Scottish Advisory Group on Relationships and Behaviour in Schools minutes: January 2026

Attendees and apologies

Attendees

Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills (Chair)

Education Scotland

Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT)

CELCIS

Connect

Children & Young People’s Centre for Justice (CYCJ)

Scottish Council of Deans of Education (SCDE)

National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT)

Scottish Secondary Teachers Association (SSTA)

General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS)

COSLA

Association of Directors in Education (ADES)

School Leaders Scotland (SLS)

COSLA Spokesperson on Children and Young People

respectme

UNISON

Association of Scottish Principal Educational Psychologists (ASPEP)

Health and Wellbeing Unit, Scottish Government (Secretariat)

Apologies

Scottish Violence Reduction Unit

Items and actions

Welcome and Apologies

The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills (chair) welcomed attendees and noted apologies.

Minutes of Meeting on 06 November 2026

The Chair invited comments on the minutes from the previous meeting. Members confirmed they were content for the minutes to be published on the Scottish Government website.

Action: SG to publish minutes from 06 November on SG website.

Update on action plan including update report

The Chair noted that a short paper had been produced and invited an SG official to provide an update.

The paper outlined key actions completed or commenced since the last meeting in November, areas of notable progress, and issues for SAGRABIS to note. It also provided a forward look to the next SAGRABIS meeting, highlighting the future workplan.

Feedback was that further updates on the ASL Action Plan should be provided at the next meeting on 11 March, along with additional information on Education Scotland’s wider activity.

Action: Provide an update on the ASL Action Plan and Education Scotland activity at the March meeting.

Update on review of Included, Engaged and Involved Part 1 (national attendance guidance)

SAGRABIS were asked to consider the draft version of the guidance. A draft of the guidance had been shared in advance of the previous meeting and that feedback had been provided both during the meeting and by correspondence. This feedback was reflected in the revised draft circulated in advance of the current meeting. The chair confirmed that the attendance working group had agreed the draft be brought to SAGRABIS for consideration for publication.

SAGRABIS members confirmed they were content to approve the guidance for publication.

The Chair expressed thanks to officials for the significant work undertaken.

Action: Included, Engaged and Involved Part 1 Guidance approved for publication

National Action Plan Phase 2 Progress report

The Chair provided an overview of the paper, outlining expected developments over the coming months and summarising actions and progress to date.

The Chair also noted SG’s commitment to annual reporting on delivery of the Action Plan. Members were content with the proposed structure and approach of the draft progress report. The draft was agreed for publication in principle, subject to confirmation of completion of some outstanding actions.

Action: Second annual progress report approved in principle for publication,  subject to confirmation of completion of completed actions.

Guidance on Responding to substance use in schools (including vapes and other nicotine products) 

SAGRABIS were asked to consider the draft version of the guidance. The work was completed ahead of schedule,  and  SAGRABIS had been invited to provide comments by correspondence in November, which had been reflected in the version presented.

The chair confirmed that the substance use working group had agreed the draft be brought to SAGRABIS for consideration for publication. SAGRABIS members confirmed they were content to approve the guidance for publication.

Action: Responding to substance use (including vapes and other nicotine products) in schools guidance approved for publication

Recording and Monitoring Principles 

The Recording and Monitoring Short Life Working Group was formed in August 2025 to address the action from the Action Plan to ‘review all current processes for recording incidents, including violent incidents, to identify potential means of streamlining processes and improving consistency.’

SAGRABIS members were invited to provide feedback on the draft principles to inform their development.

Feedback from members:

• Consideration should be given to whether the work on defining violence for recording purposes should be kept within the general principles or in a separate document whilst retaining connections between them.
• It was important that the work on defining violence supported and informed school approaches to  risk assessments.
• It was important that the work also capture threats of violence.
• Members suggested exploring whether the guidance could include information on the importance of capturing any positive impact of actions.

Action: SG to bring an updated version of the guidance back to the March meeting, taking account of all member comments.

BISSR update 

Officials have been working with an independent research company and a Research Advisory Group (RAG) comprised of a sub-group of SAGRABIS, to review and update the questionnaire, which had been shared with SAGRABIS. Piloting of the questionnaire had begun with full fieldwork beginning in February.

Members were reminded that, as noted in the Action Plan, the BISSR is scheduled for completion by March 2027. SG official highlighted recent updates and changes including:

• Updated language throughout.
• Removal of previous questions considered no longer relevant.
• Addition of new questions addressing emerging themes.
• A new strand of questions on relationships andschool culture,.
• An expansion to the qualitative element research to include research with children, young people, and parents.

SAGRABIS members were asked to promote the survey within their networks to encourage participation.

Action: Officials to provide an update on the BISSR at the March meeting.

Action: SAGRABIS members to promote the survey within their networks to encourage participation.

AOB

A representative from the Children and Young People’s Centre for Justice (CYCJ) highlighted a report on a three-month PhD internship, funded by the Scottish Graduate School of Social Science, examining links between school exclusions, offending, and antisocial behaviour.

Members were invited to consider having the researcher attend the next meeting in March and were content with this approach.

The CYCJ member also reported that, with funding from the Promise Partnership, a three-day course on managing distressed behaviour had been piloted and received additional funding for two years. An e-learning version of the course will be developed for teachers unable to attend in person.

An SG official highlighted that a second wave of the National Attendance Campaign has been taking place..

The next meeting will take place on Wednesday 11 March 2026, 9:30–11:00. Papers will be circulated in due course.

Action: CYCJ to be invited to present their exclusions research at the March meeting. 

The chair thanked members for their contributions and closed the meeting.