Strategic Board for Teacher Education minutes: June 2026

Attendees and apologies

Orlando Mason, Scottish Government (SG, Chair)

David Barnett, School Leaders Scotland (SLS)

David Burgess, Education Scotland (ES)

Craig Carson, Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS)

Bernadette Casey, Association of Heads and Deputes Scotland (AHDS)

Sheena Devlin, Association of Directors of Education in Scotland (ADES)

Monique Dreon-Goold, Scottish Secondary Teachers Association (SSTA)

Duncan Lawrie, Teacher

Tara Lillis, NASUWT

Suzanne MacLeod, Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA)

Carrie McLennan, Scottish Council of Deans of Education (SCDE)

Khadija Mohammed, University of West Scotland (UoW)

Zoe Robertson, SCDE

Sarah Sinclair, Scottish Council of Independent Schools (SCIS)

Pauline Stephen, General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS)

Joanna Sweeney, Scottish Catholic Education Service (SCES)

Lesley Whelan, ES

Stuart Robb, Anisa Omar, Viki Kelly, Annemarie Lauder, Sandip Mahajan (all SG)

Apologies

Stuart Bain, COSLA

Barbara Coupar, SCES

Jonathan Cunningham, AHDS

Laurence Findlay, Aberdeenshire Council and ADES

Archie Glen, Community Trade Union

Susan Quinn, EIS

Seamus Searson, SSTA

Barrie Sheppard, National Parents Forum for Scotland (NPFS)

Items and actions

Note - where linked, comments from the online chat have been incorporated.

Welcome and introductions

The Chair welcomed all members and substitutes and noted apologies.

Minutes from previous meeting and actions

Members agreed to add concerns on speed of progress to the end of the first sentence in para five of the minutes of the meeting held on 3rd February 2026.

The Chair confirmed that most actions had been completed with some remaining actions being considered at this meeting. See summary of actions at end.

Workstream 1 - workforce planning: local authority vacancy data exercise and teacher roundtable (recruitment and retention)

Stuart Robb gave a brief overview of work and progress:

• following the Roundtable held in January, another meeting will be held
• SG staff are working with local government partners reviewing data for workforce planning at a national level - improving local and national data
• data has been requested from local authorities for June, and detailed data for September (vacancies - specific subjects, geographic terrain etc.)
• these exercises will lead to more robust datasets for clearer pictures of workforce needs - helping develop a workforce strategy - then advice to ministers, June findings would be reported to the September meeting

Members welcomed the work and comments included:

• workforce strategy should be evidence-based, demographically flexible, child centred, focused on future need promoting the profession and linked to Teacher Education and Development Framework and Graduate Teacher Pathway
• definition of a vacancy needed. The current exercise used schools unable to recruit (i.e. need not met)
• a national supply data register would tackle demand and promote diversity
• more focus on flexible working needed to help fill vacancies, e.g. part-time
• data needed to inform understanding of major issues and actions needed
• GTCS will be consulting (autumn) on developing their register to include mandatory employment data
• local data - teaching capacity to deliver core curriculum subjects
• independent schools data is available (Sept. annual census) to consider alongside this data
• including data for the Catholic Teaching Certificate would be useful
• risks such as quality standards, e.g. college lecturers, being used as teachers but not registered with GTCS
• GTCS hosted a stakeholder event on Initial Teacher Education (ITE) regarding the national picture on 10 June
• the aims of the session covered having a national picture of ITE and strategic direction; identifying strengths and improvement needed; reviewing information on content and accreditation of ITE programmes; and any necessary work on implementing ITE and its impact
• ITE focused in a few areas and on PGDE courses. Need to identify when people ‘lost’ to teaching (applying for ITE, dropping out, not pursuing employment, leaving profession) so need over-recruiting
• consider unique identifier (e.g. GTCS registration number) for tracking people’s teaching to support where skills existed and demand etc
• BME research has taken place including people leaving the profession

Action 1 - Stuart Robb (with colleagues involved on data development) to share the agreed (data) definitions being used, and present data findings, from the June commission, at the Sept meeting of SBTE

Action 2 - Pauline Stephen to present a report, on the June ITE event, at the Sept meeting of SBTE; and share annual GTCS registration report when published

Workstream 3 - teacher education and development framework - graduate teacher pathway

Work to date

David Burgess reported on the Graduate Teacher Pathway (GTP) Strategic Group. Two meetings were held regarding: definitions, design, structure, options; established scope of work and ways of working.

