Curriculum and Assessment Board Meeting minutes : June 2025

Attendees and apologies

• Alasdair Smith, Head of Service, Policy, HNVQ Policy, Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA)
• Andy Harvey, National Officer, The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS)
• Andy Smith (substitute for Julie MacDonald), Council Member, School Leaders Scotland (SLS)
• Clare Hicks, Director, Education Reform, Scottish Government (SG) (Joint Chair)
• Donna Stewart, Chief Examining Officer and Director of Qualifications Development, Scottish Qualifications Authority 
• Gill Mann, Interim Head of NQ Policy, Scottish Qualifications Authority 
• Gillian Hamilton, Interim Chief Executive, Education Scotland (Joint Chair)
• Jacqueline Nimmo (substitute for Janie McManus), Head of Inspection, HMIE
• James Russell, Director of CIAG Operations, Skills Development Scotland (SDS)
• John Guidi, District Secretary, Renfrewshire, Scottish Secondary Teachers Association (SSTA)
• Kirsty Forrester, Co-vice Chair, Community Learning and Development Managers Scotland (CLDMS)
• Lewis Hedge, Deputy Director, Curriculum and Qualifications Division, Scottish Government 
• Lorraine Davidson, Chief Executive, Scottish Council of Independent Schools (SCIS)
• Martyn Ware, Head of Policy, Research & Standards, Scottish Qualifications Authority 
• Ollie Bray, Strategic Director, Education Scotland
• Stewart Nicolson, Chair of the Curriculum, Assessment and Qualifications Network, Association of Directors of Education (ADES)
• Tim Wallace, Vice President, Association of Headteachers and Deputes in Scotland (AHDS)
• Tina Harrison, Deputy Vice-Principal Students, University of Edinburgh

Apologies

• Head of Learning Teaching & Assessment, Education Scotland
• Erica Russell-Hensens, Deputy Director, Student Interests, Access and Quality, Scottish Funding Council (SFC)
• Gavin Yates, Executive Director Connect, Scottish Assembly of Parents and Carers (SAPC)
• James McKean, Policy Officer, Colleges Scotland
• Jane Brumpton, Chief Executive, Early Years Scotland 
• Janie McManus, His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education for Scotland
• Joan MacKay, Head of Curriculum Innovation and Design, Education Scotland
• Julie MacDonald, Vice President, School Leaders Scotland 
• Marie Hendry, Chief Executive, College Development Network
• Matthew Sweeney, Policy Manager, Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA)
• Nik James, National Official, NASUWT The Teaching Union
• Pauline Radcliffe, Chief Executive, Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework Partnership (SCQFP)
• Professor Louise Hayward, Professor of Educational Assessment and Innovation, Academic Representative, University of Glasgow 
• Professor Mark Priestley, Professor of Education, Academic Representative, University of Stirling
• Victoria Smith, Strategic Director, General Teaching Council Scotland (GTCS)

Items and actions

Welcome and draft minutes from last meeting

• Ollie Bray (Strategic Director, Education Scotland) welcomed members to the Curriculum and Assessment Board (CAB) meeting at Hillhead High School, Glasgow. Ollie as Chair for the morning session, with Clare Hicks (today’s chair) and Gillian Hamilton (Co-Chair) arriving for the afternoon session.
• Welcomed new member Kirsty Forrester, Community Learning and Development Managers Scotland.
• Draft minutes from the meeting on 18 March 2025 were cleared to be published, with no amendments taken.

Curriculum and qualifications – publication – timeline paper

Lewis Hedge (Deputy Director, Curriculum and Qualifications, SG) noted that the Curriculum and Qualifications Reform Project is an integrated strand of the broader Education Reform Programme. Lewis made the following points:

The main objectives of the project include:

• Evolve Curriculum for Excellence’s (CfE) technical framework
• greater clarity on knowledge, progression, transitions, and approaches to qualifications and assessment
• develop a package of professional learning
• develop a joint communication and engagement strategy
• develop a robust approach of monitoring and evaluation for reforms
• create a national digital profile for young people
• consistent offer of interdisciplinary learning (IDL)
• further consideration of a learning certificate

Governance of the project is overseen by the Curriculum and Qualifications Reform Project Assurance Board, who will provide assurance on project risks and dependencies.

