Curriculum and Assessment Board minutes: June 2026

Attendees and apologies

• Clare Hicks, Chair, Co-Director of Education Directorate, Scottish Government
• Stuart Nicholson, Chair of the Curriculum, Assessment and Qualifications Network, Association of Directors of Education (ADES)
• Tim Wallace, Vice-President, Association of Headteachers and Deputies in Scotland (AHDS)
• Kirsty Forrester, Vice-Chair, Community Learning and Development Managers Scotland (CLD)
• Brianna Fletcher, Policy Manager, Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (CoSLA)
• Marion Burns, Chair of the Board of Trustees, Early Years Scotland
• Andy Harvey, National Official, the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS)
• Jennifer Macdonald, Strategic Director, General teaching Council Scotland (GTCS)
• David Barnett, General Secretary, School Leavers Scotland (SLS)
• Julie MacDonald, Vice President, School Leavers Scotland (SLS)
• Sara McFarlane, Operations and Policy Manager, Connect
• Sarah Sinclair, Head of Professional Learning, Scottish Council of Independent Schools (SCIS)
• John Guidi, District Secretary, Renfrewshire, Scottish Secondary Teachers Association (SSTA)
• James Russell, Director of CIAG Operations, Skills Development Scotland (SLS)
• Tina Harrison, Deputy Vice Principal Students, University of Edinburgh, Universities Scotland
• Claire Bannister, Senior Policy Officer, Universities Scotland
• Professor Louise Hayward, Professor of Educational Assessment and Innovation, Academic Representative, University of Glasgow 
• Gill Mann, Head of NQ Policy, Qualifications Scotland
• Alasdair Smith, Head of HNVQ policy, Qualifications Scotland
• Georgina Holmes, Head of Science, Mathematics and Core Skills, Qualifications Scotland
• Jacqueline Nimmo, Head of Inspection Lead, His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education in Scotland (HMIE)
• Patricia Watson, Strategic Lead, Inspection, His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education in Scotland (HMIE)
• Erica Russell- Hensens, Deputy Director of Student Interests, Access and Quality, Scottish Funding Council (SFC)
• Donna McMaster, Chief Executive, Education Scotland (ES)
• Ollie Bray, Strategic Director, Education Scotland (ES)
• Neil Millar, Head of Curriculum Areas, Education Scotland (ES)
• Graeme Wallace, Curriculum Innovation, Education Scotland (ES)
• Graeme Logan, Co-Director of Education Directorate, Scottish Government
• Lewis Hedge, Deputy Director of Curriculum, Qualifications and Achievement Division, Scottish Government
• Scottish Government officials, Curriculum and Qualifications Division
• Scottish Government officials, Curriculum and Assessment Board Secretariat

Apologies

• Donnie Wood, Head of Pathways Policy, Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF)

• Mark Priestly, Professor of Education, Academic Representative, University of Stirling
• Lorraine Davidson, Chief Executive, Scottish Council of Independent Schools (SCIS)
• Donna Stewart, Director of Qualifications, Qualifications Scotland
• Jonathan Cunningham, President, Association of Headteachers and Deputies in Scotland (AHDS)
• Gavin Yates, Executive Director, Connect

Items and actions

Welcome, introductions and apologies

The Chair - Clare Hicks welcomed attendees to the 35th meeting of CAB, and introduced the new co-chair Donna McMaster, the new Chief Executive, Education Scotland. Minutes from meeting 34 were asked to be cleared.

Action: Amendments were requested (Andy Harvey) who will provide in writing.

Agreement of minutes was deferred pending consideration of amendments.

Scottish Government Update

Clare Hicks (Co-Chair) provided a Scottish Government update:

Ministerial and parliamentary update:

•    new ministerial team confirmed following the recent election

•    Cabinet Secretary for Education, Culture, and Gaelic: Ms Màiri McAllan

•    supporting Ministers: Ms Siobhan Brown and Mr Ben McPherson

•    parliamentary committees are still being established; an education-focused committee is expected

Education structural reform:

•    establishment of a single Education Directorate (April 2026), combining reform and learning functions

Joint leadership aims to:
•    improve coherence
•    reduce silos
•    align policy with the National Improvement Framework (NIF)
•    the Education Directorate priorities are aligned to “ABCs”: attendance, attainment, behaviour and curriculum

Residential Outdoor Education (Scotland) Act 2025:

•    implementation planning underway ahead of commencement regulations (due September 2027)
•    advisory group established to coordinate delivery
•    ongoing stakeholder engagement and visits to effective delivery models
•    alignment with the Curriculum Improvement Cycle (CIC) emphasised

Additional support for learning (ASL) – update:

Increasing policy priority due to:
•    growing need (over 40% of pupils with recorded ASN)
•    strong political and parliamentary interest

Commitments include:
•    national staged intervention model
•    implementation of the recent ASL Review

Action: board agreed to schedule a future substantive discussion on ASL. 

