Scottish Education Council minutes: November 2023

Attendees and apologies

Members

• Jenny Gilruth, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills – Chair

• Councillor Tony Buchanan, COSLA Children and Young People spokesperson

• Graeme Logan, Director of Learning, Scottish Government 

• Fiona Robertson, Scottish Qualifications Authority Chief Executive 

• Gillian Hamilton, Interim Chief Executive of Education Scotland

• Pauline Stephen, Chief Executive, General Teaching Council for Scotland 

• Cheryl Burnett, Chair of the National Parent Forum of Scotland 

• Dr Zoè Robertson, Chair of the Scottish Council of Deans of Education 

• Des Murray, SOLACE lead for Children and Young People

• Linda McAulay-Griffiths, Regional Improvement Collaborative Lead, South West Collaborative

• Fiona Robertson, Regional Improvement Collaborative Lead, South East Alliance

• Mark Ratter, Regional Improvement Collaborative Lead, The West Partnership

• Professor Mark Priestley, University of Stirling 

• Kay Sillars, UNISON Scotland

• Tamsin Gold MSYP, Convenor of Education and Lifelong Learning Committee, Scottish Youth Parliament

• Marcus Flucker MSYP, Trustee, Scottish Youth Parliament

• Juliet Harris, Director of Together (Scottish Alliance for Children’s Rights)

• Shona Struthers, Chief Executive, Colleges Scotland 

• Alan Sherry, Chair of CLD Standards Council for Scotland 

• Jane Brumpton, Chief Executive, Early Years Scotland 

• Greg Dempster, General Secretary, Association of Headteachers and Deputies Scotland

In attendance

• Aimee McInnes, Project Officer, Scottish Youth Parliament

• Matthew Sweeney, Policy Officer, Children and Young People, COSLA

• Laura Caven, Chief Officer, Children and Young People, COSLA

• Matt McDonald, Scottish Youth Parliament

• Tom Hall, Colleges Scotland

• Andy Witty, Colleges Scotland

• Michelle Brand, Colleges Scotland

• Anne Keenan, Assistant Secretary, Educational Institute for Scotland

• Douglas Hutchison, ADES

SG Officials

• Alison Taylor, Deputy Director of Improvement, Attainment and Wellbeing

• Pete Whitehouse, Deputy Director, Education Analytical Services

• Ruth Jays, Head of Parental and Learner Engagement, Education Reform

• Kit Wyeth, Unit Head, National Improvement Framework Unit

• Judith Tracey, Team Leader, National Improvement Framework Unit

• Laura Meikle, Unit Head, Support and Wellbeing Unit

• Katie Brydon, SEC Secretariat

• Michelle Kim, SEC Secretariat

Apologies

• Clare Hicks, Director for Education Reform, Scottish Government.

• Andrea Bradley, General Secretary, the Educational Institute of Scotland.

• Sheena Devlin, ADES President 

• Neil Rennick, Director General Education and Justice, Scottish Government

• Audrey May, Regional Improvement Collaborative Lead, Tayside Collaborative

• James Wylie, Regional Improvement Collaborative Lead, The Northern Alliance

• Lorraine Sanda, Regional Improvement Collaborative Lead, Forth Valley and West Lothian Collaborative

• Graham Hutton, General Secretary, School Leaders Scotland 

• Rona Blackwood, Head of Programmes, Children’s Parliament 

Items and actions

Welcome and introductions – Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills

The Chair welcomed members to the 10th meeting of the Scottish Education Council (SEC) and apologised in advance for intending to leave the meeting early due to other business, but confirmed that Graeme Logan (Director of Learning) would step in as Chair for the remainder of the meeting. The Chair provided an update on next steps regarding the future of the Scottish Education:

• at the previous meeting of the SEC in April this year, there was general agreement from members that the current format and structure of the SEC was not maximising its full potential

• following that meeting, the secretariat had engaged with members to collate feedback on suggestions/ideas that could be made to enhance the effectiveness of meetings so that that Council could contribute towards delivering improvements in the system

• feedback was provided by members and carefully taken on board. It was clear from the analysis that the current SEC membership is too large, meetings are mainly used to provide routine updates on current priorities and it does not fulfil its overall function in providing a forum for challenge/scrutiny on education strategy and development

• it is crucial that we have a main governance group that is effective and that helps to deliver the best educational outputs for our children and young people which is why a decision has been taken to look at reconstituting the SEC as part of the wider governance arrangements to help deliver the commitments of the Verity House Agreement

• Scottish Government are working with COSLA, ADES, and SOLACE to ensure that there is a co-ordinated approach in developing the functions/remit of the reconstituted SEC and that there is an accountability process in place with appropriate representation at the table

• this is likely to be the last meeting of the SEC in this format and a formal letter will be issued to members in due course with further details on next steps regarding governance

• in the meantime, the other existing governance groups such as the Curriculum and Assessment Board and regular meetings with the Professional Associations will continue to ensure that the important views of stakeholders are represented

The Chair thanked members for their participation in SEC discussions up until that point. No other points were raised.

