Proposals published to start dialogue with local authorities
A report from an experienced former headteacher on how to improve the way schools are funded and governed has been published.
John Wilson, an Independent Professional Adviser to the Scottish Government, was appointed to identify priorities for reform based on his extensive experience as a secondary headteacher.
His recommendations, which will be considered as part of a three-month dialogue with local authorities, include:
creating Local Schools Authorities to take on statutory responsibility for the delivery of school education
reviewing how schools measure success while making it easier for them to collaborate and share best practice with each other
clearly defining and ring-fencing national funding for education, and improving consistency in the way this funding is recorded by local authorities.
Education Secretary Màiri McAllan said: “We are determined to continuously drive improvement in Scottish education – raising standards, empowering schools and reducing variation across council areas and schools.
“There is a great deal to be proud of already. This year’s exam results showed rising attainment across the board in National 5s, Highers and Advanced Highers and the second consecutive narrowing of the poverty related attainment gap.
Recent statistics show the number of young people in work, training or study nine months after leaving school is at a joint record high and record numbers of young people are being accepted into university. This includes a record number from our most deprived backgrounds.
“However, I am also clear-eyed about the need for change and for excellence. As well as developing a new curriculum and creating phone-free learning environments across Scotland, we’re seizing the opportunity provided by the public service reform agenda to address core issues in our education system.
“This report provides an invaluable contribution to this process, and I’m grateful to John Wilson and everyone else who took part. This publication is intended to contribute to a dialogue with councils. I look forward to setting out our response to the recommendations once that process is complete.”
Edinburgh College has established a new National Centre for Modern Languages and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), bringing together its expertise in language education to support students, employers and communities across Scotland and beyond.
The Centre will act as a hub for the College’s Modern Languages and ESOL delivery with a focus on developing the language skills Scotland needs for the future.
The College delivers one of the largest and most diverse language portfolios in the UK. Its award-winning online Modern Languages provision spans 95 schools across 20 local authorities, while more than 1,000 students study ESOL at the College each year.
More than 300,000 people in Scotland reported challenges with speaking, reading or writing English in 2022, highlighting the scale of the need for accessible language support.
The launch of the Centre brings together the College’s significant ESOL provision, both college and community-based, recognising the role English language skills play in helping people access employment, progress in their careers and participate fully in society.
Earlier this year, the College published a research report – Addressing Language as a Barrier to Work and Progression – which identified a lack of English language skills as an overlooked contributor to economic inactivity.
It is now building on this work through its employment-focused ESOL for Work provision, helping learners to develop the practical English skills they need for the workplace alongside their wider language development.
Edinburgh College Principal and CEO Audrey Cumberford said: “Language skills are increasingly important to Scotland’s future. They strengthen our workforce, help businesses connect with international markets and enable people from different backgrounds to participate fully in our economy and society.
“Edinburgh College has a strong track record in both Modern Languages and ESOL delivery, and the launch of our National Centre brings that expertise together to create a hub for language education and innovation.
“We want to use our scale, research and partnerships to support language education across Scotland and help ensure learners have the skills they need for further study and employment.”
The Centre’s provision will also support refugees and people seeking sanctuary to access education. The College was awarded College of Sanctuary status in June 2025.
The College also has extensive international experience, having delivered specialist English language teacher training in more than 30 countries over the past decade.
Alongside its work in Scotland, the College will use its international partnerships and experience to support language education globally, building on specialist teacher training.
The new Centre aims to strengthen the role of Modern Languages and ESOL within Scotland’s skills infrastructure and help more people access the opportunities that language learning can provide.
NYCOS Singing Time launches in primary schools across Scotland from September, providing free access to songs, singing games and teaching resources designed to bring the joy of singing into classrooms nationwide
The initiative forms part of NYCOS’s 30th anniversary celebrations and represents a major new national resource for Scotland’s young people, teachers and schools
The resource draws on three decades of NYCOS expertise and will be gifted to every primary school in Scotland
Thirty years after its founding, NYCOS continues to champion the life-changing benefits of singing, creating opportunities for young people in every corner of Scotland
The National Youth Choir of Scotland (NYCOS) is marking its 30th anniversary by launching an ambitious initiative designed to help bring singing back into classrooms across the country.
Arriving in schools from September, NYCOS Singing Time is a free online resource that will be gifted to every primary school in Scotland, providing teachers with accessible, engaging singing materials developed by one of the country’s most influential music education organisations.
