Scottish Advisory Group on Relationships and Behaviour in Schools minutes: May 2025

Attendees and apologies

• COSLA Spokesperson on Children and Young People (Chair)
• Association of Directors of Education in Scotland (ADES)
• Centre for Excellence for Children's Care and Protection (CELCIS)
• Children and Young People’s Centre for Justice (CYCJ)
• Connect
• COSLA Spokesperson on Children and Young People
• Education Scotland
• Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS)
• General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS)
• Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education (HMIe)
• NASUWT
• respectme
• Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT)
• School Leaders Scotland (SLS)
• Scottish Council of Deans of Education (SCDE)
• Scottish Secondary Teachers Association (SSTA)
• Scottish Violence Reduction Unit (SVRU)
• UNISON
• Education Analytical Services, Scottish Government
• Health and Wellbeing Unit, Scottish Government (Secretariat) 
• Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills
• Association of Head Teachers and Deputes Scotland (AHDS)
• Early Years Scotland
• Association of Scottish Principal Educational Psychologists (ASPEP)

Items and actions

Welcome and apologies

The chair welcomed attendees, and noted CELCIS and UNISON were providing substitute members.  

The chair noted apologies from the Cabinet Secretary who had been detained at Parliament. The Cabinet Secretary had asked for the meeting to go ahead in her absence so that progress could be made on the publications.

The chair welcomed new representatives from ADES and AHDS and thanked the outgoing representatives for their contributions to SAGRABIS. 

Minutes of the meeting on 4 March 2025

The minutes from the previous meeting on 4 March 2025 had been circulated in advance of the meeting.

SAGRABIS members agreed the minutes for publication.

The chair noted most actions noted within the minutes would be covered during subsequent agenda items.

The chair confirmed he and the Cabinet Secretary had written to Directors of Education providing them with a copy of the progress report and asking them to share it for onward distribution to their schools and thereafter school staff. The letter also highlighted the forthcoming guidance on consequences in order that schools may be able to plan for how this will be considered and discussed at school level.

SAGRABIS members were asked to further consider how awareness of the action plan can be communicated and implemented through their networks.

Action: SG to publish minutes on SG website.

Update on action plan activity tracker

The Health and Wellbeing Unit provided an update on progress against the Action Plan Activity Tracker. It was reported that the current priorities are the actions on violence, consequences and risk assessment.

It was agreed that an update on the priorities for Phase 2, along with the delivery timeline for the action plan, will be provided at the next meeting. This should include highlighting linkages/interdependencies between actions.

Action: Health and Wellbeing Unit to provide an overview of the priorities of Phase 2 and the delivery timeline at the next meeting.

Guidance on responding to behaviour (consequences)

The chair noted that members had previously agreed to extend the timeframe for publication of this guidance, with a preference to publish before the end of the summer term.

A member of the Health and Wellbeing Unit provided an overview of the updated draft which included:

• A revised title.
• Strengthened focus on culture and ethos.
• Examples of consequences added as a new table in Appendix 1.
• Expanded discussion on the role of local authorities and parents/carers.

Members welcomed the improvements. Minor drafting suggestions were made, including

• It may be helpful to add reference to Respect for All in the context section as bullying can sit on the spectrum of violence.
• References to protected characteristics should reflect that all people have protected characteristics.
• The reference to serious disruption in the section on risk assessment should be reframed to ensure this was clear it was about harmful and not just disruptive behaviour. 
• It may be helpful to consider whether a graphical format may help for some examples.

SAGRABIS confirmed it was content to approve the guidance subject to final changes and due diligence, including minor updates to the language.

Members were content that the guidance should proceed to publication once these changes are made.

Action: SG to update consequences guidance based on feedback and proceed with publication.

Risk Assessment Guidance

An update was provided on the development of new risk assessment guidance, co-designed by a short-life working group comprising members of the Social, Emotional and Behavioural Needs (SEBN) Network and SAGRABIS representatives. The group included 11 local authority representatives with a range of experience in education and health and safety.

SAGRABIS members expressed broad support for the guidance. It was noted there should be some further engagement with ADES and social work colleagues to ensure the guidance was in step with other relevant guidance.

There was a preference within SAGRABIS for the risk assessment guidance to be published at the same time as the consequences guidance, though completion of the risk assessment guidance should not delay consequences beyond the summer.

SAGRABIS therefore confirmed it was content to proceed with publication of the risk assessment guidance, subject to further engagement with ADES and social work colleagues.

Action: Education Scotland, SG and COSLA to ensure further engagement with ADES and Social Work Scotland.

Action: Further to this engagement, SG to proceed with publication of the risk assessment guidance.

Update on Behaviour in Scottish Schools Research (BISSR) 2026

SG provided an update of progress with commissioning the next wave of the Behaviour in Scottish Schools research was given, following the discussion at the last meeting of SAGRABIS.

Commissioning documentation was being prepared, which had taken account of the feedback from SAGRABIS. This included expanding the scope to include children and young people, as well as options for parents and carers to participate in the research. Research Advisory Group (RAG) comprising members of SAGRABIS would be set up to provide more detailed feedback during the research process. ASPEP and SCDE expressed an interest in being involved in the RAG. SG confirmed they would email members of SAGRABIS following the meeting to seek volunteers for this group.   

Action: SG to contact SAGRABIS to seek volunteers for the BISSR Research Advisory Group

Next Steps/AOB

It was suggested that links should be made with the Centre of Teaching Excellence at Glasgow University, to explore linkages with relationships and behaviour. SG agreed to liaise with relevant colleagues.

Action: SG to liaise with colleagues regarding linkages between the work of SAGRABIS and the Centre of Teaching Excellence.

The chair noted the next meeting of SAGRABIS will take place on 11 September.

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