Legislation – Education (Scotland) Act 2025

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Introduction

Part 1
Qualifications Scotland

1 Qualifications Scotland

2 The function of awarding qualifications

3 The quality assurance function

4 The accreditation function

5 The advisory function

6 Working with, or recognition of, others

7 Duties when exercising functions

8 Consultation with Strategic Advisory Council

9 Strategic Advisory Council

10 Expert Group on Qualifications Standards

11 The learner charter

12 The teacher and practitioner charter

13 Reviewing and revising the charters

14 Other charters

15 Guidance about assistance for people with educational support needs

16 Corporate plan of Qualifications Scotland

17 Annual report of Qualifications Scotland

18 Annual quality assurance compliance report of Qualifications Scotland

19 Reports of advice to Qualifications Scotland from certain committees

20 Accounts and audit of Qualifications Scotland

21 Scottish Ministers’ power to direct Qualifications Scotland

22 Guidance by the Scottish Ministers to Qualifications Scotland

23 Provision of information by Qualifications Scotland

24 Corporate plan of the Accreditation Committee

25 Annual report of the Accreditation Committee

26 Scottish Ministers’ power to direct the Accreditation Committee

27 Financial assistance

28 Funding and use of resources

29 General powers

30 Publication of documents

31 Review of arrangements for assuring quality of qualifications

32 Review of accreditation function

Part 2
His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education in Scotland

33 His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education in Scotland

34 Deputy Chief Inspector of Education in Scotland

35 His Majesty’s Inspectors of Education in Scotland

36 Assistance with inspections

37 Purpose of inspection

38 The inspection function

39 Meaning of “relevant educational establishment” and “excepted establishment”

40 The voluntary arrangements function

41 The advisory function

42 Working with others

43 Duties when exercising functions

44 Advisory Council

45 Inspection plan

46 Reports on inspections

47 Annual report

48 Report on performance of the Scottish education system

49 Other reports

50 Protection from actions of defamation

51 General powers

52 Powers of entry and inspection

53 Duty to provide assistance

54 Offences

55 Necessary improvements: referral to Scottish Ministers

56 Preliminary notice of enforcement action

57 Enforcement direction

58 Publication of documents

Part 3
General and miscellaneous

59 Transfer of staff, property etc. to Qualifications Scotland

60 Dissolution of the Scottish Qualifications Authority

61 Transitional provisions

62 Consequential modifications

63 Interpretation

64 Regulation-making powers

65 Ancillary provision

66 Commencement

67 Short title

SCHEDULES

Schedule 1 Qualifications Scotland

Schedule 2 The Office of His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education in Scotland

Schedule 3 Transfer of staff, property etc. to Qualifications Scotland

Schedule 4 Consequential modifications

Changes to legislation:

There are currently no known outstanding effects for the Education (Scotland) Act 2025, Schedule 3. Help about Changes to Legislation

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Schedule 3Transfer of staff, property etc. to Qualifications Scotland

(introduced by section 59)

Transfer date

1

In this schedule, “transfer date” means the date on which this paragraph comes into force.

Annotations:
Commencement Information

I1Sch. 3 para. 1 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 66(2)

Transfer of staff

2

(1)

With effect from the transfer date, any person who, immediately before that date, was employed by the Scottish Qualifications Authority, is transferred into the employment of Qualifications Scotland.

(2)

The contract of employment of a person transferred by virtue of sub-paragraph (1)

(a)

is not terminated by the transfer, and

(b)

has effect from the transfer date as if originally made between the person and Qualifications Scotland.

(3)

Without prejudice to sub-paragraph (2), where a person is transferred by virtue of sub-paragraph (1)

(a)

all the rights, powers, duties and liabilities of the Scottish Qualifications Authority under or in connection with the person’s contract of employment are transferred to Qualifications Scotland on the transfer date, and

(b)

anything done before that date by or in relation to the Scottish Qualifications Authority in respect of the person or the contract is to be treated from that date as having been done by or in relation to Qualifications Scotland.

