Education Reform Programme Board minutes - September 2025

Attendees and apologies

Attendees:

• Clare Hicks
• Graeme Logan
• Shirley Laing
• Nick Page
• Janie McManus
• Lewis Hedge
• Laura Caven
• Sheena Devlin
• Graham Thomson
• Sean Stronach
• Molly Illingworth
• Victoria Kelly
• Margery McMahon
• Robert Strachan

Apologies:

• Lisa Bird
• Chris Dunne
• Sarah Hart
• Laurence Findlay
• Pauline Hendry

PMO:

• Lewis Worobec

Items and actions

Action tracking

An update was provided on open actions:

Programme Board members will be updated on ES/HMIE senior leadership recruitment plans later in the summer, following Stage 3 of the Education (Scotland) Act. Plans will be confirmed in due course.

Scottish Government will share the Education (Scotland) Act commencement plan with Programme Board members once finalised. Work on the plan is underway and this will be issued in due course.

The PMO will coordinate discussions with organisations ahead of agreeing next steps on digital assurance. A meeting is being scheduled and is expected to take place in October.

Strategic update

The Chair welcomed members.

Members were reminded of the policy on AI use. Transcripts or recordings are not permitted unless there is a clear business need and prior agreement of all participants to ensure security and protect sensitive information.

Updates were provided on leadership changes. Gillian Hamilton has been appointed Chief Education Officer at West Dunbartonshire Council and has now left Education Scotland. Graeme Logan has taken on the role of Interim Chief Executive at Education Scotland. Recruitment continues for other senior leadership posts, with further updates to be shared as this progresses.

It was noted that a headteacher has been appointed as the Independent Professional Adviser on school reform, supported by newly established headteacher panels.

Members noted that the Stage 1 debate of the Tertiary Education and Training Bill was scheduled for 25 September 2025.

Since the Education (Scotland) Bill received Royal Assent, Scottish Government officials and legal colleagues have been working through provisions that are required to implement the new legislation. This will involve an establishment process for Qualifications Scotland and HMIE, beginning in autumn 2025 and building towards the organisations becoming fully operational in early 2026.

The Chair confirmed that more detail on the process will be set out shortly, with Parliament to be updated in the first instance. Handling plans are in place to support staff and stakeholder engagement. Members were assured that the developing plans are not expected to impact delivery.

Members also noted the appointment of Mr Macpherson as the new Minister for Higher and Further Education.

Curriculum and Qualifications Reform Assurance Board overview

Members received an update following the Curriculum and Qualifications Reform Assurance Board on 11 September where WPI Consultants provided an update on the theory of change work and monitoring and evaluation strategy workshops, which were well received.

Two below-the-line papers were made available to members, setting out critical dependencies across the education reform programme and wider education system. These highlighted issues relating to system capacity, coherence with wider reform activity, digital infrastructure, and the importance of a clear national narrative on curriculum, qualifications, and assessment. It was noted that many of these dependencies are sensitive to timing and sequencing, with clarity on ownership critical to delivery

Board members reflected on the capacity required across schools and educators to engage with professional learning and implementation, noting the importance of alignment with the National Improvement Framework, Initial Teacher Education (ITE), and inspection frameworks. The context of increasing additional support needs was noted alongside the importance of linkages with early learning and childcare.

The importance of digital infrastructure in schools was raised, the desire to avoid a digital divide, and the criticality of both digital infrastructure and digital skills required to support future curriculum and qualifications reform delivery.

Members noted that the Education Reform digital strategy, including reviewing the use of Glow, should be closely aligned with curriculum and qualifications reform.

Members noted that ITE would need to take account of revised curriculum and qualifications, and this should be prioritised at an appropriate point in the programme’s development.

The Board noted the recommendation that further work should be undertaken to define the project critical path through the identified dependencies. This would include clarifying sequencing, ownership, and potential project work packages required to support delivery. Members agreed that it would be helpful for this work to be developed further and for proposals to be brought back to the Board for consideration.

Action: Curriculum and Qualifications team to progress work on the critical path and bring forward proposals on outcomes and potential project work packages to the next Programme Board meeting.

Members also discussed the importance of benefits realisation, recognising that assessing both costs and benefits will be key to providing greater clarity on the impact of curriculum and qualifications reform, support decision making on prioritisation, and help ensure system capacity is directed to the areas of greatest benefit. The Board agreed that it would be helpful to return to this at an appropriate point for further discussion.

Action: PMO to schedule programme benefits item for a future Programme Board meeting, to support consideration of future transformation priorities and delivery of curriculum and qualifications reform.

Centre for Teaching Excellence

Members received a presentation on progress since the Board’s last substantive update in March. The Centre for Teaching Excellence (CfTE) has been working at pace with university colleagues and partners to establish key priorities and partnerships. Four Advisory Board meetings have taken place since April to guide the Centre’s offer and ensure alignment with wider system partners.

