In May Professor Louise Hayward told a meeting of headteachers that it was likely the first pupils to experience all aspects of her qualifications and assessment review were in early primary school just now.
In other words, the review was not a short sharp fix but a long-term project
Now the final report of the Hayward review has been published - albeit with education secretary Jenny Gilruth pausing reform to allow time for more feedback from teachers - and it recommends introducing the Scottish Diploma of Achievement (SDA) in three phases.
The SDA will comprise three elements: a “programmes of learning”, including subjects and courses already typically studied in the senior phase; the “personal pathway”, which will reflect students’ interests; and “project learning” to allow in-depth exploration of an issue such as climate change.
The report says implementation should begin with raising awareness of what the SDA is and investing in professional learning for teachers, and end with the first cohort of students being awarded the diploma and, ultimately, there being “system-wide confidence” in the reforms.
It is envisaged that implementation will begin this year, in 2023, and end in the final phase that runs from 2028 to 2032.
The report says: “The introduction of the SDA should be in a series of three overlapping phases. The phases should: first, create the conditions to support successful change; second, make changes to create the new qualification; and third, embed the qualification across the system. Each phase should have a plan to support the enactment of ideas in practice in ways that empower communities. Resource implications should be clearly identified. The plan for the phased introduction of the diploma should be discussed and agreed by the start of session 2024-25.”
Implementing the Scottish Diploma of Achievement
These are the phases of implementation as set out and defined in the report published yesterday.
Phase One: Creating the Conditions for Scottish Diploma of Achievement (2023-27)
• Place learners’ interests at the heart of every decision during the process.
• Develop an implementation strategy for the three phases, including a communications plan to raise awareness of the SDA [which] should include consideration of the digital infrastructure requirements and the opportunities and challenges afforded by artificial intelligence.
• The commissioning of an independent longitudinal evaluation of the design, implementation and early impact of SDA.
• Build collaborative networks whereby every organisation has a clear understanding of the roles each will play in the design and development of the SDA.
• Invest in professional learning to support implementation.
Phase Two: Creating the Scottish Diploma of Achievement (2026-30)
• Design and develop different parts of the diploma with collaborative networks of educational settings.
• Review and revise national qualifications.
• Put system-wide professional learning in place to support the diploma into practice.
• Implement a national moderation plan and build system capacity to put it into practice.
• Develop and trial e-portfolio and digital infrastructure.
Phase Three: Embedding the Scottish Diploma of Achievement (2028-32)
• First cohort of learners are awarded the SDA.
• All educators confident and competent in supporting recognition of learners’ achievement to be recognised through SDA.
• All learners in Scotland working towards SDA.
• Review and refinement of systems and processes based on early findings from independent evaluation.
• System-wide confidence in SDA.
The report says “the phased introduction of the diploma should be discussed and agreed by the start of session 2024-25”.
It sets out three phases of implementation, ending with the first cohort of students being awarded the Scottish Diploma of Achievement in the final phase, to run from 2028 to 2032.