(4)

If, before the transfer date, the person informs the Scottish Qualifications Authority that the person does not wish to become an employee of Qualifications Scotland—

(a)

sub-paragraphs (1) to (3) do not apply to the person, and

(b)

the person’s contract of employment is terminated on the day before the transfer date.

(5)

A person is not to be treated for any purpose as being dismissed by reason of the operation of any provision of this paragraph in relation to the person.

(6)

Nothing in this paragraph affects any right of a person so transferred to terminate the person’s contract of employment if the terms and conditions of employment are changed substantially to the detriment of the person.

(7)

No such right arises by reason only that, by virtue of this paragraph, the identity of the person’s employer changes.

Annotations:
Commencement Information

I2Sch. 3 para. 2 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 66(2)

Transfer of property

3

(1)

With effect from the transfer date, all property, rights, liabilities and obligations to which sub-paragraph (2) applies, are transferred to, and vest in, Qualifications Scotland.

(2)

Sub-paragraph (1) applies to—

(a)

all property (including corporeal and incorporeal moveable property) which immediately before the transfer date was owned by the Scottish Qualifications Authority, and

(b)

all rights, liabilities and obligations which, immediately before the transfer date, subsisted in respect of the Scottish Qualifications Authority.

(3)

Sub-paragraph (1) has effect in relation to any property or liabilities to which it applies despite any provision (of whatever nature) which would otherwise prevent, penalise or restrict the transfer of the property or liabilities.

Annotations:
Commencement Information

I3Sch. 3 para. 3 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 66(2)

Duty to secure vesting of foreign property

4

The Scottish Qualifications Authority and Qualifications Scotland must take all such steps as may be required to secure that the vesting in Qualifications Scotland of any foreign property, right, liability or obligation of the Scottish Qualifications Authority, is effective under the relevant foreign law.

Annotations:
Commencement Information

I4Sch. 3 para. 4 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 66(2)

Appointment of initial board members

5

(1)

The person who is, immediately before the date on which this paragraph fully comes into force (the “member appointment date”), the chairing member of the Scottish Qualifications Authority is, on that date, taken to have been appointed as the chairing member of Qualifications Scotland under paragraph 2(1)(a) of schedule 1.

(2)

The Scottish Ministers may by regulations provide that a person who is, immediately before the member appointment date, a member (other than the chairing member) of the Scottish Qualifications Authority, is to be taken to have been appointed as a member of Qualifications Scotland under paragraph 2(1) of schedule 1.

(3)

Regulations under sub-paragraph (2) may provide that—

(a)

a person mentioned in sub-paragraph (4) is to be treated for the purposes of schedule 1 as if the person were appointed as a member of Qualifications Scotland to satisfy paragraph 3(2)(b)(i) or (ii) of that schedule,

(b)

where, before the member appointment date, such a person has ceased to be a person mentioned in that paragraph, the person is to be treated for the purposes of schedule 1 as if the person had ceased to be a person mentioned in that paragraph after being appointed as a member of Qualifications Scotland.

(4)

A person referred to in sub-paragraph (3) is a person who—

(a)

is to be taken to have been appointed as a member of Qualifications Scotland by virtue of regulations made under sub-paragraph (2), and

(b)

was a person mentioned in paragraph 3(2)(b)(i) or (as the case may be) (ii) of schedule 1 when appointed as a member of the Scottish Qualifications Authority.

(5)

A person who is a member of Qualifications Scotland by virtue of sub-paragraph (1) or (2) is referred to in this paragraph as an “initial member”.

(6)

Except as may be agreed between the Scottish Ministers and an initial member, the terms of the member’s appointment are the same as the terms on which the member was appointed as a member of the Scottish Qualifications Authority so far as consistent with this Act.

(7)

For the purposes of this paragraph, the “chairing member of the Scottish Qualifications Authority” is the chairman of the Scottish Qualifications Authority appointed under paragraph 8 of schedule 1 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1996.