Three initial research hubs have been established, focusing on teaching-focused research (University of Glasgow), rural education and learning for sustainability (University of Glasgow, campus), and Gaelic education (Sabhal Mòr Ostaig). Recruitment of teacher secondees has been successful, with an induction for secondees due to take place shortly. Secondees, along with teacher associates, will support the hubs and facilitate professional learning groups.

Engagement with teachers, including focus groups and surveys, has informed additional priority research areas. Three themes were highlighted: pedagogy to support attainment in diverse classrooms, inclusion and additional support needs/wellbeing, and digital education/AI. The Centre will focus on making research accessible, usable, and directly applicable in classrooms, and is working closely with Education Scotland and other organisations to avoid areas of duplication.

Members welcomed the progress update and stressed the need for continued development of clarity on the Centre’s role within the education system. Questions were raised about how the initial hubs had been identified, and the importance of widening teacher access and engagement with the Centre was acknowledged. Members also reaffirmed that clear roles and responsibilities between the Centre, Education Scotland, and other agencies would help avoid duplication and give schools and teachers a clearer, more consistent offer.

Action: CfTE colleagues to follow up with Laura Caven and Sheena Devlin to provide clarification on how the initial priorities and pre-requisites for the Centre’s hubs were established.

The importance of monitoring and evaluation was also stressed, with members seeking assurance that the Centre’s impact on the profession would be measurable from the outset. The Centre confirmed that a draft monitoring and evaluation framework is in development and will be shared with the Board in due course.

Next steps include progressing the thematic hubs, deploying secondees, and continuing work with universities and stakeholders. The ambition is to establish all six thematic hubs by early 2026.

Delivery update

Members received an update on programme delivery. The overall delivery status remains Amber/Red, reflecting the continuing challenges around transition planning, funding, and resourcing. While many projects are reporting Amber or Green status, critical dependencies mean some projects require close and active management.

On Education Scotland and HMIE, work is progressing with Organisational Design (OD). Functional and corporate structures have been approved in principle, aligned to the agreed design criteria and within budget requirements. Budget pressures continue to present challenges and will require close management. Additional capacity has been secured to support governance transition activity, though delays in finalising OD work continue to affect transition readiness. In addition, full operational independence must be supported by the passing of a Scotland Act Order through the UK Parliament.

As a consequence, establishment will begin on 1 November and then be phased over the following months, culminating in HMCIE formally being in place, which is expected to be by 1 March 2026.

For Qualifications Scotland, planning continues to align with the passage of the Act and associated legislative requirements. Full operational establishment will follow legislative commencement, supported by the Scotland Act Order, with preparatory work well advanced.

QS will therefore be established as a legal entity on 1 December, as planned, with chair and board in place. Following passage of the Scotland Act Order, SQA will be abolished and QS will take on its functions on 1 February 2026.

The update also highlighted progress on theories of change and professional learning. Draft theories of change have been developed, with further refinement now underway through the Research Advisory Group.

Members emphasised the importance of a clear communications plan to ensure the system understands the sequencing of education reform changes. It was also noted that the phased approach to transition will require close coordination between SQA and programme colleagues to ensure clarity on what can and cannot be delivered under current legislation.

Gateway review update

Members received an update on the recent Gateway Review, which took place in September. The review assessed overall delivery confidence as Amber.

The review acknowledged key successes, including the establishment of the Education (Scotland) Act, progress on the Centre for Teaching Excellence, and the work to refocus Education Scotland. Risks around recruitment, governance, and the need to protect staff wellbeing were identified.

Five priority recommendations were highlighted, covering governance forums and the culture of challenge, staff welfare, the importance of clear roadmaps to guide transformation, stronger collaboration across the wider education system, and improved programme communications to ensure stakeholders are engaged at the right time.

An action plan responding to the recommendations is being developed and will be shared with members once complete.

Action: PMO to finalise and share the Gateway Review action plan with Programme Board members once available.

Programme risk profile overview

Members received an update on the Programme Risk Profile. Seven risks and one issue are currently recorded at programme level. The most significant area is Transition Delivery Planning, where risks around organisational design, HR structures, and readiness have now materialised into an issue. Mitigation measures are being developed, with establishment process for Education Scotland and HMIE under consideration.

A new risk has also been logged on policy integration and wider system readiness, reflecting the need for greater clarity on the critical path across organisations. Three programme risks remain red-rated: Transition Delivery Planning, Transition Delivery Budget, and People Resourcing. Work is ongoing to reduce their impact.

Any other business

The next Programme Board is scheduled to take place on 20 November at OPTIMA, Glasgow. Calendar invites will be updated in due course.