Created as the centrepiece of NYCOS’s 30th anniversary celebrations, the initiative brings together three decades of expertise in youth singing, musicianship and music education. Featuring 15 songs and accompanying singing games, the resource is designed to help children experience the joy of singing while developing musical understanding through play. The films were directed and edited by Lewis Landini and feature three young presenters – Connor Going, Holly Clelland, and Tawana Maramba.
The launch comes at a time when many teachers report feeling less confident about teaching singing and music in the classroom, while opportunities for young people to sing together have declined. NYCOS Singing Time aims to remove those barriers by providing a free, easy-to-use resource that can be accessed by any primary school, regardless of musical experience or budget.
Based on the Kodály principles that have shaped NYCOS’s educational approach for three decades, the resource uses games, movement and age-appropriate repertoire to help children absorb musical concepts naturally and joyfully. The songs span a range of traditions and languages, including English, Scots and Gaelic, reflecting both Scotland’s cultural heritage and NYCOS’s belief that singing should be open and accessible to all.
More than simply a teaching resource, NYCOS Singing Time represents what the organisation describes as a “gift to Scotland” as it celebrates a milestone birthday.
Founded in 1996 by conductor Christopher Bell, NYCOS was created at a time when opportunities for young singers at regional level were disappearing across Scotland due to local government reorganisation.
What began as a single national youth choir has grown into a nationwide organisation that supports thousands of young people every year through regional choirs, national ensembles, schools’ programmes, teacher training and creative learning initiatives.
Over the past 30 years, NYCOS has helped shape Scotland’s singing culture at every level. Its national choirs have performed on some of the world’s leading stages, from the Edinburgh International Festival and BBC Proms to major international tours, while its regional choir network has enabled young people across Scotland to experience the social, educational and artistic benefits of singing close to home.
The organisation’s influence extends far beyond music. For three decades, NYCOS has championed the well-documented benefits of singing for confidence, self-esteem, communication, social connection, literacy and learning. Thousands of young people have passed through its choirs, many going on to careers in music and the arts, while others have taken the skills, resilience and friendships they developed through singing into every walk of life.
As NYCOS enters its fourth decade, the organisation believes the need for collective singing among young people has never been greater. Alongside NYCOS Singing Time, the charity is marking its anniversary year with a series of major initiatives designed to widen participation and create new pathways into singing.
On 16 September, NYCOS launched a new Glasgow Regional Choir, expanding its network of regional choirs and creating opportunities for even more young people to sing regularly in their local communities.
Earlier this year, the organisation launched theNYCOS BSL Youth Choir bringing together Deaf and hearing young people from across Scotland in what is believed to be the first ensemble of its kind in Scotland.
Developed in partnership with leading accessible music practitioner Paul Whittaker OBE, the choir enables young British Sign Language users aged 14-18 to experience the creativity, connection and shared expression of choral performance through sign language. The ensemble made its debut at the Opening Ceremony of the Scottish Parliament on 27th June 2026.
The anniversary programme also includes, for the first time, Full Circle, an initiative designed to nurture the next generation of choral leaders in Scotland. Accomplished former NYCOS singers are invited to train as musicianship teachers, enabling them to return to the organisation’s regional choirs and support the next generation of young singers.
Led by internationally respected Kodály specialist and NYCOS Creative Learning Director Lucinda Geoghegan, the first cohort of 21 participants have undertaken intensive training before being placed within regional choirs across Scotland, where they have observed classes, taught alongside experienced staff and begun leading their own musicianship sessions.
The celebrations culminated with NYCOS’s 30th anniversary tour and a landmark gala performance at Edinburgh’s Usher Hall on 13th September. At the heart of the programme was Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana, a work that holds a special place in NYCOS history as the first major piece performed by the choir when it was founded in 1996, then comprised of only 60 singers.
In August 2026, the choir performed the work in Paisley, Aberdeen and Perth alongside regional choirs from across the country. The gala performance at Usher Hall will bring together 170 young singers with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.
Christopher Bell, Founder and Artistic Director of NYCOS, said: “Thirty years ago, we set out with a very simple belief: Scotland needs a National Youth Choir to develop and showcase the talent of its young singers. Since then, we have expanded beyond our dreams and have created one of the largest and most dynamic youth organisations in Europe.
“Thousands of young people have sung with us over the last three decades. We have seen singing transform confidence, create lifelong friendships and open doors that many young people never thought possible.
