Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government has committed to develop plans to deliver free breakfasts to all primary and special school children. Breakfasts are being provided across Scotland by a range of service providers including public, private and third sector. We are working with local authorities and key stakeholders to better understand and map existing provision. This will help us develop a plan for breakfast provision, designed around the needs of children and families, which will include delivery timescales.

Breakfasts are being provided across Scotland by a range of service providers including public, private and third sector. We are working with local authorities and key stakeholders to better understand and map existing provision. This will help us develop a plan for breakfast provision, designed around the needs of children and families, which will include estimated timescales.

The Scottish Government does not hold this data. The Teacher Induction Scheme is administered by the General Teaching Council of Scotland (GTCS). As such, the GTCS is best placed to advise on how many newly qualified teachers are eligible each year to undertake probation, and subsequently how many teachers complete their probation year.  

Breakfasts are being provided across Scotland by a range of service providers including public, private and third sector. We are working with local authorities and key stakeholders to better understand and map existing provision. This will help us develop a plan for breakfast provision, designed around the needs of children and families, which will include estimated costs and appropriate delivery models.

The Scottish Government is not providing specific ring-fenced funding for breakfasts in schools in this financial year. However, a number of local authorities use Scottish Government funding to support breakfast provision in their local area in partnership with public, private and third sector providers.

The SQA has responsibility for developing and delivering the vast majority of Senior Phase qualifications and this responsibility will pass to its successor body. Teaching professionals are, and will continue to be, involved in the delivery of qualifications.

The Scottish Government’s national mission to close the poverty related attainment gap will be supported by the establishment of a Centre of Teaching Excellence.

The Centre is being progressed as part of the Education Reform programme; I updated Parliament in my statement on 6 November 2023 to that end.

With its focus on learning and teaching, the Centre will help Scotland remain at the cutting edge of teaching practice by, for example, distilling research and evidence into practical and digestible support for every teacher and practitioner in Scotland, meeting a widely recognised need in the system.

The Scottish Government is committed to co-designing the Centre with teachers and practitioners, professional associations, local government and Scotland’s national education bodies, to ensure it meets the needs of its users and stakeholders.

The role and remit of the Centre, how it operates, its interaction with teachers and practitioners, performance measures, and associated costs and timescales will be considered as part of that design process.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-22299 on 16 November 2023. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-22299 on 16 November 2023. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-22299 on 16 November 2023. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .