Education Scotland Corporate Plan for 2026 to 2031: What the evidence tells us: staff & stakeholder views of the future
Engagement
Education Scotland undertook extensive engagement with staff and a wide range of external stakeholders, including practitioner networks, other national public bodies, Community Learning and Development Standards Council (CLDSC) and the Scottish Assembly for Parents and Carers. This engagement informed the development of this corporate plan and focused on how best Education Scotland could meet future system needs.
Shared priorities from staff and stakeholders
Across all groups, there was a strong consensus that Education Scotland should fulfil a clear, nationally recognised leadership role, with a sharp focus on improving outcomes for all learners. Stakeholders highlighted the need for greater clarity of role and purpose, alongside stronger system alignment to reduce fragmentation and ensure consistent national direction, guidance, and expectations. Collaboration was emphasised as a key way of working, through partnerships, networks, and joint working with practitioners to support improvement and reduce duplication, with a clear expectation that Education Scotland should help convene a more coherent and connected system.
A prominent shared priority is curriculum coherence, with a need for clear, practical support for curriculum design and implementation across diverse contexts and learner needs. Alongside this, professional learning and workforce capacity building were identified as central to success, focusing on empowering practitioners to deliver change confidently and effectively. Stakeholders also emphasised the importance of learner centred, rights-based approaches, underpinned by equity, inclusion, and wellbeing. Finally, there was a strong call for more effective use of evidence, data and system insight, alongside clearer communication, engagement and strategic prioritisation, positioning Education Scotland as a trusted national agency supporting improvement.
Research
Research and stakeholder evidence points to a shared vision for a more coherent, inclusive, and learner-centred education system, with equity, wellbeing, and rights at its core. This requires stronger alignment across curriculum, assessment and professional learning, clearer system purpose, reduced fragmentation, and more flexible approaches that recognise wider achievement.
Education Scotland is central to this, acting as a system enabler by building professional capacity, supporting collaboration and evidence-informed improvement, and ensuring national policy translates into consistent, high-quality learning experiences in a complex and rapidly changing world.
