Consequences subgroup minutes: January 2025

Attendees and apologies

• Scottish Government (Chair)
• Association of Directors of Education Scotland (ADES)
• Association of Scottish Principal Educational Psychologists (ASPEP)
• Brechin High School (Angus)
• COSLA
• Douglas Academy (East Dunbartonshire)
• Education Scotland
• Hazelwood School (Glasgow)
• Heathfield Primary School (South Ayrshire)
• Inverclyde
• Mearns Castle High School (East Renfrewshire)
• NASUWT
• Oban High School (Argyll and Bute) 
• respectme
• Royal High School (Edinburgh)
• Saracen Primary School (Glasgow)
• Stirling High School (Stirling)
• Stonelaw High School (South Lanarkshire)
• Scottish Government (Secretariat)

Apologies

• Education Institute for Scotland (EIS)

Items and actions

Welcome and introductions

The Chair welcomed members and apologies were noted.

Minutes of the last meeting

The Chair advised that the minutes of the previous meeting would be circulated in advance of the next meeting.

Action: SG to circulate minutes of the previous meeting to members.

Presentation from ASPEP on evidence base on what children need to learn/consequences

The Chair set out the focus of this work agreed at the previous meeting:

• develop a policy position statement setting out what consequences are and why they are important 
• exemplifying various practices around consequences – providing a framework without being prescriptive
• identifying key self-evaluation questions schools can reflect on

ASPEP colleagues delivered a presentation to inform the discussion, setting out the evidence base on what children need to learn and interventions. Members provided the following comments:

• gathering examples of how exclusion is used across the country would provide valuable insights and best practices
• the Scottish Government confirmed the national exclusion guidance will be reviewed as part of the action plan
• important to include examples in the consequences guidance to illustrate approaches to supporting children’s behaviour when no additional support needs or trauma are present
• it would be helpful to include examples at each level of a staged intervention approach
• functional behavioural analysis tool could be used to structure some examples in the guidance
• the guidance should sensitively acknowledge the pressures schools are facing
• the Heathfield Primary School anxiety scale example was provided – may be helpful to include as an example within the guidance
• caution is needed when using rewards, as while they can improve compliance, they may also impact wellbeing
• a pragmatic approach is necessary, equipping staff with effective tools to manage behaviour in sub-optimal environments
• examples of joint working across school clusters, particularly in relation to nurture and ensuring continuity of support between primary and secondary education, would be valuable
• well-managed transitions within the school environment can positively impact behaviour, as reducing unnecessary movement helps minimise disruption
• the guidance document should be practical and easily accessible, allowing staff to quickly refer to relevant sections. Flowcharts and checklists are particularly useful
• guidance on the universal level (culture and climate) is where we can make the biggest impact - more targeted interventions require significant resources, which are beyond the scope of this group
• establishing the right school culture and ethos can help create additional capacity within a school for those requiring more intensive support
• providing clear, practical examples around clarity within the guidance - for instance, detailing procedures for exiting classrooms and moving around the building
• the guidance should acknowledge the importance of parental support in establishing home routines that prepare children and young people for environments with clear boundaries

Next steps 

The Chair confirmed that the Scottish Government would begin drafting a guidance document, incorporating key points from the discussions and the initial focus outlined at the start of the meeting.

Members were invited to share examples of common and less common issues, along with suggested reflective questions, by 31 January. They were also encouraged to share any comments on the meeting papers by the same deadline.

Action: SG to draft guidance on the use of consequences and share it with the group before the next meeting.

Action: Members to provide comments on meeting papers and submit examples and reflective questions by 31 January.

AOB

The next meeting will take place on 19 February in St Andrews House, Edinburgh. 

No other business was raised

Support and Wellbeing Unit
Learning Directorate
January 2025