Consequences subgroup minutes: February 2025

Attendees and apologies

• Scottish Government (Chair)
• Association of Directors of Education Scotland (ADES)
• Association of Scottish Principal Educational Psychologists (ASPEP)
• Brechin High School (Angus)
• Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA)
• Drummond Community High School
• Education Institute for Scotland (EIS)
• Heathfield Primary School (South Ayrshire)
• Mearns Castle High School (East Renfrewshire)
• NASUWT
• Oban High School (Argyll and Bute) 
• respectme
• Saracen Primary School (Glasgow)
• Stirling High School (Stirling)
• Stonelaw High School (South Lanarkshire)
• Scottish Government (Secretariat)

Apologies

• Douglas Academy (East Dunbartonshire)
• Education Scotland
• Hazelwood School (Glasgow)
• Royal High School (Edinburgh)

Items and actions

Welcome and introductions

The chair welcomed members and apologies were noted.

Minutes of the last meeting

Members agreed they were content with the minutes of the last meeting. Scottish Government (SG) to publish minutes on SG website.

Action: SG to publish minutes on the SG website. 

Draft consequences guidance 

SG provided an overview of the draft guidance shared with the group, advising that it had been informed by the Association of Scottish Principal Educational Psychologists (ASPEP) presentation delivered at the January meeting as well as input from individual members. Key feedback on the draft included:

• The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) should be discussed earlier in the guidance with greater clarity on articles specific to consequences. 
• Take a pragmatic approach to the UNCRC, ensuring consequences remain proportionate - this should be explicitly stated in the document. 
• Clearly outline what is and is not permitted within the legal framework of the UNCRC.
• The response to behaviour should reinforce school ethos and benefit the wider school community. If schools take no action, it may be perceived as permissive. The absence of consequences is itself an educational message. 
• Consider the concept of ‘starting afresh’ each day, as highlighted in the Includem report. 
• Children and young people respond better when consequences are immediate and clearly linked to their actions. 
• Detention may conflict with a child's right to play and existing Education Scotland guidance – SG to pick up with Education Scotland to ensure consistency. 
• The guidance should be concise and accessible while maintaining key messages. Oversimplification could be detrimental to children and young people. 
• Consequences should not exist in isolation. They should be accompanied by communication, one-to-one support, and, for more serious or repeated behaviours, assessment, interventions, and family engagement.
• Strengthen the emphasis on school context - analysis and self-evaluation are crucial, as what works in one school may not be effective in another. 
• Be clearer on the importance of explicitly teaching specific behaviours, specifying what this looks like and what it doesn’t look like.
• Emphasise the need for consistency among adults to support a sense of safety for children and young people. 
• Revise the structure to bring key messages about consequences to the forefront, with further exploration in later sections. 
• Include practical exemplars in the document to ensure guidance is actionable for schools – priority for next meeting.
• Highlight the role of local authorities - while headteacher empowerment remains key, local authorities also have a responsibility to provide support. 
• Acknowledge parental responsibility in supporting their child and the school in responding to and improving behaviour. 

Actions

• SG to seek input from UNCRC Policy Team on UNCRC section.
• SG to update guidance based on members’ comments.
• Group to agree exemplification approach at the next meeting. 

AOB

The next meeting will take place on 19 March via Microsoft Teams. No other business was raised