Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence

Annex B. Schedule of the OECD visits to Scotland (United Kingdom)

The project ran from July 2020 to April 2021 and was thus subject to travel restrictions imposed by the coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic that occurred during that time. As a result, all visits and interviews were conducted online.

Table B.1. First fact-finding virtual visit to Scotland (28 September‑2 October 2020)

Date and time (GMT)	Activity/stakeholder
Monday, 28 September 2020 09:00-10:10	Scottish Education Council Representatives Local Authority Director of Education and Regional Improvement Collaborative Lead Educational Institute of Scotland School Leaders Scotland General Teaching Council Scotland National Parent Forum Scotland Scottish Qualifications Authority
10:30 -11:15	Scottish Practitioner Forum Representatives
11:30-12:40	Scottish Government Learning Directorate Officials Director of Learning Deputy Director, Curriculum, Qualifications and Gaelic Deputy Director Improvement, Attainment and Well-being OECD Review National Co-ordinator and Senior Phase Policy Lead
13:40-14:50	Scottish Qualifications Authority Chief Executive Director of Qualifications Development
15:10-16:20	Employers Vice Chair of the Employer’s Forum Co-Chair of Glasgow Developing Young Workforce Regional Group
Tuesday, 29 September 2020 10:00-11:10	College Representatives Chief Executive, Colleges Scotland Chief Executive, College Development Network Deputy Director of Skills and Economic Recovery, Scottish Funding Council
11:30-13:00	Local Authorities Executive Director of Education and Children's Services, Fife Council and Regional Improvement Collaborative Lead, South East Alliance Deputy Chief Executive and Director of People, South Ayrshire and Regional Improvement Collaborative Lead, South West Collaborative Executive Director of Education and Children's Services, Perth and Kinross and Regional Improvement Collaborative Lead, Tayside Collaborative Director of Children's Services, Shetland and Regional Improvement Collaborative Lead, Northern Alliance Lead Officer for Forth Valley and West Lothian Regional Improvement Collaborative Director of Education, East Renfrewshire and Regional Improvement Collaborative Lead, The West Partnership Director of Children’s Services, Renfrewshire Council
14:00-15:10	Education Scotland Chief Executive Strategic Director, Lifelong Learning Head of Curriculum Innovation Strategic Director for Scrutiny
15:20-16:20	National Agencies (Skills) Director of Critical Skills and Occupations, Skills Development Scotland Director of Career Information Advice and Guidance, Skills Development Scotland Chief Executive, Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework Partnership
Wednesday, 30 September 2020 10:00-10:40	Community Learning and Development and Youthwork Representatives Chief Executive, Youthlink Scotland Chair of Community Learning and Development Managers Scotland
10:50-11:30	Scottish Attainment Challenge/Additional Support Needs Representatives Senior Regional Advisor, Education Scotland Chair of Additional Support for Learning Advisory Group
11:50-13:00	Teacher Professional Learning and Leadership Representatives Chief Executive, General Teaching Council Scotland Director of Education, Registration and Professional Learning Head of Professional Learning and Leadership, Education Scotland Executive Director of Education, Glasgow
14:00-15:10	Higher Education Representatives Chair of the Scottish Council of Deans of Education and University of Aberdeen Chair of Universities Scotland’s Admissions Policy Group Member of the Commission for Widening Access: Access Delivery Group
15:20-16:30	Education Researchers Dr Keir Bloomer, Royal Society of Edinburgh, Education Committee Prof Louise Hayward, Professor of Educational Assessment and Innovation, University of Glasgow Prof Kay Livingston, University of Glasgow Dr Nicola Carse, Edinburgh University and Chair of Scottish Educational Research Association
Thursday, 1 October 2020 10:00-11:10	Headteacher and Teacher Professional Bodies, Unions and Working Groups (1/2) Association of Headteachers and Deputes in Scotland Headteacher Royal High School and Chair of the BOCSH Group
11:30-12:40	Headteacher and Teacher Professional Bodies, Unions and Working Groups (2/2) General Secretary, Educational Institute of Scotland General Secretary, Scottish Secondary Teachers’ Association National Official (Scotland), NASUWT (Scotland) General Secretary, School Leaders Scotland
13:40-14:40	Parent Organisations Chief Executive Officer, Connect Vice Chair, National Parent Forum Scotland
15:00-16:00	Learners and Young Person Organisations Smart Services Director, Young Scot Joint Head of Children’s Parliament Chief Executive of Children in Scotland Chief Executive of the Scottish Youth Parliament
Friday, 2 October 2020 10:00-11:30	Curriculum and Assessment Board Headteacher, Harrysmuir Learning Community, West Lothian Head of Humanities, Care and Services, Scottish Qualifications Authority University of Stirling Renfrewshire Council Chair of the ADES Curriculum Network Chief Executive Education Scotland Strategic Director, Lifelong Learning, Education Scotland Chief Executive Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework Chair National Parent Forum Scotland Locality Manager, Clydesdale South Lanarkshire Council, Education Resources Assistant Secretary the Educational Institute of Scotland Senior Director of Service Development and Delivery, Skills Development Scotland Director of Service Design and Innovation Skills Development Scotland National Executive Member, NASUWT Scotland Director Scottish Council of Independent Schools Assistant General Secretary Scottish Secondary Teachers’ Association Deputy Associate Principal, University of Strathclyde
11:45-13:00	Scottish Parliament Education and Skills Committee Clare Adamson MSP (Convener) Daniel Johnson MSP (Deputy Convener) Alasdair Allan MSP Kenneth Gibson MSP Iain Gray MSP Jamie Greene MSP Ross Greer MSP Jamie Halcro Johnston MSP Rona Mackay MSP Beatrice Wishart MSP Five Parliament officials
14:00-15:00	Gaelic Education Groups Director of Education, Bòrd na Gàidhlig Chair, Stòrlann Nàiseanta Parental Officer, Comann nam Pàrant Chief Executive, Fèisean nan Gàidheal
15:20-16:20	Subject-Specific Interest Groups Arts and Learning Manager, Edinburgh City Council Senior Education Officer for Health and Well-being, Education Scotland Chair, Scottish Association of Language Teachers ADES Representative, National Profile Raising Group Senior Education Officer for Religious and Moral Education STEM Representative, Institute of Physics Representative from Royal Geographical Society of Scotland Representative from Technology Teachers Association

