised Preston Lodge High School pupil’s behaviour and participation in lessons as they published a report highlighting progress made since their previous visit.
His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education in Scotland (HMIE) first visited the school in October 2024 and returned in January 2026 speaking to young people and working closely with Head Teacher Gavin Clark and his teams. The body has published the results of its follow-up report on its website.
Inspectors highlighted the school’s work to support young people’s wellbeing and attendance, which has led to an overall increased attendance rate between 23/24 and 24/25 sessions. Dedicated support spaces and clear pupil profiles help the school teams meet pupils’ needs more effectively.
Preston Lodge Learning Promise
The newly-created Preston Lodge Learning Promise, a set of shared expectations for high quality learning, was singled out for its role in consistent lesson planning. Inspectors, who spent time observing lessons, also stated that young people behaved well and participated in learning.
HMIE also noted positive changes in the school’s approach to self-evaluation and improving approaches to the curriculum. Although recognising that this work is still at an early stage, inspectors told parents that “Senior leaders have implemented a more structured and well-planned approach to gather self-evaluation evidence.” Work being undertaken by the Parent Council to consider how a wider range of parents’ views could be captured was mentioned as part of this process.
'Positive recognition of progress'
Chair of Preston Lodge High School Parent Council Colin Kemp said: “The Preston Lodge High School Parent Council are pleased to see the positive recognition of progress being made from the original inspection recommendations.
“We have worked with the Senior Leadership team to understand the plans and are regularly updated on progress. We have been given the opportunity to provide feedback and feel that this strong relationship between the Parent Council and Senior Leadership Team helps with the implementation of the improvement plan.
“We are impressed with the resilience and drive shown by the Head Teacher and Senior Leadership Team and believe the continued work will ensure the suggested improvements are, in time, implemented effectively and sustainably to ensure Preston Lodge continues to be an excellent school for the diverse population of students who attend.”
'Dedicated, capable staff'
Preston Lodge High School Head Teacher Gavin Clark said: “I am delighted that inspectors confirmed that we had made good choices in prioritising improvements, and that they acknowledged the positive progress that we have made. We have more to do, but I am certain that our dedicated, capable staff and our wonderful students will continue to make progress together.
“I would like to thank our staff, our students, our families and our friends and supporters for the very significant contributions they have made to school improvement over the past year. I would also like to thank the East Lothian education service for their helpful support and challenge throughout.
“The Preston Lodge family is such a strong community, and it is a privilege to serve it. We now look forward to another positive year of school improvement.”
Further progress visit
Inspectors highlighted areas where further work is required, including accelerating the pace of learning and a focus on senior phase attainment. Both areas are being addressed through the School Improvement Plan and Curricular Area Improvement Plans.
HMIE will return to the school within 12 months of the report’s publication for a further progress visit.