Actions/Decisions

• SEC members will be provided with an update on next steps regarding governance (Action: Cabinet Secretary – JG/SEC Secretariat)

Action log and minutes from previous meeting – Papers 1 and 2

The Chair invited Judith Tracey, Team Leader, National Improvement Framework Unit to provide an update on the current status of the actions in the tracker. It was highlighted that a number of previous actions suggested bringing items for discussion on various topics to SEC meetings in the summer. However, as an SEC meeting had not taken place since April, the secretariat has asked members in advance whether any of these issues would merit a discussion at the November meeting. No responses were received from any members, therefore those items were not added to the November agenda. 

No further points were raised regarding progress with actions recorded in the log. 

Members were content with the minutes of the previous meeting on 23 April 2023 (paper 2).

Education and Skills Reform – Verbal Update

The Chair provided an update to members following her statement to the Scottish Parliament on the holistic approach to Education and Skills Reform on Tuesday 7 November. The statement announced the launch of the consultation on the Education Bill which sets out proposals to establish a new qualifications body, addressing the need for greater involvement of pupils, teachers, and wider stakeholders in decision-making, and ways to maximise the positive impact of education inspection. SEC members were encouraged to respond to the consultation and share it with their stakeholder networks. The Chair also highlighted the other key announcements including the establishment of a Centre for Teaching Excellence, the two new governance groups (Ministerial Group and Education and Skills Reform Chief Executive Forum) and the funding around the Regional Improvement Collaboratives. The timeline for next steps was also mentioned which includes Mr Dey returning to Parliament before the end of the year to provide an update on the Government’s response to the Withers review, and a further debate early in the new year to consider the Hayward proposals. 

The following points were made in discussion:

• members noted the importance of changing the culture and moving away from a qualification system that focuses too much on attainment
• members suggested taking a further look at decluttering the curriculum (in particular the senior phase). It was noted that young people find exams stressful and there is too much “cramming”. There is an opportunity to revisit this and look at timetabling
• members mentioned that reform provides a real opportunity for change and to explore different approaches. There needs to be a focus on what education, support and training is available for teachers and how that could be improved
• members noted that there is not enough parental involvement and intervention and this needs to change as part of the reform process. Parents and carers should have the opportunity to shape, resource and support teacher education
• the Chair highlighted that we are at the cutting edge of developments in the education sphere and we need to use that practice to develop good quality learning and teaching. Finance needs to be protected as the education system is dependent on it but we need to utilise the resources available right now to support the profession. The Centre for Teaching Excellence will also be key to improving professional development

Relationships and Behaviour in schools – feedback from the summits/next steps – Verbal Update

The Chair invited Laura Meikle, Unit Head, Support and Wellbeing Unit to provide an update on the Relationships and Behaviour Summits. Officials are currently gathering an evidence base around relationships and behaviour in schools. A series of summits was announced in May and two have taken place so far. The first summit (Sep 2023) focused on incidents in school and the second summit (Oct 2023) focused on relationships and behaviour. A wide range of stakeholders have been involved and are now considering what some of the main issues and barriers are, and the practical solutions necessary to tackle these issues, at a school, local and national level. The third summit will take place on 28 November (to align with publication of the Behaviour in Scottish Schools Research (BISSR)). Following that, officials will work with key partners to establish a joint action plan following publication of the BISSR research, drawing together all perspectives around key areas such as Additional Support for Learning, attendance, exclusions and relationships and behaviour.

The following points were made in discussion:

• members welcomed the approach taken to tackle behavioural challenges in schools and highlighted that the BISSR research will be pivotal in finding practical solutions to resolve these issues. 
• members noted that there must be a whole system approach. The wider community should be involved and support any interventions. Community learning and development and youth work gives young people opportunities to build relationships out with school
• members mentioned that access to mental health services at school is important. Pupils are still suffering from the effects of COVID and young people need to feel safe, empowered and comfortable in school settings

Plans for the 2024 National Improvement Framework and Improvement Plan – Paper 3

The Chair invited Judith Tracey, Team Leader, National Improvement Framework (NIF) Unit to provide an update on plans for the 2024 National Improvement Framework and Improvement Plan. The annual statutory review of the NIF is underway and officials have already engaged with a number of stakeholders for their views. The main themes in next year’s NIF is expected to be the work on relationships and behaviour and excellence in teaching. There will also be a section highlighting next steps on reform. It is also planned to streamline the document, so that it is more readable and accessible. 

Members were invited to provide views in discussion or email officials at a later point if they had any additional points on the questions about the 2024 NIF highlighted in paper 3.

