Janie currently holds the position of His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education for Scotland. She was appointed to this role in November 2023 on an interim basis of at least 18 months. Janie provides strategic leadership to the current inspection function within Education Scotland, enabling it to deliver on behalf of Scottish Ministers and maintaining the integrity of inspection as a constructive, evidence-led process, independent of all of the main interests. Janie has a critical role in driving quality improvement for learners across Scotland by providing strategic guidance and leadership to both the on-going programme of education inspection (ensuring that this is effective in providing assurance to learners and parents/carers and in building the capacity of the education system to improve) and leading the work to set up a new independent inspectorate for education, including its vision, values, purpose, functions and culture. She is responsible for leading and developing Scotland’s approach to the inspection and scrutiny of education. Janie is instrumental in the continued development of the operating model for the new inspectorate and its successful establishment as a new organisation. Additionally, she is Head of Profession of HM Inspectors of Education, a designated specialist professional group within the Scottish Government.

Janie is a passionate advocate for raising standards and improving the lives of children and young people. She has spent over three decades in the education sector and has a unique perspective gleaned from her experience as a teacher, headteacher, an HM Inspector and HM Chief Inspector of Education.