“NYCOS Singing Time is our gift to Scotland as we celebrate this anniversary year. We want every child, in every primary school, to have the opportunity to sing. If we can help bring singing back into more classrooms, then we can help another generation discover the same joy, confidence and sense of belonging that singing has given so many young people over the last 30 years.”
“When young people sing together, something remarkable happens. They learn to listen, to communicate, to work together and to express themselves. Those benefits extend far beyond music, and that is why this work remains so important today.”
A new drive is being launched to help schools achieve better results for their pupils through traditional music.
The Scottish Schools Pipes and Drums Trust already teach over 2000 youngsters each week in school programmes across Scotland.
The new drive is to target musical help for youngsters at schools facing some of the toughest economic challenges in the country.
Charity Chief Executive Lindsay Mackenzie said their work so far shows how school pipe bands help players do better in the classroom and head on to positive destinations after school: She said: “Over the past ten years we have seen great evidence of how pipe bands in schools really make a difference.
“Being part of a band teaches young people so much in terms of commitment, discipline, teamwork and there is the cultural side of it too.”
The SSPDT is now targeting schools facing challenges of remoteness or deprivation to help give pupils a boost.
The charity has over 500 sets of pipes out on free loan as well, realising that many of the pupils they are trying to help would struggle to afford instruments costing up to £900.
Lindsay Mackenzie said they are open to approaches from schools or parent groups wanting to start a band and are able to offer funding and more importantly expertise to get the project up and running effectively.
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“We have had some great successes working with school groups the length of Scotland and many have gone on to form competiting school bands with more on the same pathway coming along behind.
“Our flagship project at Preston Lodge High School in East Lothian held on to their title as the best state school pipe band in the world at the World Championships in Glasgow last month.
“Entries will be opening soon for the competition we run, the Scottish Schools Pipe Band Championships, and many of the over 100 bands performing there come from projects started working with the SSPDT.”
Over 2300 children took part in Scotland’s biggest outdoor learning event in Edinburgh this week.
Primary six pupils from 49 schools across the city enjoyed over 40 activities delivered by 30 partner organisations, each giving their time for free.
The Outdoor Learning Challenge took place over September 8-9 at Holyrood Park, and saw pupils try their hand at activities including mountain biking, archery, drumming, survival skills and campfires.
The event was organised and led by the City of Edinburgh Council’s Outdoor Learning and Adventure Education Team and delivered in partnership with Dynamic Earth Science Centre and Planetarium, Historic Environment Scotland Ranger Service in Holyrood Park, and Moray House School of Education and Sport, University of Edinburgh.
Organisations including Edinburgh Zoo, Royal Botanical Gardens Edinburgh and Holyrood Palace led workshops with the activities altered to suit children of all abilities, including those with physical or learning disablities.
Councillor James Dalgleish, Education, Children and Families Convener, said:“The Outdoor Challenge is a fantastic event, I had a great time today learning new skills and meeting lots of children, teachers, staff and partners.
“We were lucky to have a sun-filled two days at Holyrood Park and thousands of young people enjoyed dozens of activites, many pushing themselves out their comfort zones.
“Bringing learning outdoors is vital to improve mental and physical health as well as help our young people learn how nature and the outdoor connects to their lives.
“I was particularly impressed with how the activities were altered to allow children of all abilities to take part and the teamwork on show from our young people was stellar.
“Thanks to the partners and providers who brought their skill and expertise to Holyrood Park for a brilliant couple of days for all involved.”
New Science and Innovation Centre to be built on campus at Fettes College
Fettes College has revealed plans to build a new world-class hub for science, technology and innovation following a multi-million-pound donation.
The Science and Innovation Centre will provide students with access to best-in-class modern laboratories, collaborative learning spaces, and cutting-edge technology that will support hands-on scientific exploration and creative thinking.
Designed by award-winning Edinburgh architects Reiach and Hall, the centre will sit in the heart of the school’s city centre campus and replace the existing 1970s facility that is reaching the end of its planned lifespan.
The plans have been unveiled shortly after the opening of the school’s Allardice Centre, a specially designed and sustainable on-campus hub to cater for the physical and mental wellbeing of all students and staff.
New Head of Fettes College, Richard Girvan, joined the school in August. On the new Science and Innovation Centre, he said: “This is a hugely exciting development made possible thanks to a very generous donation.
“The new centre will be world-class and reflect our dedication to fostering a culture of creativity, inquiry and achievement in these vital fields of study. It builds on our vision for Fettes.”
