The findings of Education Scotland's sectoral programme of inspections, which sample the providers of education at every stage from the early years to adult learning, provide a key source of evidence on how effectively one of its core public services is performing. The last published summary of inspection findings was produced in 2009 when Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education (HMIE) published "Improving Scottish Education 2005 to 2008." Since then, the fast moving pace of change and challenge across the world and in society at large has been reflected in a continuing ambitious agenda for change in Scottish education. Developments that the HMIE report highlighted three years ago have gathered pace as it seeks to promote the innovation, flexibility and creativity needed to support young people for this ever changing world. The evidence summarised in this report indicates that much progress has been made in embedding new, improved approaches in every-day educational practice. This report describes, for example, steady progress in the implementation for Curriculum for Excellence in all sectors, over the course of the three years it covers. The picture that the inspection evidence paints is consistent with other sources of evidence that have appeared since 2008. In international studies between 2008 and 2011, Scottish children's achievement in science, mathematics and English language were similar to or slightly better than other UK students in England, Wales and North Ireland. Against countries worldwide, Scottish children remain in the middle ranking of achievements in these subject areas. Recent results for the Scottish standards for numeracy assessments reflect levels of achievement the researchers have evaluated in this report over 2008 to 2011. In particular, focus is still needed in the first years of secondary to maintain the earlier gains in primary school. Everyone must remain determined in moving Scottish children to even better achievements, nationally and internationally. Notes on evidence base and evaluation terms used in the document are appended. (Contains 6 footnotes.)