Policy
The latest news, analysis and advice on government policy and legislation. Find a breakdown of new documentation, case studies from leaders and comment from high-profile educators
Thursday
29th Aug 2024
Education directors criticise ‘watering down’ of reforms
‘Significant change’ to Scottish qualifications and national education agencies is required – not a ‘surface makeover’, says education directors’ body ADES
Alison Peacock: School improvement drive has ‘almost gone too far’
Some teachers feel as though they have to ‘follow a script’ due to the pressures of the accountability system, the teachers’ leader warned
Teachers ‘must be at the heart’ of child poverty taskforce
Nearly three in 10 teachers personally provided food to pupils in the summer term because they were concerned for their welfare, poll shows
Tuesday
27th Aug 2024
Don’t rush ‘biggest inspection change in decades’, heads warn
Ofsted’s single-word inspection judgements should be scrapped immediately but a replacement system needs to have the confidence of teachers, says union
Exclusive
‘Entitlement’ to languages met by falling number of Scottish schools
Just 61 per cent offer second language as researchers point to growing number of schools allowing students to opt out of languages at the end of S2
Friday
16th Aug 2024
Child poverty strategy should not make ‘further asks’ of schools
As the government’s child poverty taskforce meets for the first time, leaders tell 91¶¶Òõ what they think the strategy should address when it comes to schools
‘Helpful and sensible mobile phone guidance has trumped tough talk’
New national advice on mobile phones in Scottish schools has put common sense ahead of one-size-fits-all rules, says this secondary head
Thursday
15th Aug 2024
What I’m learning from seeing education in every part of Scotland
The interim chief executive of Education Scotland shares what she has discovered in her ongoing challenge to visit every Scottish local authority by the end of 2024
New Scottish behaviour plan advises ‘high warmth and high standards’
‘Culture shift’ in behaviour management has made teachers feel ‘disempowered’, says plan, which backs ‘relationships-based approaches’ and barely mentions exclusions