Education Reform Programme Board minutes - March 2025

Attendees and apologies

 

• Clare Hicks (Chair)
• Lisa Bird
• John Booth
• Gillian Hamilton
• Janie McManus
• Laura Caven
• Laurence Findlay
• Graham Thomson
• Sean Stronach
• Molly Illingworth
• Fiona Comrie
• Craig Flunkert
• Victoria Kelly

University of Glasgow:

• Dr Angela Jaap
• Professor Aileen Kennedy
• Professor Brianna Kennedy
• Professor Margery McMahon
• Anne Thirkell

Apologies:

• Shirley Laing
• Graeme Logan
• Lewis Hedge
• Chris Dunne
• Kieran Watson
• Sarah Hart

PMO:

• Pauline Hendry
• Rory Smith

Items and actions

 Welcome and introductions

The Chair welcomed members to the meeting and noted apologies received. 

Previous action points

No comments were received, and the minutes are now considered approved. 

There are no open actions from the last Board. Five have been closed.

General programme updates

Education (Scotland) Bill

Stage 1 of the Education (Scotland) Bill completed following a debate in Parliament on 18 December 2024.

Focus continues to be on preparing for Stage 2 with an amendment lodging deadline of the 2nd April. The amendments will be subject to debate by Committee at meetings scheduled for 23rd and 30th April.  

Amendments are expected to focus on: the location and scope of accreditation; the make-up and operation of Qualifications Scotland’s proposed Board structure and committees; independence of His Majesty's Chief Inspector of Education; and reporting duties of the Chief Inspector.

Stage 3 is planned to last one day and is expected to take place in June, ahead of Royal Assent in summer 2025.  

Public Sector Reform and System Improvement Cluster Approach update

An overview of the plan to establish an education cluster was provided. In the first instance, the cluster will focus on the delivery of professional learning for educators, which a range of evidence suggests is characterised by significant lack of clarity and some duplication. The cluster will address public sector reform principles and allow independently facilitated discussions to drive engagement and delivery in advance of Day 1 and beyond.

Next steps will include setting up individual discussions between organisations involved in professional learning and an independent facilitator. A workshop to discuss delivery options is planned before the end of summer 2025. Options will be provided for an Education Cluster comprising senior leadership from national education organisations.

Board members welcomed the focus on professional learning, discussing the need for this to take account of work undertaken by the Regional Improvement Collaboratives (RIC) and any lessons learned in this respect. 

Board members agreed on the importance of this work whilst highlighting the need for clarity on what the clusters would focus on, noting the need to avoid duplication with the work of Education Scotland, who have an important role in supporting a thriving professional learning sector through a national framework for professional learning.

Timescales were discussed, noting ongoing organisational design work within Education Scotland and the need for decisions to be made in conjunction with the establishment of the clusters, ensuring clear and consistent messaging to staff.

Action: Fiona Comrie and Jennifer Lowry to liaise with Education Scotland to assess the impact of a professional learning cluster on organisational design work, which Education Scotland are leading on. Consideration should be given to the impact to staff messaging, transition timescales and avoidance of duplicating functions.

Centre for Teaching Excellence

Colleagues from the University of Glasgow outlined their approach to establishing the Centre, including the proposed structure, progress to date, and planned stakeholder engagement in advance of the public launch.

A two-tiered approach will be taken to engagement, firstly, with online focus groups with teachers, both in English and Gaelic, running throughout April and May. These will inform a national survey, open to all teachers in both English and Gaelic, which will provide a robust analysis of priorities for the Centre.

Three physical core hub locations are in the process of being set up. They are teaching-focused Research in Glasgow, Gaelic Education based in Sabhal Mòr Ostaig on the Isle of Skye, and Rural and Remote Education and Learning for Sustainability in Dumfries. Thematic hubs will then be established following engagement and the agreement of priorities, to collate evidence about pedagogy and practice in thematic areas, cultivate local partnerships and host communities of practice.

The development of digital platforms was set out, highlighting the importance of making accessible and efficient digital platforms with the aim of retaining continued teacher engagement with the Centre throughout teaching careers.

Board members appreciated the setting out of the process and the creation of the hub structures, highlighting the importance placed on Gaelic learning and the rural teaching environment. Questions were raised around direct engagement and how the relationship between the Centre and Local Authorities, as employers of teachers, would be managed, as well as what the specific offer to teachers would be.

A link was made to the regional improvement collaboratives, with members keen to see any lessons learned fed into the development of the Centre.

Board members also highlighted the timelines for launch in relation to the refocusing of Education Scotland, and the need to mitigate any potential issues arising from this.