Risks are monitored and managed through established reform programme structures and processes.

Findings from a project dependency workshop in April 2025 concluded curriculum qualifications reform touches many areas of work including digital technology and infrastructure, school estates, post-school reform, professional learning and new inspection framework. We will continue to engage with these areas to align with reform.

The Programme for Government (PfG) 2025/26 commitment states “We will set out a single combined timeline for this reform in June 2025, providing clarity about next steps for the education system.” A draft timeline was shared with members demonstrating key activities and messages, giving a sense of when reform activity will happen, maps areas of activity and when those milestones and activities will commence.

Members were invited to feedback on the following questions from SG officials:

• do milestones and key messages support scalable, sustainable delivery?
• are objectives and timelines aligned with expectations?
• thoughts on risks/dependencies?

Comments from the Board included:

• curriculum must come before qualifications to ensure alignment
• important that SQA and Education Scotland continue have a strong working partnership
• the political cycle and headlines can and will influence priorities
• important that engagement is through the eyes of all; settings, schools, practitioners, universities, and colleges
• international school of Aberdeen has a good system of recognising wider achievement that is worth considering
• need to manage the risk to young people already in the system and how we prepare pupils for change
• needs to be another strand within the draft timeline on accountability
• the two strands of curriculum represented in the timeline need to work in parallel
• universities Scotland records all student achievements and formal assessment - this could be considered as a future model
• work-based learning space to embark on a review of qualifications available
• consideration on the importance of special schools
• any digital profile to allow children and young people to carry achievements throughout life
• as the timeline will be published before summer holidays, there is a risk that teachers and school's leaders will not have the capacity to engage fully
• recognition that schools will need time, including in-service days

Lewis Hedge confirmed that the shared aim is to work with schools, settings, and agencies this year on the preparation and planning for change, with change to commence the following year (2026/27).

Engagement with wider school community – discussion with teachers and pupils on the senior phase model at Hillhead High School

Ollie Bray introduced the staff and pupils of Hillhead High School to talk through their senior phase model.

The headteacher described that from S4, pupils have the choice of a 2-year course, where they can choose if they complete a Higher qualification or a National 5 at the end of the second year (S5), with no exam needed in the first year (S4). This model has been successful for Hillhead with more time given to learning and teaching and encourages young people to stay on till S6.

A questions and answers session was held with CAB members, school staff, and young people. The session discussed what learning looked and felt like for young people at Hillhead. Young people and staff emphasised they have the opportunity to develop a depth of learning and highlighted how the approach supports positive health and wellbeing for young people.

Ollie Bray thanked pupils and staff for joining the session and showcasing their passion for education.

Curriculum improvement cycle (CIC): workshop

Ollie Bray introduced this item to provide members with an update on the findings from the work of CAB sub-group sessions focussed on cross curricular themes and skills.

Ollie summarised the intention to evolve CfE’s technical framework to a ‘know, do, understand’ Big Ideas model.

Ollie Bray stated that categorising cross curricular themes needs to be coherent and straightforward for practitioners and young people; this will create opportunities to develop deeper conceptual understanding.

It was noted that some cross curricular themes are easier to conceptualise than others, however the framework is set to be context free and up to head teachers and practitioners how they embed their place-based approaches.

Members were invited to discuss in small groups what an evolved technical framework with embedded themes in the senior phase.

Feedback included:

• aligning skills classifications (for example: meta, core and specific skills) with capabilities and cross curricular priorities to assist practitioners
• principles for curriculum design need to be refreshed
• the need to link the curriculum framework to work-based learning

Ollie Bray confirmed some of the key next steps in the CIC work:

• clarifying the role of cross curricular themes including in relation to the current responsibilities of all - health and wellbeing, literacy and numeracy
• beginning to develop the appropriate national practice guidelines for primary and secondary schools and
• opportunity to engage further with a sub-group of CAB on what the single coherent framework will look like

ACTION – SG Secretariat to email Education Scotland’s papers to members for feedback on the next stages of the CIC work.

