5. To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to the call by the Association of Headteachers and Deputes in Scotland for the extension of powers to headteachers. (S5F-00680)

We believe that, wherever possible, decisions about children’s learning should be decided at school level. We therefore welcome the response to the governance review from the Association of Headteachers and Deputes in Scotland, which proposes increasing the powers of our headteachers in order to have the biggest positive impact on learning, teaching and outcomes for our children. The Scottish Government will, of course, consider all responses and contributions to our review of governance of education in Scotland, which closes on 6 January.

I thank the First Minister for that. It is good to hear.

The First Minister will, I am sure, acknowledge the long-standing success of Jordanhill school in Glasgow, but she will also know that a number of schools that want to adopt different governance arrangements within the state sector face constraints because Parliament repealed the Self-Governing Schools etc (Scotland) Act 1989.

Will the First Minister say whether it is the Scottish Government’s intention to amend existing legislation to make it much easier to meet the growing demand for greater diversity in the state sector and the growing demand from headteachers for greater autonomy, and to give more power to parents?

The First Minister:

We have made very clear our desire for more power to lie with headteachers and individual schools. That presumption lies at the heart of the governance review. That said, John Swinney also made it clear when he launched the review that we believe that local councils should continue to have democratic oversight of, and accountability for, education.

I absolutely want to ensure that the steps that we take are guided by the need to raise standards and to close the attainment gap, and not by ideology on one side or the other. That is why we set up the governance review and will listen to all contributions to it. The consultation closes on 6 January, as I said, and we will take time to consider the contributions. John Swinney will set out our plans, including whether there is a requirement for legislative change, after that.

I welcome the First Minister’s acknowledgement of the pivotal role that headteachers play in providing leadership in schools across my Constituency and the whole of Scotland. What is the Scottish Government doing to strengthen school leadership and to invest in headteachers’ skills and professional development?

The First Minister:

Strengthening leadership was a key recommendation in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s review of Scottish education. The changes that we are proposing in the consultation on the standard for headship and the draft Head Teachers Education and Training Standards (Scotland) Regulations are intended to do that by enabling future headteachers to acquire the leadership skills and support that they need. The draft regulations will give education authorities flexibility to deal with individual local circumstances—in particular, in relation to temporary appointments.

We absolutely acknowledge the importance of education leadership and we are committed to supporting teachers who want to take the step into headship. That is why we are funding the new “into headship” qualification at a cost of up to £1.5 million to 2018.

Eighteen out of 29 headteachers in Shetland teach in classrooms. They struggle to find enough time in the day, as it is. If the Government plans to give headteachers more responsibilities, what part of the workload will go?

The First Minister:

I think that there is a strong desire among headteachers for the greater responsibility that we are talking about, but I accept—I do not think that John Swinney could have been any clearer about this since he took up the post of Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills—the need to ensure that we address excessive workloads of teachers. That is why steps have been taken to reduce unnecessary workload and bureaucracy.

I very much acknowledge that in rural and island areas that might be a particular challenge, which we must address. I am sure that John Swinney will be happy to discuss the matter directly with Tavish Scott.

We will take all such issues into account. Our absolute determination, as I have said many times over the course of this year and will continue to say as we go into next year, is to raise standards in our schools and close the attainment gap. One way—not the only way—of doing that is to support leadership in our schools and give the leaders in our schools the ability, the powers and the freedom to get on with the jobs that they do best.