EAS-Education Reform Monitoring & Evaluation Strategy

The Scottish Government, on behalf of Scottish Ministers, wishes to commission work to inform the development of a monitoring and evaluation strategy for the Education Reform Programme.

The Scottish Government is undertaking an ambitious programme of education reform which has been informed by the findings from the review of Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) conducted in 2021 by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), titled “Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence: Into the Future”. While it highlighted the continued relevance and ambition of CFE as the right approach for Scotland, it also pointed to the need for Scotland to adopt a planned and systematic approach to curriculum review and implementation, and enhance the coherence of the policy environment that surrounds CfE.

Following the publication of the OECD report in autumn 2021, the then Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, Shirley-Anne Somerville, commissioned Professor Ken Muir to provide independent advice on the OECD’s recommendations. This advice focused on the recommendations for structural and functional change to the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) and Education Scotland, including the delivery of the national curriculum, assessment, qualification and inspection functions, recognising the wider functions of both these bodies. The Cabinet Secretary also announced an Independent Review of Qualifications and Assessment (IRQA), led by Professor Louise Hayward, to look at ways in which the senior phase of qualifications in schools, colleges and wider educational settings could be improved.

Professor Muir advocated for placing children, young people and the teachers and practitioners who support their learning more firmly at the heart of the education system. To support these system users he set out recommendations to simplify the education landscape and ensure greater clarity as to the roles and functions of key national bodies. Published in March 2022, Professor Muir’s report formed the basis for the changes we are now taking forward.

In response to the Professor Muir’s report, the Scottish Government committed to facilitating a national discussion on the vision for the future of Scottish education. The National Discussion was co-convened by the Scottish Government and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) and it was independently facilitated. The final report from the National Discussion established the following three guiding values for education in Scotland: the Scottish education system should be ambitious, inclusive, and supportive.

The final report of the Independent Review of Qualifications and Assessment in Scotland was published in June 2023. It set out recommendations for a new approach to qualifications and assessment. In September 2024 the Scottish Government set out our response to the IRQA recommendations.

The aims of this project are to:

1. evaluate the practical considerations for implementing a meaningful evaluation, including data quality and availability, stakeholder engagement, and systemic readiness
2. define the critical questions that will guide the monitoring and evaluation of the reforms, ensuring alignment with existing and new data sources and evidence
3. propose a structured approach to systematically monitor progress and assess the impact of the reforms over time