Centre for Teaching Excellence establishment: island communities impact assessment

Data and Stakeholders

Available evidence indicates that teachers working in Scotland’s island communities may experience contextual challenges associated with geography, scale and connectivity. These include distance from national provision, smaller professional networks and workforce capacity pressures. Such challenges are well established within Scottish Government policy and evidence. They are reflected in the National Islands Plan and associated reporting, which highlight the distinct circumstances of island communities, including issues related to transport, digital connectivity, demography and access to services. These considerations are further underpinned by the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018, which places a duty on public bodies to take account of island needs and to “island proof” policy development. Research produced by Education Scotland and the Scottish Council of Deans of Education provides qualitative insights drawn from engagement with key stakeholders including local authorities, island-based teachers, GME representatives and professional associations through consultation activity, discussions and existing policy development processes.

Wider rural and island research also identifies persistent structural challenges affecting workforce sustainability and access to services in these areas.

1. Scottish Government (2026). National Islands Plan: Supporting Documents. Available at: Scottish Government (2026) National Islands Plan: Supporting Documents.

2. Scottish Government (2025). Rural and Islands Insights Report 2025. Available at: Rural & Islands Insight Report 2025 Rural & Islands Insight 2025

3. Scottish Government (2026). Empowering Our Island Communities. Available at: Community empowerment: Empowering our island communities

Evidence from national engagement on professional learning, including the OECD Review of Curriculum for Excellence (2021), the Scottish Government response, and the Review of Regional Improvement Collaboratives (2023–24), alongside GTCS data and wider teacher research, shows that teachers across Scotland share consistent expectations. Teachers in island and mainland communities alike value professional learning that is high quality, research-informed, accessible, and responsive to local context, highlighting the importance of equitable access and flexibility in national provision.

4. Scottish Government (2021). OECD Independent Review of Curriculum for Excellence (2020–2021): Initial Evidence Pack. Curriculum for Excellence 2020-2021-OECD review: inital evidence pack

5. Scottish Government (2021). Scotland’s Curriculum: Into the Future – Implementation Framework for the OECD’s 2021 Review of Curriculum for Excellence. Curriculum for Excellence review: implementation framework

6. Scottish Government (2024). Schools – Impact of Regional Improvement Collaboratives on Pupils and Practitioners: Review. Schools - impact of Regional Improvement Collaboratives on pupils and practitioners: review

GME has a higher concentration in some island communities. This creates both opportunities for strong community‑embedded practice and a need for professional learning, research engagement and leadership development that reflects Gaelic language and culture.

More widely, teachers may also engage with the Centre to access high-quality, research-informed professional learning, collaborate with peers across the system, and participate in professional networks that support improvement in teaching and learning in areas beyond GME. The mixed model of hub locations across the country and digital platform offers opportunities to overcome geographical barriers, particularly for island teachers, by improving access to national expertise and resources, while supporting approaches that remain responsive to local context.

Key stakeholders relevant to island communities include:

1. Teachers and school leaders working in island local authorities.

2. Local authorities serving island communities

3. Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, as a key strategic partner and regional hub for the Centre

4. Bòrd na Gàidhlig

5. Education Scotland (including the Gaelic Team)

6. Stòrlann, Fèisean nan Gàidheal, Ceòlas and Tobar an Dualchais

7. Higher education institutions with relevant research and subject expertise in education including GME and language

While island contexts differ in terms of population size, geography, connectivity and workforce scale, the Centre’s objectives are not anticipated to affect island communities in materially different ways from one another. The Centre’s delivery model is designed to be sufficiently flexible to respond to variation without the need for island‑specific policy differentiation.

Existing mitigations include:

8. National, blended delivery combining digital provision and in person activity at the hub.

9. Professional learning opportunities provided synchronously and asynchronously.

10. Dedicated Gaelic‑language capacity.

11. Partnership‑based delivery using established national, regional and local networks, including those for Gaelic language.

12. Recruitment of teacher secondees to work with the Centre and provide links to local schools, ensuring representation from rural and island communities.

These features are intended to mitigate geographic and access related barriers and align with the Centre’s EQIA commitments to equitable access.