Chamber and committees

The OECD did not take formal written submissions for their independent Review of Curriculum for Excellence. This was the OECD’s position from the outset of the review and conforms with their ‘Implementing Policies: Supporting Change in Education Framework’. This was outlined in the Scottish Government’s answers to S5W-35079 on 18 February 2021 and S5W-35292 on 25 February 2021 and made clear in the remit for the OECD’s review which was published on 26 February 2020.

The OECD uses this framework to provide tailored support to individual countries and education systems to analyse and support the development and implementation of education policies. This methodology has been used by the OECD in previous reviews, and set a very clear framework for their work in Scotland.

The OECD were clear that it was not feasible for them to consider more information than they specifically requested, nor was the purpose of the Review to generate new written submissions or replace what would otherwise be a national consultation. They advised that should any additional information be required at a later date, they would request this.

In terms of the OECD’s approach to evidence gathering on this Review, the OECD established a team of core OECD staff and international experts with experience in curriculum and assessment implementation. The process included:

• A comprehensive desk-based analysis of policy documents, evidence and research on CfE implementation, which included, amongst other documents, the initial evidence base provided by the Scottish Government in July 2020, papers published as part of the Education & Skills Committee’s Inquiry on Subject Choice and published academic articles and research.
• Compilation of information from key stakeholders’ websites and think tank publications.
• A series of interviews and virtual school visits plus focus groups to gather primary data. These included discussions with the Scottish Parliament’s Education and Skills Committee, Scottish Government officials, national agencies, local government representatives, college and university bodies, employer groups, academics, teachers and head teachers, parents, young people, Gaelic and subject specific interest groups, and members of Scotland’s education governance groups.

This represented a significant and comprehensive amount of documentation, with many different perspectives informing the review.

The Scottish Attainment Challenge Programme, including the Pupil Equity Fund, has a vital role to play in building upon the progress being made to close the poverty related attainment gap.

In 2021 to 2022, over £215 million of targeted funding will be invested to help close the poverty related attainment gap. It marks the first year of record investment in an expanded £1 billion Attainment Scotland Fund which will be provided over the new Parliamentary term after an investment of over £750 million in the previous Parliamentary term.

As a part of this, in 2021-22 Headteachers will receive almost £147 million of Pupil Equity Funding (PEF) which they will decide how best to invest to support disadvantaged pupils. This includes a top up PEF Premium payment of up to £20 million, recognising the new and additional challenges schools face as a result of the pandemic.

Closing the poverty-related attainment gap and ensuring every young person has the chance to fulfil their potential remains central to this Government’s work. Our ambition is a long-term one and we know that the challenges presented by the pandemic mean our efforts to deliver equity in education are more vital than ever.

The Advisory Sub-Group on Education and Children’s Issues has concluded that the previous position on self-isolation for children and young people as contacts was not commensurate with the risk going forward and should be revised to exempt all children and young people from isolation as close contacts unless they are symptomatic or have a positive test. The sub-group concluded that, when a COVID-positive case is identified, school-aged close contacts should be advised to book a PCR test as soon as possible, and only end self-isolation and return to school if/when they receive a negative PCR test result. Further details of the sub-group’s conclusions can be found in their recently published advice .

Updated guidance on reducing the risks in schools published on 3 August details changes to self-isolation for schools in line with sub-group advice, which apply from 9 August onwards.

The current guidance, updated on 3 August Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance on reducing the risks in schools - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) , remains that face coverings will continue to be worn by staff in communal areas in all schools, and in classrooms by staff and pupils in secondary schools, for up to 6 weeks. However, I am acutely aware that some young people find this challenging. Therefore the Scottish Government guidance on face coverings , which is referenced in guidance for schools, does set out some exemptions, including when communicating with someone who relies on lip reading and facial expressions to communicate.

The decision to retain the use of face coverings in schools has been taken after very careful consideration, especially with regard to face coverings in classrooms. But at the moment, our judgement remains that this is the best way to protect children, young people and staff in the school environment. This approach is in line with the latest recommendations of the Advisory Sub-group on Education and Children’s issues and is kept under regular review in light of emerging scientific evidence and advice.

The Scottish Government gathers data on pupils and staff who are not in school for COVID-19 related reasons. The Advisory Sub-Group on Education and Children's Issues considered this data alongside the latest evidence on long-COVID when producing its latest advice on the return to school in August. The sub-group will continue to look at the impact of long-COVID on education, and will update its advice if required in the light of any new findings.

The Scottish Government does not hold any data on the number of teachers with specialised training in supporting pupils with additional needs. Table 1 shows the full time equivalent of teachers which have listed an ASN related subject as their main subject in the 2020 staff census.

The mental health and wellbeing of children and young people is an absolute priority for the Scottish Government. We are committed to improving support for children and young people’s mental health, in order to ensure early intervention and prevention of suicide.

We know that schools play a key role in supporting children and young people’s mental health. The Mental Health in Schools Working Group recently developed a new mental health professional learning resource for all school staff to assist in responding to and supporting children and young people’s mental health in schools. Education Scotland has also provided tools and guidance for school staff to further strengthen support to children and young people.

We want to make sure anyone who needs support can get access to appropriate services. The provision of Educational Psychologists, school counselling services and school staff are a key part of the support being offered across schools in Scotland. We continue to support our local authority partners with £16 million in funding to ensure that every secondary school has access to counselling services.

Education Scotland’s scrutiny programme includes inspection of special schools and units within mainstream schools which provide specialist provision, including for those with autism. During all school inspections, HM Inspectors of Education evaluate the quality of provision for children, including those with additional support needs. Units within mainstream schools, standalone special schools and independent special schools are inspected by HM Inspectors of Education with specialist knowledge and experience.

HM Inspectors also focus on how well a school is performing, the impact it is having on improving outcomes for children and young people and the capacity for continuous improvement. This includes consideration of the outcomes for those learners requiring additional support. HM Inspectors take into account the context and nature of the school, its children and young people and their needs.

HM Inspectors use a set of standards to evaluate and report on quality and improvement in Scottish education. When inspecting schools HM Inspectors of Education use a selection of quality indicators from the quality framework ‘How good is our school?’ (4th edition) (2015). During inspection, HM Inspectors of Education focus on children’s and young people’s learning experiences within and beyond the classroom; their achievements, and how the school is ensuring these are of the highest possible quality. This includes those children and young people with additional support needs. HM Inspectors of Education observe learning first hand and discuss learning with learners and staff. This includes specialist support staff who provide individual or group support to learners requiring additional support for learning.

HM Inspectors of Education also seek the views of a wide range of stakeholders, including parents, staff, learners, and partners, through online questionnaires and focus group discussions. There are opportunities for stakeholders to comment on the quality of support provided. Questionnaires are adapted and distributed in different forms to enable all learners to access and complete these. In addition, HM Inspectors also engage in direct conversation with learners to discuss their views and experiences.

HM Inspectors of Education publish a report of their findings in the format of a letter for parents and a more detailed document outlining the findings in a Summarised Inspection Findings document. Both these documents and the inspection questionnaire summaries are published on Education Scotland’s website.

The next meeting of the Convention of the Highlands and Islands is scheduled to take place on Monday 25 October 2021.

Yes, the Scottish Ferry Services Plan (2013-2022) which will be replaced by the Islands Connectivity Plan at the end of 2022.

Scottish Ferry Services: Ferries Plan (2013-2022) (transport.gov.scot)