Centre for Teaching Excellence establishment: child rights and wellbeing impact assessment

Child Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment

1. Brief Summary

Type of proposal

• Decision of a strategic nature relating to the rights and wellbeing of children

Name the proposal, and describe its overall aims and intended purpose.

The establishment of the Centre for Teaching Excellence is part of the education and skills reform being taken forward by the Scottish Government. It aims to reshape the way in which the Scottish Government supports improvement in the quality of teaching, learning and assessment, and achieve improved outcomes and experiences for pupils and students in every setting.

The overall aim of the Centre for Teaching Excellence (‘the Centre’) is to support all registered teachers, including those in Gaelic Medium Education, to actively lead and engage with research and evidence to help inform and develop their practice.

This will help to:

• Enable teachers to develop their pedagogical expertise in learning, teaching and assessment through critical reflection and practitioner enquiry, drawing on well‑established research, theory and practice from across Scotland and internationally.
• Build stronger links between higher education and teachers, particularly between research, evidence and current classroom practice.
• Work collaboratively to improve the learning outcomes of children and young people, in line with the vision of excellence and equity for education in Scotland.

Start date of proposal’s development:

The development of the proposal was based on the feedback and evidence within Professor Muir’s report ‘Putting Learning at the Centre: Towards a Future Vision for Scottish Education^[1], on reform of the national education bodies, published in March 2022 and the National Discussion on Education^[2], published in May 2023. Both highlighted a central theme of the professional role of teachers and the importance of a clear focus on improvement in learning, assessment and teaching. The decision to establish the Centre was announced in October 2023.

Start date of CRWIA process:

April 2025

2. With reference given to the requirements of the UNCRC (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act 2024 (Annex 1), which aspects of the proposal are relevant to/impact upon children’s rights?

The proposal to establish the Centre is indirectly relevant to children’s rights under the UNCRC.

Articles with positive impact: 3, 12, 13, 23, 28, 29, 30

While the Centre does not deliver services directly to children and young people, the proposal is relevant to Article 3 (best interests of the child) by improving the quality of teaching and learning across Scotland and supporting improved educational experiences and outcomes for children and young people. The inclusion of specific provision for Gaelic Medium Education supports the linguistic and cultural rights of children from minority language communities (Article 30).

By supporting teachers to engage with high-quality research and professional learning, the Centre contributes indirectly to improving the effectiveness and quality of education available to children and young people (Article 28). The Centre’s focus on pedagogical development, reflective practice and research‑informed teaching supports education that develops children’s abilities, talents and confidence to their fullest potential (Article 29 - goals of education).

The Centre plays an important role in the respect for the views of the child (Article 12) by supporting teachers and school leaders to embed children and young people’s voices meaningfully within everyday teaching and learning. Through professional learning, research and guidance, the Centre promotes approaches that actively seek, listen to and value learners’ views, create safe and inclusive environments for expression, and ensure these views inform decisions about learning and school experiences. While the Centre does not work directly with children and young people, it strengthens the capacity of the education workforce to ensure learners’ voices are respected, given due weight, and consistently influence practice.

The Centre makes a positive impact toward Article 13 (freedom of expression) by supporting teachers and school leaders to foster learning environments where children and young people are encouraged and empowered to express their ideas, thoughts and opinions. Through professional learning, research and guidance, the Centre promotes inclusive and participatory teaching approaches that recognise and support diverse forms of expression, build learners’ confidence, and ensure their views are valued and responded to within the learning process. While the Centre does not engage directly with children and young people, its work strengthens the capacity of the education workforce to create open, respectful environments in which learners can communicate freely and have their perspectives meaningfully acknowledged.

While the Centre does not work directly with children and young people, it has an indirect impact to Article 23 (rights of children with disabilities) by strengthening teachers’ and school leaders’ capacity to deliver inclusive practice that supports the participation of children and young people with disabilities. Through professional learning, research and guidance, the Centre promotes inclusive and adaptive approaches that help reduce barriers to learning and support full participation in education.

Articles with neutral impact:

1,2,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,24,25,26,27,31,32,33,34,35,36,37,38,39.40,41,42

Articles with Negative impact:

No articles of the proposal are considered to have a negative impact on any of the UNCRC requirements.

