WIREDGOV

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 Màiri 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 will decide the exact dates for the 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.

The OECD completed an independent review of Curriculum for Excellence in 2021, which led to the establishment 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.

An indicative timeline for education reform was published in June 2025.