The organisation will look into the issue along with Argyll and Bute Council, which is holding its own review of how Hermitage Academy has approached exams.
Parents and pupils at the school, in Helensburgh, had protested over its stance towards Curriculum for Excellence (CfE). In most schools pupils sit National 5 in the fourth year of secondary and go on to choose Highers the following year. At Hermitage, however, pupils sit no exams in the fourth year and up to six Highers at the end of S5.
Those considered unsuitable for Highers can drop to National 5 later but if they fail, they could leave school without qualifications after five years’ study. The strategy has meant one in five pupils from last year has already left the school without a National 5 or Higher in maths, parents say.
Scottish Labour MSP Jackie Baillie had called on Angela Constance, the education secretary, to ensure school inspectors reviewed Hermitage Academy’s policy.
“The parents I spoke to were clear they had no confidence in the council’s own internal review so I hope that Education Scotland’s involvement in the process will help shine a light on what went so badly wrong with the new exam system at Hermitage Academy,” Ms Baillie said.
“The focus now must be on what the Scottish government and Argyll and Bute Council can do to ensure that current and future pupils will be able to reach their full potential.”
A spokesman for a group of families from the school called Parents for Change said: “I very much welcome Education Scotland’s involvement and independent scrutiny of the review process and I have been in contact with them to ensure the parents’ views and concerns are heard and taken into consideration.
“So far the parent council of the school have not been asked to participate even though they have made multiple requests to the local authority, hence the advances to Education Scotland.”
Change should be applied now to ensure the current S4 can be presented for National exams in May, he added, and also to ensure appropriate teaching time is allocated for S5 and S6 to significantly improve their chances of high attainment.
A spokeswoman for Education Scotland said: “We’re working closely with the local authority and Hermitage Academy to contribute challenge, knowledge and advice to the council’s internal review of the curriculum at Hermitage Academy.
“We have made a commitment to provide on-going support to both the local authority and the school in order to offer an independent perspective, as well as advice around best practice, parental engagement and assessment."