3. Please provide a summary of the evidence gathered which will be used to inform your decision-making and the content of the proposal

Evidence from:

Existing research/reports/policy expertise

The proposal is informed by existing Scottish Government policy and evidence relating to Education Reform and teaching quality. Key sources include Professor Ken Muir’s report Putting Learners at the Centre (March 2022) and the National Discussion on Education (May 2023). Both emphasised the importance of high‑quality teaching, research‑informed professional learning and stronger links between research and classroom practice in supporting improved outcomes for children and young people.

A key factor in in improving children and young people’s learning and the outcome they achieve is the quality of teaching they receive, as noted in the National Improvement Framework and Improvement Plan 2024 for education³. This requires ongoing professional learning, support and resources regarding effective pedagogical approaches.

The 2019 Scottish Government report - Knowledge Utilisation Mapping Study⁴ found that encouraging collaboration enhances engagement with data and research, developing pedagogical expertise for teachers. A key finding from the report is also the need to make academic findings in relation to education-based approaches more readily accessible for teachers to inform their practice, including synthesis of research to support practical actions in a range of contexts.

The evidence base consistently identifies teaching quality as a critical factor influencing pupils’ educational experiences and attainment. The focus of the Centre on professional learning, reflective practice and engagement with research reflects this evidence. Evidence relating to equity has also informed the proposal, including the need to support Gaelic Medium Education and rural and remote settings.

Consultation / feedback from stakeholders

In addition to engagement undertaken through Professor Muir’s review and the National Discussion on Education, a stakeholder group (Co-production group) was established to support the development of proposals for the Centre. This group included representation from across the education system, including teachers, professional associations and education partners. The group provided advice and feedback on the purpose and functions of the Centre, helping to ensure the proposal was informed by expertise, experience and system‑wide perspectives.

Consultation / feedback directly from children and young people

No direct consultation with children and young people was undertaken specifically for this proposal, as the Centre will not deliver services directly to them. However, the views of children and young people gathered through the National Discussion on Education informed the wider reform context within which the Centre is being established.

Schools Policy -

³National Improvement Framework (NIF) - Schools - gov.scot

Knowledge Utilisation Mapping Study: Scottish Education System -

⁴ Scottish education system: knowledge utilisation study - gov.scot

Further to the evidence described at ‘3’ have you identified any 'gaps' in evidence which may prevent determination of impact? If yes, please provide an explanation of how they will be addressed

No significant gaps in evidence have been identified that would prevent determination of impact. The proposal is informed by established evidence on teaching quality and professional learning, alongside stakeholder input gathered through the wider Education Reform programme and the Co-production group established to support the development of the Centre.

Given the indirect nature of the proposal, no further child‑specific evidence is required at this stage.

4. Analysis of Evidence

The evidence indicates that the proposal is likely to have an indirect positive impact on the rights and wellbeing of children and young people. Research and policy evidence consistently highlights teaching quality and research‑informed professional learning as key factors influencing educational experiences and outcomes. By supporting teachers’ engagement with research, reflective practice and professional learning, the Centre is expected to contribute to system‑level improvements in learning, teaching and assessment.

Stakeholder feedback gathered through the wider Education Reform programme, including the Co-production group reinforces this evidence base. The inclusion of specific provision for Gaelic Medium Education and consideration of rural and remote contexts further supports equity and inclusion.

As the Centre does not deliver services directly to children and young people, no direct impacts have been identified. Overall, the evidence suggests a positive indirect contribution to children’s rights under the UNCRC, particularly in relation to the right to education and the goals of education.

5. What changes (if any) have been made to the proposal as a result of this assessment?

No changes have been made to the proposal as a direct result of this assessment. The CRWIA process has confirmed that the proposal is aligned with existing evidence on teaching quality, equity and professional learning, and that it is likely to have an indirect positive impact on children’s rights and wellbeing.

Consideration of children’s rights and wellbeing has helped to reinforce the importance of maintaining a focus on equity, including support for Gaelic Medium Education and rural and remote settings, as the Centre is established and implemented.