Table B.2. Second fact-finding virtual visit to Scotland (2‑5 November 2020)

Date and time (GMT)	Activity/stakeholder
Monday, 2 November 2020 09:30-10:45	Meeting with Colleges, Employers and Community Learning and Development Representatives Principal, Forth Valley College Principal and Chief Executive, West Highland College (University of the Highlands and Islands) Community Benefit Co-ordinator, CCG Construction Group HR Manager, CCG Construction Group Community Learning and Development, Curriculum Lead, KEAR Campus School
13.00-16.10 13:00-13:30 13:40-14:10 14:20-14:50 15:00-15:30 15:40-16.10	Virtual Visit to Forehill Primary School, South Ayrshire, including meetings with Headteacher and Senior Management Team Teachers Primary 6 Learners Primary 7 Learners Parent Group
Tuesday, 3 November 09:30-12:30 09:30-10:00 10:10-10:40 10:50-11-20 11:30-12:00 12:10-12:40	Virtual visit to Tiree High School and Oban High School, including meetings with Headteacher and Senior Leadership Team Teachers Parents’ Council Broad General Education Learners Senior Phase Learners
13:30-14:45	Focus Group Meeting with National Parents Organisations Parents nominated by National Parent Forum Scotland and Connect
Wednesday, 4 November 09:30-12:30 09:30-10:00 10:10-10:40 10:50-11:20 11:30-12:00 12:10-12:40	Virtual Visit to Castlemilk High School, Glasgow, including meetings with Headteacher and Senior Leadership Team Teachers Parent Group Broad General Education Learners Senior Phase Learners
13:30-14:45	Focus Group Meeting with School-age Learners from Calderglen High School, South Lanarkshire Grove Academy, Dundee Stewarton Academy, East Ayrshire
15:00-16:30	Focus Group Meeting with Headteachers from Newbattle High School, Midlothian Portlethen Academy, Aberdeenshire Duncanrig Secondary School, South Lanarkshire Hazelhead Primary School, Aberdeen E-Sgoil
Thursday, 5 November 2020 09:00-12:10 09:00-09:30 09:40-10:10 10:20-10:50 10:50-11:20 11:30-12:00	Virtual Visit to Aberdeen Grammar School, including meetings with Headteacher and Senior Management Team Broad General Education Learners Parents Teachers Senior Phase Learners
13:00-14:15	Focus Group Meeting with Teachers from Belmont Academy, South Ayrshire Earlston High School, Scottish Borders Hillhead High School Glasgow Inveralmond Community High School Grange Primary, Angus Gartocharn Primary, West Dunbartonshire Principal Teacher and Pedagogy Group Lead, West Lothian Inclusion Service Calderglen High School, South Lanarkshire
14:30-15.45	Focus Group Meeting with Post-school Learners 4 university students 2 college students 2 post-school learners involved in youth work

Table B.3. Additional meetings (2020)

Date and time (GMT)	Activity/stakeholder
Tuesday, 13 October 16:30-17:30	Professor Mark Priestley, University of Stirling
Friday, 13 November 10:00-11:00	Professor Chris Chapman, University of Glasgow
Tuesday, 24 November 17:00-18:00	Professor Graham Donaldson, University of Glasgow
Monday, 30 November 15:30-16:30	Professor Andrew Hargreaves

Table B.4. Stakeholder consultation event to discuss OECD preliminary findings (16 March 2021)

Time (GMT)	Activity
12:45-13:00	Signing up to the online event
13:00-13:05	Welcome	Presentation of the agenda of the day by the OECD team
13:05-13:30	Preliminary Draft Findings and Recommendations	Presentation by the OECD team
13:30-13:50	Questions and Answers with the Participants
13:50-14:20	Working Session #1	Group discussion about one of the preliminary drafts OECD findings
14:30-15:00	Working Session #2	Group discussion about one of the preliminary drafts OECD findings
15:00-15:30	Plenary Session and Wrap-up	Groups report back to plenary OECD wrap-up