Qualifications and assessment reform update

Clare Hicks (Co-Chair, SG) welcomed Graeme Wallace from Education Scotland and Derek Hawthorne from Skills Development Scotland to provide members with an opportunity for feedback on Scotland’s Learner Profile.

It was confirmed that Education Scotland and SDS have been working closely with local authorities, young people and practitioners on designing the learner profile. The next stage of co-design focuses on young people with complex needs and involvement from parents/carers.

The aim is to add value to:

• curriculum design and assessment
• transitions
• college and employment applications
• post-school use and
• parent/carer links

Highlights from the demonstration to CAB were:

• that the digitial profile provided the facility to bring skills and achievements together and visible in one page
• that the profile is designed for laptops and mobile phones
• that once a skill, achievement, or activity is added to the profile, a success message appears
• the value of the interactive model to help navigate the profile and
• the fact that goals, achievements, qualifications, hobbies/interests, personal values can all be added

Members were asked if there are any additions that can be added to the profile that is valuable for the individual to plan their next steps in their learner journey. Comments included:

• will teachers have the ability to add information themselves? It was stated that the profile is owned by the young person, but it can be explored to connect an educator
• the work of CIC will generate and strengthen skills and where they sit in the curriculum, and links to Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) for wider achievement
• it is key that employers have been involved in co-design groups and want to use the profile
• it would be useful to consider if a CV could be developed from the profile
• it is a real win to enhance the ability of young people to articulate their skills and have ownership of their learning
• the engagement and insight with young people on the design process is commendable

The Chair passed on to Gill Mann (Interim Head of NQ Policy, SQA) to update members on qualifications reform.

Gill Mann confirmed that work on reviewing national courses has started which will include a review of the balance of assessment. The wider, longer-term action to reform of national courses will start at Level 4 and 5 through modularisation.

It was noted that it is important to be clear on the language throughout the process and the impact on the 3-18 curriculum.

Alasdair Smith (Head of Service, Policy, HNVQ Policy, SQA) summarised the review of qualification types. He covered:

• the review and evaluation of HNVQ product types
• identification of duplication and across HNVQ product provision
• changes to product types, supporting documentation for creation or removal
• mapping of HNVQ pathways and progression and
• the importance of providing evidence-based recommendations to ensure the continuous improvement of HNVQ product types

It was confirmed that SQA are collaborating with the Scottish Government’s qualifications policy team on the use and future profile of work-based learning as part of a comprehensive reformed senior phase and developed an engagement strategy and stakeholders experience of accessing qualifications portfolio.

It was noted that a Schools Unit has been established within the SQA following a commission from the Cabinet Secretary of Education and Skills focusing on; organisational change, communication and engagement, and professional development with a view to rebuilding trust with teachers in through transition from SQA to Qualifications Scotland and beyond.

It was confirmed that SQA will continue to work with Education Scotland to align the timescales for curriculum and qualifications reform and will engage with CAB members around specific aspect of qualifications and assessment reform, creating sub-groups for this work in September 2025.

Education Reform Update – Education Bill

Clare Hicks provided an update on the Education Bill as follows:

• the Bill is working its way through Parliament and is currently at Stage 3
• stage 3 due to be completed before the summer recess
• deadline for Scottish Government amendments at Stage 3 to be submitted to the Scottish Parliament is 16 June 2025
• deadline for opposition amendments to the Bill at Stage 3 to be submitted to the Scottish Parliament is 17 June 2025

AOB

The Co-Chair thanked members for their valuable input and feedback on the updates provided and confirmed there was no other business.

ACTION – SG Secretariat to email Education Scotland’s papers to members for feedback on the next stages of the CIC work.(Completed 19/06/25)

Curriculum and Assessment Board Secretariat, June 2025