Libby Heathcote, Associate Director, Reiach and Hall Architects, said: “We are thrilled to have been chosen to design the new Science and Innovation Centre at the heart of Fettes College’s stunning and historic campus.
“Our design focuses on simplicity, adaptability, and sustainability, using a rigorously organised plan to deliver modern laboratories and generous classrooms connected by open and inviting communal spaces.”
The facility reflects the growing importance of science and innovation to Fettes College and its curriculum, catering for both GCSE/A Level and International Baccalaureate (IB) pathways, and will create a focal point for science, technology, robotics and engineering education.
RIBA Stage 3 Design is now underway and once planning approval has been obtained, a full timescale for construction will be determined.
The institution recently celebrated a record-breaking year for A Level and IB results. The only school in Scotland to offer both IB and A Level pathways in Sixth Form, August’s results were its best ever for combined A Level and IB results.
The combined A Level and IB results saw 22% of students achieve A*/7; 63% achieve A*-A/7-6; and 89% achieve A*-B/7-5. At GCSE level, nearly a fifth of all grades were at Grade 9 with 40% at Grades 9–8 (A*).
Fettes is the top IB school in Scotland and a top 10 IB school within the UK.
Scotland significantly outperforms OECD average in four areas – but falls behind England
Scotland performed significantly above the OECD average in science, reading, computational problem-solving and environmental science, according to the latest international assessment of 15-year-olds’ knowledge and skills.
The 2025 PISA study found that Scotland has held a competitive international position, as reading and maths have declined across the OECD as a whole. Scotland’s maths performance was similar to the OECD average and similar to the 2022 survey.
The PISA 2025 Scotland Report also found:
the relationship between pupils’ socio-economic background and performance was weaker than in 2022 in science and maths, and significantly weaker in reading than in every previous PISA cycle
young people have a positive attitude to school and feel they belong there, with 90% saying their science teacher helped them in every or most lessons, and gave extra help when needed
Scotland’s overall performance was stable, while many other countries saw decline
Education Secretary Màiri McAllan said: “PISA 2025 shows real strengths in Scottish education, as well as areas we’re already working to improve. The Curriculum Improvement Cycle is the largest change to Scotland’s curriculum in over ten years, which will be fully rolled out with the teaching profession by August 2028.
“These results demonstrate that Scotland’s education system is competitive by international standards, performing above the OECD average on four measures out of five. Scotland has stabilised its international performance, which is very welcome, alongside the significant weakening in the relationship between learners’ socio-economic background and performance, particularly in reading.
“This comes just weeks after this year’s Qualifications Scotland results, which showed a narrowing of the poverty-related attainment gap compared to both 2025 and pre-pandemic 2019, and increased pass rates at National 5, Highers and Advanced Highers.
“While recognising the positives, these results also underline the need for change in certain areas – change that I intend to lead in the coming period to ensure excellence and equity for all Scotland’s young people.”
Hundreds of former pupils, staff, partners and friends gathered at Portobello High School for a special anniversary lunch celebrating 150 years of the school at the heart of its community last week.
The event was just one of several ran throughout the year to mark the milestone and brought together generations of the Portobello community to reflect on the school’s rich history and celebrate the important role it continues to play in the area.
Guests enjoyed tours of the school and an extensive exhibition featuring photographs, documents and memorabilia from across the decades.
The celebration also included the launch of the school’s new digital archive, which will help preserve its history and make it accessible to former pupils and the wider community.
Former pupils and members of staff shared memories of their time at Portobello, while a special reflection remembered those who are sadly no longer with us.
Headteacher Greg McDowall said: “It was a wonderful occasion and a real privilege to welcome so many people back to Portobello.
“There was an incredible warmth throughout the day, with former pupils and staff reconnecting, sharing stories and celebrating everything the school has meant to the community over the past 150 years.
“Although we are enormously proud of our history, this celebration was also about looking ahead and ensuring that the legacy of Portobello High School continues for future generations.”
The school is encouraging former pupils, staff and members of the community to explore the Porty 150 digital archive on its website, where further photographs, memories and historical materials will continue to be added.
The archive was created by Ian Small, former pupil and former school dux and was awarded the MacIntyre prize by the school at the lunch for his hard work.
A number of events will also be held in the coming months, providing further opportunities for people to visit the school, spend time exploring the archive and share their own memories of Portobello High School. you can find out more at the Porty 150 section of the school website.
Cutting costs and supporting teachers while delivering on reforms
Every young person will have the same opportunity to succeed, no matter their background or where they live in Scotland, Education Secretary Màiri McAllan has pledged, as she set out her priorities for education.
