Scottish Education Council minutes: October 2024

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 
• Clare Hicks, Director for Education Reform, Scottish Government
• Alison Taylor, Deputy Director of Improvement, Attainment and Wellbeing
• Pete Whitehouse, Deputy Director, Education Analytical Services
• Gillian Hamilton, Interim Chief Executive of Education 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
• Fiona Robertson, Regional Improvement Collaborative Lead, South East Alliance
• Kelly McIntosh, Chair, Tayside Collaborative
• Graeme Jackson, CEO, Colleges Scotland 
• Anne Keenan, Assistant Secretary, Educational Institute for Scotland
• Kay Sillars, UNISON Scotland
• Sophie Kerrigan MSYP, Scottish Youth Parliament
• 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
• Pauline Walker, Vice President of School Leaders Scotland (on behalf of Graham Hutton)
• Donna Stewart, Interim director of Qualifications, SQA (on behalf of Fiona Robertson)
• Cathy McCulloch, Director and Unfeartie, Children’s Parliament (on behalf of Rona Blackwood)
• Matt McDonald, Scottish Youth Parliament
• Claire Vekic, Colleges Scotland
• Michelle Brand, Colleges Scotland
• Judith Tracey, Team Leader, National Improvement Framework Unit 
• Katie Brydon, SEC Secretariat

Apologies

• Kit Wyeth, Unit Head, National Improvement Framework Unit
• Andrea Bradley, General Secretary, the Educational Institute of Scotland. 
• Sheena Devlin, ADES President  
• Neil Rennick, Director General Education and Justice, Scottish Government
• 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 
• Professor Mark Priestley, University of Stirling 
• Juliet Harris, Director of Together (Scottish Alliance for Children’s Rights)
• Pauline Stephen, Chief Executive, General Teaching Council for Scotland 
• Mark Ratter, Regional Improvement Collaborative Lead, The West Partnership
• Linda McAulay-Griffiths, Regional Improvement Collaborative Lead, South West Collaborative
• Fiona Robertson, Scottish Qualifications Authority Chief Executive

Items and actions

Welcome and introductions – Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills

The Chair welcomed members to the 11th meeting of the Scottish Education Council and apologised for the delay in arranging this meeting of the group. As no agreement had been reached on the new governance arrangements under the Verity House Agreement, the Chair felt it was an appropriate point to convene a standalone meeting of the Council to discuss proposals around the National Improvement Framework (NIF) and long-term strategy for Scottish education. 

Plans for the 2024 National Improvement Framework and Improvement Plan, including a long-term strategy - Paper 1

The Chair invited Judith Tracey, Team Leader, National Improvement Framework Unit to present paper 1 – review of the National Improvement Framework. Judith set out the following points as part of the update:

• there is a statutory duty to review, update and publish the NIF on an annual basis, setting out our strategic priorities and objectives
• the original vision of the NIF has evolved but the focus has remained on the twin aims of excellence and equity. The vision was updated in 2024 to reflect the vision from the National Discussion that all learners oin Scotland matter
• as the NIF has been in place for many years, it is important to take stock and consider whether it is working as well as originally intended. That is why we have decided to undertake a fundamental review this year to consider ways in which the NIF can work more effectively to secure educational improvement, particularly after COVID-19 and in the light of the current fiscal challenges
• despite the statutory footing of the NIF, the drivers, priorities and vision are not set out in statute and can be amended so that they reflect the current and future ambitions for Scottish education
• the plan is for the NIF to set out a number of short-term priorities as well as a longer term strategic approach. At its most recent meeting in June 2024, the International Council of Education Advisers (ICEA) said that it was important to have both a long-term strategy and a focus on what we need to do to deliver improved outcomes for young people now. The ICEA’s suggestion was to identify 2 or 3 key areas for improvement in the short term
• we are keen to make sure that both the NIF and ADES 2030 visions are aligned. We all have a collective responsibility to improve outcomes for children and young people which is why we need to ensure that the refreshed NIF has a joint and collaborative approach which will enable us to work together and share good practice across the system

The following points were made in discussion:

• members noted the broad consensus around the Curriculum for Excellence, and the keenness to develop that consensus again for the refreshed NIF. The NIF needs to be streamlined, setting out the high-level priorities ensuring that the system has a clear sense of direction and that the priorities do not add to workload or bureaucracy
• members welcomed the reference in the NIF to wider achievement, the National Discussion and the reviews that have taken place in recent years. There also needs to be some recognition of the issues that teachers/school staff are currently facing (e.g. increased workload and behavioural issues). The ICEA said in its third report that we need to lean in on teacher professionalism and place more trust in teachers
• members highlighted the additional pressures around school budgets. The refreshed NIF needs to highlight the reality of the funding challenges that we are facing at national, local and school level
• members mentioned the regional Headteacher events that are taking place across the country. The events provide a real opportunity to engage with school leaders to gather their views on the future for Scottish education. One of the key recurring themes is the requirement for better and more consistent support for the profession around support for children and young people with additional support needs. Further engagement is needed with COSLA, ADES and professional associations to consider what that might look like
• members noted that the NIF does not need to cut down on the number of priorities, but the number of actions – this would reduce duplication across other areas
• members highlighted the fact that we need to realise that schools cannot fix everything and that wider services are fundamental in making a difference (e.g. health services, mental health provision etc.). However, there are budgetary pressures on those services as well. We need to make sure that we get it right across the piece to achieve the best outcomes
• members noted that the NIF presents a good opportunity to be more specific about partnership working and to provide good examples of that – e.g. school/college partnerships. We need to make sure that we don’t just focus on attainment. We can reflect some of the ambitions in the Withers Review around lifelong learning and ensue that vulnerable leaners are considered as part of the long-term strategy

Close

The Chair thanked members for their helpful contributions during the meeting and encouraged members to provide any further feedback/suggestions around the refreshed NIF to officials via correspondence. The Chair also confirmed that the SEC secretariat would be in touch in due course to confirm next steps around governance, once there is an agreed position.