Discussion focused on the need to avoid potential duplication of work with Education Scotland, and the need to clearly define the role of each body to ensure clarity in support for professional learning. One of the Centre’s key functions of research and evidence gathering to support teachers' professional development was highlighted, as was further planned engagement with Education Scotland to avoid duplication of effort in addressing the existing gap.       

A point was made around engagement with teachers, making sure the work of the Centre supported a diverse range of needs and levels of engagement to deliver meaningful professional development.

Action: PMO to invite the University of Glasgow to update the Board on progress following formal establishment.

Communications and engagement approach

Board members were provided with an overview of the Communications and Engagement plan for 2025, that has been developed with Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) and Education Scotland.

The communications plan intends to build confidence and trust in the new and reformed bodies, whilst providing clarity and consistency to communications across Scottish Government (SG), Education Scotland and SQA.

Engagement strands already underway in SG include the first primary school headteacher regional event which took place in Inverness on the 21st of March 2025. A further five primary regional events will take place over the coming months. Invitations have also been sent to primary and secondary school headteachers to register their interest in joining new panels to be chaired by the Cabinet Secretary.  

SQA activities include the planning of focus groups with the Scottish Assembly of Parents and Carers, which will be key to gathering views on topics such as the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in assessment. They are recruiting for “Your Voice” research panels, aiming to boost learner numbers in particular. Learner workshops are being organised to discuss issues like the balance of assessment, and engagement is planned with Who Cares? Scotland to ensure the voices of care-experienced learners are included in qualifications and assessment reform.

Education Scotland activities include a focus on internal communications, including workshops, focus groups, and team and individual surveys, to support colleagues through the transition to a refocused Education Scotland and the new HMIE. The advocacy approach to stakeholder engagement for the Curriculum Improvement Cycle is being used to inform the development of an effective stakeholder engagement strategy for the refocused Education Scotland. Work is also ongoing with a wide range of stakeholders to develop a new identity for HMIE.  

Board members noted the volume of activity, recognising the importance of keeping messaging as simple as possible throughout transition and transformation. The strength of communication so far was noted and the awareness practitioners have of the ongoing reform as a result.

The role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in assessment, and its wider implications, was discussed with members agreeing a strategic approach is needed to recognise the risk and opportunities presented by AI. The role of AI, AI literacy and where this sits in the curriculum will be taken forward as part of plans to develop a digital strategy.

Members discussed ensuring stakeholders are informed and not overwhelmed with communication updates, the importance of ongoing identity work for HMIE and the impact that summer holidays might have on communications.

Delivery assessment

An update from the recent Project Steering and Assurance Group meeting was provided, highlighting the amber/red status for day one transition. Developments since the last meeting included organisational development work led by Education Scotland, and ongoing work to support the establishment of HMIE and Qualifications Scotland (with associated branding activity), as well as noting progress on the Centre for Teaching Excellence. It was also confirmed that assurance work on curriculum and qualifications reform would be brought to the next Programme Board.

Action: PMO to ensure assurance work on Curriculum and Qualifications reform is scheduled for Programme Board on the 29th May 2025.

Whilst progress was being made, it was reported that a red status remained for outputs to support transition planning for Education Scotland/HMIE due to current constraints on capacity and capability to deliver, which were being addressed. Budget and finance constraints were recognised, and plans noted to address the future sustainability of national bodies.

In discussion it was agreed that both Day 1 and longer term financing must be addressed.

A presentation was provided by Education Scotland on the initial outcomes of the organisational design work, considering corporate and digital functions.

Board members were informed of the approach taken and the adoption of a phased approach, with extensive staff engagement.

A high level function plan has been developed and is currently being tested with teams, confirming functions that are in scope, corporate functions and potential shared functions. It was confirmed that the model set out would create the most efficient approach in line with reform principles.

Next steps were outlined, including the completion of the high-level functional design proposals for Education Scotland and HMIE, recruitment of Senior Civil Service posts and detailed structure design proposals for corporate functions.

Board members reflected on the inclusion of shared functions between Education Scotland and HMIE and queried whether there was potential to consider other bodies such as Qualifications Scotland. It was noted that there was scope for further consideration of shared functions across national bodies as reform continues, with current proposals supporting that starting position for day one, looking at feasibility and resource considerations.

Programme risk

Board members were updated on the programme risk profile.  

Board members commented on the importance of assessing the interaction of curriculum and qualifications reform when considering overall programme risk.

Risks will be updated at a Risk and Dependency Management Group workshop in April, in light of ongoing transition planning.

Any other business

The date of the next meeting is scheduled for 29 May at 10 am.