Curriculum Assessment Board minutes: December 2025

Attendees and apologies

• Stewart Nicolson, Chair of the Curriculum, Assessment and Qualifications Network, Association of Directors of Education (ADES)

• Victoria Smith, Strategic Director, General Teaching Council Scotland (GTCS)

• Gill Mann, Interim Head of NQ Policy, Qualifications Scotland
  (QS)

• John Guidi, District Secretary, Renfrewshire,  Scottish Secondary Teachers Association (SSTA) 

• Brianna Fletcher, Policy Manager, CoSLA 

• Clare Hicks,Co-Chair, Director for Education Reform, Scottish Government

• Lewis Hedge, Co-Chair, Deputy Director, Curriculum and Qualifications, Scottish Government 

• Scottish Government officials, Curriculum and Qualifications / Education Reform Divisions

• Curriculum and Assessment Board Secretariat, Scottish Government 

• Tina Harrison, Deputy Vice- Principle Students, University of Edinburgh

• Janie McManus, Chief Inspector of Education, Education Scotland

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

• Lise Mccaffery, Head of Curriculum Area, Education Scotland

• Andrew Creamer, Head of Learning Teaching & Assessment, Education Scotland

• Sara Sinclair, Head of Professional Learning, Scottish Council of Independent Schools, (SCIS)

• Andy Harvey, National Official, Educational Institute of Scotland, (EIS)

• Ollie Bray, Strategic Director, Education Scotland

• Alasdair Smith, Head of Service, Policy, HNVQ Policy, Qualifications Scotland (QS)

• Nik James, National Official, National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) 

• Tom Harley, Skills Development Scotland (SDS)

• Marion Burns, Chair of the Board of Trustees, Early Years Scotland

• Stuart Cathro, Head of Inspection, Education Scotland

• Martyn Ware, Director of Policy, Analysis and Standards, Qualifications Scotland (QS) 

• Donna Stewart, Director of Qualifications, Qualifications Scotland (QS) 

• Kirsty Forrester, Vice-chair, CLD Managers Scotland (CLD Manager, Dundee City Council)

• Julie MacDonald, Vice President, School Leaders Scotland,(SLS)

Apologies

• Tim Wallace, Vice President, Association of Headteachers and Deputes in Scotland (AHDS)

• Mike Corbett, National Official, National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT)

• Gavin Yates, Executive Director, Connect, Scottish Assembly of Parents and Carers (SAPC)

• Erica Russell-Hensens, Deputy Director, Student Interests, Access and Quality, Scottish Funding Council, (SFC)

• James Russell, Director of CIAG Operations,Skills Development Scotland, (SDS)

• Graeme Logan, Interim Chief Executive, Education Scotland 

• Patricia Watson, Strategic lead for our inspection,Education Scotland

• Jacqueline Nimmo, Head of Inspection Lead, Education Scotland

• Graeme Wallace, Curriculum Innovation, Education Scotland

• Lisa Bird, Interim Director of Corporate Services, His Majesty’s Inspectorate for Education (HMIE)

• Professor Mark Priestley, Professor of Education, Academic Representative, University of Stirling

• Jonathan Cunningham, President of Association of Headteachers and Deputes in Scotland (AHDS)

• Marie Hendry, Chief Executive, College Development Network

• James McKean, Policy Officer, Colleges Scotland

• Peter Murray, CIC Project Manager, Education Scotland

Items and actions

Clare Hicks – Chair

Welcomed members to meeting 33, the final meeting of 2025

• noted that the meeting would be transcribed to support transparency and efficiency
• confirmed that the minutes of meeting 32 were accurate
• provided an update on previous actions, including progress of the subgroup on the language of assessment

Education reform update

• formal establishment of new education bodies following the Education Act
• transition overseen jointly by the Education Reform Programme Board and the Transition Board
• Qualifications Scotland (QS) legally constituted on 1 December 2025 and operational from 1 February 2026
• His Majesty’s Inspectorate for Education (HMIE) separated from Education Scotland effective 1 March 2026
• education scotland refocused on curriculum design, development, and professional learning
• Centre for Teaching Excellence (CfTE) launched at the University of Glasgow on 3 September 2025
• Centre for Teaching Excellence (CfTE) will not duplicate the functions of other national bodies, it will focus on research‑informed professional development
• teacher secondments continue, aiming for 46 school liaison officers

Emma Sinclair – Rapid review of online learning

• review aligns with National Improvement Framework (NIF) outcome 7 and the manifesto commitment to a national digital academy
• rapid review began in September 2025 and included research, policy analysis, and stakeholder engagement
• stakeholders included COSLA, ADES, trade unions, online learning providers, universities, and colleges
• quality of online learning provision varies widely, with mixed learner experiences
• evidence showed 67% of respondents viewed digital resources and services as a key priority
• children and young people’s commissioner and local government broadly positive about online learning benefits
• teacher unions expressed concerns about online delivery
• online learning offers accessibility, personalisation and resilience, but safety, security, and screen‑time concerns remain
• teachers terms and conditions are not yet aligned to expectations of digital learning
• need to align national digital strategy, Centre for Teaching Excellence (CfTE’s) digital learning work, and updates to glow
• discovery report will be shared with the cabinet secretary

Attendee discussion points – Online learning

• pedagogical, legislative and contractual concerns
• online learning cannot ensure equitable access to education
• risks associated with replacing significant elements of the curriculum with online delivery
• benefits for neurodivergent learners and non‑attenders
• need to address proliferation of unvetted online resources
• online learning should supplement, not replace, face‑to‑face learning
• valuable for smaller or remote schools
• need to monitor workload and learner outcomes
• trade unions noted their concerns about the online learning review in terms of scope and lack of definition of online learning

Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) new strategy

• new strategy awaiting board sign‑off in January 2026
• focus on parity between vocational and academic learning
• integrated across sectors with strong partnerships
• challenge embedding consistent language and value
• Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework Partnership (SCQFP) described as the “glue” across education and skills
• five‑year strategy for consistent application
• digital strategy launched in 2025
• need for clearer pathways for learners and employers
• national approach to recognition of prior learning
• work with Education Scotland on interdisciplinary learning
• e‑learning workshops introduced

Attendee discussion points –  Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF)

• progress on SCQF prefixes for qualifications

Ollie Bray – Curriculum improvement cycle (CIC)

• Curriculum Improvement Cycle (CIC) paper shared in advance
• co‑creation with core and collaboration groups
• evidence shows co‑creation strengthens professional learning
• early maths materials shared via webinars
• awareness‑raising planned from January 2026
• technical framework expected June 2026
• Curriculum Assessment Board (CAB) subgroup planned for January 2026
• technical guidance to support educators
•  commitment to decluttering curriculum

Attendee discussion points – Curriculum improvement cycle
(CIC)

• questions on integrating the 11 cross‑cutting themes

Gill Mann – Qualifications reform

• subgroup sessions in October- November 2025 were productive
• shift from “language of assessment” to “language of reform’’
• balancing assessment, modularisation, and rationalisation
• international and Scottish models considered
• draft definitions developed
• consideration of learning time, credits, grading, certification
• grading’s impact on parity of esteem
• need alignment between curriculum and assessment
• engagement planned through 2026–27
• position papers to outline direction
• collaboration with Education Scotland continues

Attendee discussion points – Qualifications reform

• qualifications must sit between curriculum, pedagogy and assessment
• alignment with Curriculum Improvement Cycle (CIC) welcomed
• Centre for Teaching Excellence (CfTE) could support change management
• assessment approaches must reflect curriculum intent

Any other business

• Curriculum Assessment Board (CAB) meeting dates for 2026 to be issued