The group has reviewed: current inconsistent model; inequity of routes (50% flexible routes); low mentoring capacity and support (mentoring report in Sept); workload and sustainability for new teachers; and retention and geography.

Basics of a model included class contact; development/induction time; one route. Essential elements included skilled mentors, mentoring support, better evaluation data for new models. Focus of any model included whether employment or placement based, vacancy/supernumerary based. ITE flow meant place location better mapped to teacher supply; early career support focus on expertise.

The group considered learning of graduates, support from school / local authority employer; and national provision. Learning package will be developed.

The next meeting (late June) will look at options for models based on perspectives of Graduate Teachers, ITE providers, LA employers and SG. Focus on models/approaches - with data produced - to allow SG to carry out costings.

Mentoring group

The group (four members) had met four times: agreed scope, roles, responsibilities, ways of working; developed project plan with research and evidence; stakeholder engagement; drafting, testing, and refinement; and identified risks and mitigations. Next meetings are in Aug. and Sept.

Evidence base and discussion paper

Initial evidence, linked with GTP strategic group, and discussion paper developed to support stakeholder engagement. Following input from rapid research review and initial stakeholder engagement sessions, this will evolve into three key outputs: draft guidance; recommendations (for SBTE) and supporting research.

Rapid research review

Education Scotland looking at frameworks or guidance for experienced teachers (who are mentoring): definitions of mentoring/purpose; roles and responsibilities; competencies, skills, knowledge; guidance on mentoring expertise.

Stakeholder engagement: strategy and progress

Stakeholder mapping completed, engagement planned for June, July, and Aug.

Phase 1: iterative approach started May till Oct focussed on testing ideas from working group’s discussion paper. Initial engagement sessions with Centre for Teaching Excellence (CfTE), Teacher Associates, local authority probation managers. Will inform guidance, emerging definitions, priority focus areas

Phase 2: planning for post-summer phase in progress. Draft guidance and early recommendations to be shared with further facilitated groups

Engagement approach to strengthen alignment with other ‘Workstream 3’ developments, including Graduate Teacher Programme development, to ensure final guidance and recommendations reflect potential system changes.

Challenges

Challenges include aligning with other ‘Workstream 3’ developments, terminology between current ‘teacher supporter’ role and proposed schools-based teacher educator role. Other challenges include future coaching role and timescales.

Members welcomed progress and comments included:

• wider Teacher Education and Development Framework to help promote benefits of final GTP and mentoring recommendations (funding an issue, develop costings)
• welcome detail on stakeholder engagement - need representative voices, speak to teachers - barriers (age, geography, community discrimination, progression etc.)
• link with Khadija Mohammed (offered to join mentoring group), and BME research report
• CfTE specialise in research - could support Rapid Research Review. Education Scotland were focusing on data, whilst CfTE was research focused and had been considered but CfTE potential could be further reviewed

Action 3 - David Burgess (with mentoring group) to link with Khadija Mohammed and BME research report

Action 4 - Members to forward any stakeholder/mapping suggestions before mentoring group’s August meeting

Action 5 - David Burgess (with working group leads) to present findings, on Graduate Teacher Pathway and Mentoring, at Sept meeting of SBTE

Post-election and horizon scanning

The Chair reflected on the priorities of the new government to set the context for the SBTE in the new parliament. It was expected that a longer-term approach to the annual Programme for Government (PfG) would set out the priorities of the parliament.

There was a wide-ranging discussion on the future role, governance and priorities of SBTE, including workforce planning, long-term strategic alignment, funding, evidence-informed policy development and system reform.

Action 6 - Chair / Secretariat to present a discussion paper on role, responsibilities, powers and linkages etc. of SBTE at the Sept meeting

Any other business

Seamus Searson is retiring in the autumn with Monique Dreon-Goold acting as SSTA rep. Members thanked Seamus and wished him well for the future.

Action 7 - Stuart Robb / Secretariat to update on progress with Reducing Class Contact Time (number of teachers, pilots, implementation, findings etc.) at Sept meeting of SBTE

Dates of future meetings

Thursday 10th September, 14:00 -16:00 (online). Remaining meeting/s for 2026 to be arranged.