The following point was made in discussion:

• members highlighted the need to consider commissioning independent research on how the use of performance indicators drives performance and behaviour (for example through the introduction of perverse incentives) 

Actions/Decisions

• members to provide written views to officials on any points in relation to the questions about the 2024 NIF highlighted in paper 3 (Action: All SEC members)

The Cabinet Secretary exited the meeting at this point and thanked members for their contributions so far. Graeme Logan, Director of Learning took over as Chair. 

Colleges Scotland Short Life Sub Group Report presentation – Paper 4

Graeme Logan invited Shona Struthers, Chief Executive, Colleges Scotland to present the report findings and recommendations from the Short Life Sub Group. The recommendations focused on the following areas: delivering seamless transitions, college role in tackling the poverty-related attainment gap, supporting learners at risk of disengagement and language and perceptions. 

The following points were made in discussion:

• members welcomed the report and the strong partnership working to develop this piece of work. It was suggested that a further discussion should be set up between Colleges Scotland, SG officials (senior phase) and local government to work collectively to take forward any recommendations
• members highlighted the importance of parent and carer involvement in these issues. Some parents do not fully understand the partnership between higher education and schools and would welcome any communication on the variety of post-school education options available to children and young people
• members mentioned the need to be cautious around the number of recommendations that are already in the system, specifically around reform. It is important this aligns with the Hayward recommendations to ensure that we are not taking forward a duplicated piece of work

Actions/decisions 

• meeting to be set up between Colleges Scotland, SG senior phase officials and local government to discuss the Short Life Sub Group report and recommendations (Action: Colleges Scotland - SS, SG officials – GL/CH, COSLA - TB) 

Forward look – forthcoming publications - Verbal Update

Graeme Logan highlighted that we are approaching an intense period of the year during which we will be publishing key statistics (Achievement of Curriculum for Excellence Levels (ACEL), Program for International Student Assessment (PISA)) and other reports such as the National Improvement Framework and Improvement Plan. Graeme Logan invited Pete Whitehouse, Deputy Director, Education Analytical services to highlight the forthcoming data publications. On 5 December, the PISA data will be published and the Scottish results will be available that day. The survey took place in 2022 and drew evidence from around 3500 students. The annual statistical publications such as ACEL data, teacher numbers, pupil numbers, attendance, absence and exclusions will also be published on 12 December. 

Graeme Logan concluded this item with an update on the budget. As members are all aware, there are financial challenges across the Scottish Government. As a result of that, we have had to identify savings this year across all portfolios to bring the overall budget towards balance. That work remains ongoing. We are working closely with local government colleagues to ensure that we protect the funding for the most vulnerable children and young people to ensure that they have the support that they need. 

Curriculum and Assessment Board update – Paper 5

Graeme Logan invited Gillian Hamilton, Chief Executive of Education Scotland (Interim) to provide an update on the Curriculum and Assessment Board (CAB). Paper 5 summarises the discussions held at the two most recent meetings of the CAB. The group have reviewed the actions in relation to the OECD recommendations and that work will conclude shortly. An update on that will be provided at the next CAB meeting and the SEC (or its successor). The CAB also explored timetabling and school leaver attainment (specifically proposals to expand the scope of the statistics).

Actions/Decisions

• update on actions in relation to the OECD recommendations to be provided at the next CAB meeting and the SEC or its successor (Action: Education Scotland - GH)

Strategic Board for Teacher Education update – Paper 6

Graeme Logan invited Pauline Stephen, Chief Executive, General Teaching Council for Scotland to provide an update on the Strategic Board for Teacher Education (SBTE). The SBTE met for a whole day session in September. Three workstreams were established on recruitment and retention of teachers (workforce planning and increasing diversity of the profession, the promotion of teaching as a valued career and the continuum of teacher education).

Any other business and future meeting arrangements

There were three items that were requested under AOB in advance of the meeting. Due to time constraints and members having to leave the meeting, only one item was covered (parental involvement and engagement). Members agreed to take the other items (Programme for Government (PfG) campaign to promote teaching as a highly rewarding career and funding for Masters level study for practitioners) offline. 

Actions/decisions

• items that were not considered at this meeting (PfG campaign to promote teaching as a highly rewarding career and funding for Masters level study for practitioners) to be added to the agenda of the SEC’s successor (Action: SEC Secretariat/Scottish Government – Education Workforce Unit/Mark Priestley)

Parental Involvement and Engagement 

The Chair invited Cheryl Burnett, Chair of the National Parent Forum of Scotland to provide an update on parental involvement and engagement. Cheryl stated her belief that engagement with parents and carers is lacking across Scotland. In the Parental Involvement and Engagement census, it showed that parental engagement is higher in the primary sector but lower in the secondary sector. However, there is a need to improve our communication with parents in all sectoral areas.

Close

Graeme Logan thanked members for joining the 10th meeting of the SEC and confirmed that members will be provided with an update on future governance arrangements in due course.