In a statement to Parliament, Ms McAllan confirmed councils would receive up to £2.8 million to help address school meal debt, to ease the cost of living for families that need it most, while work continues to expand Free School Meals.
A new £1 million pilot fund will support teachers taking up posts in rural and island communities with relocation and housing costs, to help attract teachers to hard-to-fill posts and encourage them to remain long-term. This is alongside wider ongoing national work to deliver a teacher job guarantee for a minimum of three years for newly-qualified teachers, and reduce class contact time.
Further plans will be brought forward shortly to help newly-qualified primary teachers gain additional registration, helping them transition into new roles, and to strengthen career opportunities for pupil support assistants.
Ms McAllan also set out plans to improve attainment, attendance, behaviour and curriculum, including streamlining guidance so that councils and schools can deliver more consistently on national policies.
Curriculum reforms, developed following the OECD’s Review of Scotland’s Curriculum, will be delivered in partnership with teachers, to ensure learners fully benefit from ongoing work to improve the curriculum.
Public Service Reform will be central to tackling inconsistencies in how national education policy is applied across the country, with work underway alongside councils to streamline data use, cut unnecessary bureaucracy and free up schools to focus on what matters most to pupils.
Ms McAllan added: “There is already so much to celebrate in our education system – record levels of literacy and numeracy in our schools, increases in exam passes across the board this year and more Scots gaining places at university.
“But I am clear we must raise standards and deliver excellence across Scotland by focusing on the ABCs in our schools – attainment, attendance, behaviour and curriculum. We must ensure every child regardless of where they live or whether they have an additional support need, are supported to learn and thrive at school.
“We must seize the opportunity of Public Service Reform to truly achieve this, by addressing the variability in education outcomes across the country, improving data collection, enhancing performance and accountability and empowering schools to invest and take the decisions they need to support pupils.
“As a Government we must also continue our work to cut the costs of the school day for families – that means more breakfast clubs, expanding free school meals and clearing school meal debt.
“The leadership I will offer as Education Secretary will always be guided by the pursuit of excellence and equity. I commit to working hand in hand with young people, their families, the workforce, trade unions and local government to ensure every child receives the highest standard of education.”
Children with additional support needs will be supported wherever they are in Scotland through a new National Staged Intervention Model for additional support for learning that is being developed.
Education Secretary Màiri McAllan made the commitment as she set out plans to provide a nationwide approach to identifying, planning, delivering and reviewing support for children and young people who experience barriers to learning in all council areas – to ensure they receive the right support at the right time.
The newly-published route map sets out the next steps to introducing a model that will set out more clearly how support is delivered to meet the needs of children and young people in different areas.
It is being developed in partnership with local government in response to recommendations from the McManus Review of additional support for learning, and will be rolled out in phases with full implementation across all of Scotland’s 32 council areas planned for August 2028.
Ms McAllan said: “Every child deserves the best possible support that is right for their needs, regardless of where they live in Scotland so they can realise their full potential.
“A National Staged Intervention approach will help ensure that how support needs are identified, responded to and reviewed is consistent, no matter where a child or young person goes to school.
“Through this Model children and young people will receive support that is right for them, and families will have greater understanding of the support available to their child. For teachers, it means clearer national guidance being developed alongside updated training, aligned with the Model to help them support pupils with additional needs.
“We will develop the Model jointly with councils, teachers and school staff, and with children and their families, to ensure the National Staged Intervention Model delivers the support children and young people need across Scotland.”
Councillor Tony Buchanan, COSLA Spokesperson for Children and Young People said: “COSLA is committed to working collectively with Scottish Government to improve the outcomes for all children and young people.
“We recognise the need in particular to support children with additional support needs and are focused on building upon the strong practice that already exists and recognise that developing a national model offers opportunity to further enhance the consistency of approach our children and young people.
“Together with our professional associations and colleagues in Scottish Government, we look forward to enhancing what is working well and helping embed continuous improvement across the support framework that is available to children and families in all parts of Scotland.”
Sheena Devlin, General Secretary at the Association of Directors of Education Scotland (ADES) said: “ADES welcomes the direction of travel set out today. Scotland already has much strong practice in supporting children and young people with additional needs, and a national model offers the opportunity to build greater consistency of approach to recording and planning for our children and young people.
“We look forward to working with the Scottish Government and partners to shape the detail, ensuring the Model strengthens what is working well while improving the support framework available to children, young people and families wherever they live.”
