Local councils will be able to request up to two extra in-service
days this academic year, so that teachers can prepare for the
most significant curriculum changes in more than a decade.
The Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT)
which brings together the Scottish Government, local authority
body COSLA, and teaching unions has agreed up to two additional
in-service days, which will form part of multi-year support for
implementation of the updated curriculum.
Additionally, a short-term working group involving councils,
unions and the Scottish Government will assess what additional
support schools and teachers require to implement the refreshed
curriculum, with a routemap to be published early next year.
Draft curriculum materials have now been made available to
teachers by Education Scotland, which will be tested and refined
through engagement with the profession. These have been
co-designed by Education Scotland with input from over 1,500
primary and secondary teachers, early learning practitioners, and
a range of other experts including from the Gaelic Medium
Education sector.
The materials are being deliberately shared by Education Scotland
in draft, as part of a process of engagement and testing with a
sample of teachers ahead of wider engagement around more advanced
drafts in early 2027. More than 3,800 teachers, practitioners,
council education leads, and experts have so far registered an
interest in reviewing the drafts and providing independent
feedback to inform future drafts.
Education Scotland and Qualifications Scotland are working
closely to develop qualifications for learners on the basis of
the updated curriculum and aligned with it for the senior phase,
for learners aged 16-18.
Education Secretary MÃ iri McAllan said:
This is a significant milestone in delivering the most
substantial curriculum reform in a decade.
The draft materials build on the strengths of Curriculum for
Excellence and respond to the OECD's call for greater clarity,
stronger progression and a clearer focus on knowledge. By
aligning curriculum, qualifications and assessment reform, we can
deliver changes that work in the classroom and improve outcomes
for young people.
Teachers must have appropriate time and support to prepare
properly investing in dedicated time now will ensure high-quality
learning and teaching for young people once the updated
curriculum is implemented in August 2028.
I have encouraged local councils to align additional days with
existing school holidays to minimise disruption and look forward
to taking forward a new curriculum designed to deliver excellence
in our education system.
Association of Headteachers and Deputes Scotland (AHDS) General
Secretary Greg Dempster said:
AHDS is very pleased that we now have an agreement in place for
two additional in-service days during the remainder of this
school session, and that is work underway to ensure that further
development days are swiftly agreed for subsequent years.
"This time investment is absolutely essential to enable school
leaders and their teams to undertake the planning and preparation
necessary for implementation of changes to our curriculum to be
successful.
School Leaders Scotland (SLS) General Secretary David Barnett
said:
"We are pleased that an agreement on additional in-service days
has now been reached. This will allow schools to plan with
confidence on giving staff time to engage with the draft
curriculum materials and begin the process of what will be major
curriculum reform."
Background
Councils willdecide the exact datesforthe additional
in-service days, which are intended to be aligned to the existing
holidays, based on local holiday timetables. Dispensation for the
in-service days will be granted under the Education
(Scotland) Act 1980.
TheOECDcompleted an independent review of Curriculum for
Excellence in 2021, which led to theestablishment of the
Curriculum Improvement Cycle.The curriculum materials being
shared by Education Scotland are being shared in draft form to
inform further engagement and testing with the profession.
Updated draft materials following this process will be published
by Education Scotland in January 2027, ahead of wider engagement
to inform final versions in the spring.
Anindicative timeline for
education reformwas published in June 2025.