Monitoring and Evaluation - Curriculum and Qualifications Reform

Joe Rennie-Taylor, principal research officer from Education Analytical Services, updated CAB on the next step on producing a strategy to allow the Scottish Government to measure the process and impact of curriculum and qualifications reform. 

Key features:
•    independent research approach with stakeholder engagement
•    emphasis on using existing data sources
•    linked to NIF outcome 3 (inclusive, relevant curriculum)

Combination of:
•    long-term outcome measures from now till 2033
•    with a mixture of short and medium term process indicators

Initial focus on:
•    implementation processes
•    stakeholder experience
•    equity impacts

Monitoring evolution timeline - evaluation strategy to be published September 2026. Key reporting milestones:
•    2028 (process evaluation)
•    2031 (early impacts)
•    2033 (full outcome evaluation)

Key discussion points:
•    need for visible independence (external advisory mechanisms)
•    importance of tracking learner outcomes beyond school
•    interest in reviewing whether current success measures remain appropriate

Curriculum Improvement Cycle (CIC) update

Ollie Bray, Strategic Director for Education Scotland updated members on the CIC.

Significant development progress noted:
•    approaching public phase of sharing draft materials (June 2026):
•    National Practice Guidelines
•    sample “Know–Do–Understand” (KDU) framework outputs
•    full draft framework expected September 2026, with final guidance and framework by January 2027

Key components:
•    replacement of Experiences and Outcomes with KDU model

This model based on a model that emphasises:
•    big ideas
•    conceptual understanding
•    coherence across curriculum stages

Key discussion points: 
Member highlighted there has been governance and communication gaps around amendments with stakeholders, particularly unions, which SG and ES agreed to ensure was not repeated.

Members highlighted a need for:
•    improved engagement structures
•    better communication rhythm via CAB subgroups

Members raised concerns regarding:    
•    teacher workload and time for implementation
•    maintaining coherence between curriculum, assessment and qualifications
•    need for improved communication and stakeholder engagement
•    ensuring implementation is manageable for practitioners
•    need for system-wide planning and clarity on additional in-service days

Recognition of the importance of:
•    shared ownership
•    openness to challenge
•    preparing for external scrutiny

Overall strong support for the direction of travel.

Qualifications Scotland update – early reform

Georgina Holmes, Head of Science, Mathematics and Core Skills presented to members the early reforms to assessment and qualifications, with a focus on reviewing and rebalancing of existing national courses using current design principals. 

The adjustments will focus on:
•    assessment load, by reducing the length of some subjects examination 
•    changes will also be made to practical subject assessments

The changes being made are based on:
•    learner, teacher, and assessor feedback
•    external survey evidence

It was highlighted that there is further subject reviews underway with stakeholders for English, Geography, and History qualifications.

Members’ key discussion points:
•    the need for clear communication to the system so that stakeholders do not think that these changes represent the full suite of qualifications reform. 
•    maintain focus on long-term transformation of qualifications
•    broader range of qualifications including vocational pathways
•    the need to ensure alignment with curriculum reform
•    necessity for integration of knowledge and skills in assessment

Children (Withdrawal from Religious Education and Amendment of UNCRC Compatibility Duty) (Scotland) Bill - overview

Policy leads from the Curriculum, Qualifications, and Achievement Division provided members with an update of the legislative changes introduced by the Children (Withdrawal from Religious Education and Amendment of UNCRC Compatibility Duty) (Scotland) Bill.

Overview:
•    pupil voice requirement in withdrawal decisions
•    removal of withdrawal right from Religious, Moral and Philosophical Studies/Religious Education Roman Catholic
•    continued withdrawal only from religious observance
•    mandatory pupil involvement (unless incapable)

Schools must provide:
•    an impartial process
•    alternative educational activity if withdrawn
•    annual national reporting on withdrawals required

Implementation timeline (Indicative)
•    guidance development and consultation: 2026–early 2027
•    publication of guidance: Spring 2027
•    full implementation: August 2027

Members’ discussion points: 

Members highlight the importance of alignment with wider curriculum reform.

Any other business

The next meeting is 10 September 2026, and will be a full-day in-person session in Craigmount High School. More details to follow in due course.