Shaping the Future: Strengthening Scotland's education system through empowered schools

Appendix H - Remit & Membership Of The Scottish Government Headteacher’s Panel

Overview

The Headteacher Panels were re-established by the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills in September 2025.

Purpose

The Independent Professional Advisor was invited to utilise the Headteacher Panels as a forum to test emerging ideas and gather professional insight from school leaders as he developed and refined recommendations and report. The Panels provided practitioner informed feedback that helped to ensure proposed reforms are workable, grounded in school level realities, and aligned with the needs of learners. This focused input strengthened the evidence base for recommendations and supported the development of coherent, practical approaches to education reform.

Membership and ways of working

The Headteacher Panels membership consists of Headteachers from a wide range of primary and secondary schools across Scotland, ensuring diversity in local authority areas, geography, school sizes, and community contexts.

The Panels, chaired by the Cabinet Secretary, met with Mr Wilson twice during the course of his work.

Membership

Primary School Headteachers

Anne Marie Absolom St Clare's Primary School, Newton Mearns (East Renfrewshire)

Anne Marie Pearson St Ignatius Primary School, Wishaw (North Lanarkshire)

Catharine Findlay Auchtergaven Primary School, Perth (Perth and Kinross)

Claire Johnson St Gerardine Primary School, Moray (Moray)

Clare Harker St Albert's Primary School, Glasgow (Glasgow City)

Fiona Craig Leith Primary School, Edinburgh (City of Edinburgh)

Karen Anne Emmett Downfield Primary School and EYC, Dundee (Dundee City)

Kerrie Laird Glenurquhart Primary School, Inverness (Highland)

Laura Spence Duloch Primary School, Dumfermline (Fife)

Lesley Tullock Newtonhill Primary School, Kincardineshire (Aberdeenshire)

Maura Oates St Brendan’s Primary School, Motherwell (North Lanarkshire)

Paul Barrowman Greenrigg Primary School, Harthill (West Lothian)

Ryan Delaney Kingcase Primary School and EYC, Prestwick (South Ayrshire)

Scott Haxton Hayshead Primary School, Arbroath (Angus)

Susie Carmichael Lochdonhead Primary School, Isle of Mull (Argyll and Bute)

Secondary School Headteachers

Alison Murison Aberdeen Grammar School, Aberdeen (Aberdeen City)

Fiona Lawrence Brechin High School, Brechin (Angus)

Gillian Campbell-Thow Glasgow Gaelic Secondary School, Glasgow (Glasgow City)

Fiona Robertson Perth Grammar School, Perth (Perth and Kinross)

Jennifer Cairns The Nicolson Institute, Stornoway (Na h-Eileanan Siar – Western Isles)

Joe Kane St. Joseph's Academy, Kilmarnock (East Ayrshire)

Kyle Fleming Erskine Waterfront Campus - Crossreach, Erskine (Renfrewshire)

Liz White Calderglen High School, East Kilbride (South Lanarkshire)

Pauline Walker The Royal High School, Edinburgh (City of Edinburgh)

Peter Bain Oban High School, Oban (Argyll and Bute)

Sandy McIntosh Woodmill High School, Dunfermline (Fife)

Tom Black Lornshill Academy, Alloa (Clackmannanshire)

Tracey McDermott Braidhurst High School, Motherwell (North Lanarkshire)