Qualifications Body Transition Board minutes - March 2025

Attendees and apologies

Members:

• Clare Hicks, SG Director of Education Reform – Transition Board Co-Chair (CH)
• Shirley Rogers, SQA Board Chair – Transition Board Co-Chair (SR)
• Kirsty Ayed, SLS (KA)
• John Booth, SQA Interim Chief Executive (JB)
• George Brown, SQA Accreditation (GB)
• Liz Cunningham, Unison (LC)
• Seán Hagney, SQA Board (SH)
• Andy Harvey, EIS (AH)
• Erin McCabe, Unite (EM)
• Isabel Nisbet, Independent Advisor (IN)
• Mark Ratter, ADES (MR)
• Jon Reid, SLS/ADES, Falkirk Council (JR)
• Ken Thomson, SQA Board (KT)
• Andy Witty, Colleges Scotland (AW)

In attendance:

• Naureen Ahmad, SG Deputy Director, Lifelong Learning and Skills (NA)
• Andy Alston, SQA (AA)
• Steve Borley, SQA (SB)
• Lisa Bird, SG Deputy Director, Education Reform (LB)
• Bill Cullen, SQA (BC)
• Raymond Holloway, SQA (RH)
• Stuart McLaren, SQA Interim Director of Communications (SM)
• Emma Sinclair, SG (ES)
• Martyn Ware, SQA (MW)
• Kieran Watson, SG (KW)

Secretariat:

• Karen Ferguson, SQA (KF)
• Keegan Friel, SQA (KeF)
• John Keenan, SG (JK)
• Anna Kerr, SQA (AK)
• Niamh McGhee, SG (NM)

Apologies:

• Reid Aiton, Young Scot
• Ronnie Erskine, SQA Board
• Allan Lindsay, Young Scot
• Dawnne Mahmoud, SQA Director of People
• Gill Mann, SQA
• Stuart McKenna, Scottish Training Federation
• Claire McPherson, Universities Scotland
• Pauline Radcliffe, SCQF
• Mags Simpson, CBI

Items and actions

Opening Remarks

Welcome and apologies

SR welcomed everyone to the meeting, noting apologies.

Declaration of any conflicts of interest

There were no declarations of conflicts of interest.

Previous meeting - approval of minutes from 25 February 2025 and matters arising

The minutes of the meeting on 25 February were approved as an accurate record of the meeting. 

SR introduced SM as the SQA Interim Director of Communications and welcomed John Booth in his new role as SQA Interim Chief Executive. SR noted other changes to SQA’s executive structure which included Chief Examiner, Chief Regulator and Chief Operations Officer, adding that these changes would be expected to extend into Qualifications Scotland, once established.  

SR noted the expectation to have advertising for the permanent Chief Executive post to be going live within the next week or so, with interviews provisionally scheduled for May 2025.

Following discussions from previous Transition Board meetings, a below-the-line update paper on Governance and Accountability and an item on the Schools Unit have been included in the agenda for this meeting.

Implementation Plan

Vision for Qualifications Scotland - where are we trying to get to?

Schools Unit

MW updated Transition Board members on progress for the new Schools Unit, which has the key aim of strengthening engagement with the teaching profession, with a clear focus on professional development. This builds upon work from the commission issued by the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills to SR in June 2024.

MW updated members on the appointment of Sarah Brown, Headteacher, Kinross High School, as a Senior Adviser for the organisation and lead for the Schools Unit, noting that she would be engaging with the Transition Board on the development of its structure and implementation. Members commented on the importance of Ms. Brown having clear roles and responsibilities from the outset.

In response to members’ queries around the length of the secondment, SR and MW assured members that it would continue after the establishment of Qualifications Scotland. SR went on to highlight the importance of the role of the Senior Adviser and subject specialists in ensuring that review findings, including that led by Professor Hayward, are fully considered when taking forward the work of the Schools’ Unit. SR noted that SQA was planning commensurate work for colleges and training providers.

Action - Sarah Brown to be invited to attend a future Transition Board meeting.

Transition - what is required for Day 1?

Transition Programme Dashboard

BC provided an update on the Transition Programme Dashboard which included a summary of all the Project Board Highlight reports along with the RAG status of key deliverables. BC confirmed that there was a £15K underspend for 2024/25.

CH commented on the importance of establishing cost estimates for 25/26 at an early stage to support effective budgetary decision making. JB noted that further discussions will be needed regarding costings in the lead up to Day 1. SR informed members that a new Director of Finance, Declan Walsh, has been appointed for SQA and will be working with LB on transition activities.

SM informed the group that the Cabinet Secretary had now selected her preferred option for the QS brand identity and a comms plan is being developed.

Members commented on the presentation of the risks and enquired whether it was possible to survey the interdependencies between transition and business as usual risks. It was agreed that high-level reporting of risk should continue as a standing agenda item, with the more granular analysis included as a ‘Below the Line’ paper.

Action – Declan Walsh to be invited to the next Transition Board meeting.

Action – Include further detailed analysis of risk in the papers that would enable members to undertake a deeper dive on specific risks.   

High-level programme risks

BC updated members on the programme risk register, with a focus on higher scoring risks. BC noted some changes in format following work with RE, which included more detail about risk owners and timelines, along with other additions and amendments.

Members commented that it would be beneficial for more information to be provided on changes in risk score over time and on how risk scores are calculated.

JB noted that work is ongoing to address resource risk to make sure that transition resources are aligned and prioritised where they are needed. JB went on to highlight the work with SQA staff on values and its importance in addressing risks related to staff morale.

SR provided input on the risk relating to the impact of pace of decision making on transition delivery and timescales. She acknowledged that the progress of the Education (Scotland) Bill may present limitations but that there was an opportunity to use the Risk Register to shape the response to these limitations.

Action - BC to amend the risk register for next month’s Transition Board to reflect members’ comments.

Transformation - what will happen longer term?

Qualifications reform update

MW and ES provided an update on proposals for the reform of qualifications and assessment, which builds upon the Scottish Government’s response to the Independent Review of Qualifications and Assessment.

ES outlined the work completed by SG, including work on Learner Digital Profiles. MW described the work completed so far by SQA, including removal of external written examinations in some practical subjects and extending the range of approved assessment methods for National Qualifications. MW highlighted the importance of ensuring that the design and delivery of qualifications and assessment continues to evolve to meet the needs of learners and is informed by effective engagement with learners and practitioners.  

Members discussed the importance for decision making, in considering the needs of the college sector, particularly in relation to school-college engagement in qualifications reform. NA noted that engagement on work-based learning rationalisation in the Senior Phase included contributions from industry.

In response to members’ queries around governance processes, MW noted that governance arrangements are currently a ‘work in progress’, with an assurance board being developed as part of the education reform programme.

Any other business

N/A

Date of next meeting

The date of the next meeting is Tuesday 20 May. CH to chair.