Director Schools
Colin MacLean
Schools Directorate is headed by Colin MacLean and aims to expand opportunities for Scots to succeed from nurture through to lifelong learning ensuring higher and more widely shared achievements.
The Schools Directorate supports all national aspects of schools policy and related workforce development needs. This involves working with local authorities and others to create the best possible conditions for excellent school-aged education in Scotland so that all our children and young people can be successful learners, effective contributors, confident individuals and responsible citizens. The Directorate also supports the activities of public bodies such as Learning and Teaching Scotland and the Scottish Qualifications Authority.
Working with its partners, particularly Local Government in line with the agreed Concordat, it provides a better learning experience and improved outcomes for children and young people and in so doing, contribute to the overall Purpose and objectives of the Scottish Government.
Our Goal
To work with Ministers, our delivery partners and other stakeholders to contribute to the Scottish Government's single, overarching Purpose - "to focus Government and public services on creating a more successful country, with opportunities for all of Scotland to flourish, through increasing sustainable economic growth" - by achieving better experiences and outcomes within school education so that all our children and young people become successful learners, effective contributors, confident individuals and responsible citizens and by contributing to a range of other National Outcomes which impact on children, young people and learners.
Objectives
- To support the development of the national elements and local delivery of Curriculum for Excellence by schools and colleges from August 2009 for all learners, including:
- delivery of new qualfications in conjunction with the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) which meet the needs of 21st century Scotland
- a new assessment framework to support learning and teaching taking full account of issues relating to equality, diversity and inclusion
- working in partnership to remove barriers to this development - To maintain and develop a skilled, supported and flexible teaching profession and support staff, with excellent local and school leadership and a fit-for-purpose school estate
- To deliver the national elements and support the local delivery of Curriculum for Excellence which will ensure that every learner has the right personal support for their learning, particularly those with additional support needs and those in need of more choices and more chances
- To deliver a public sector landscape for school education which is robust, efficient and effective as part of our wider work to achieve these goals in all learning environments
- Lead, develop and manage Schools Directorate in line with Best Value principles with a particular focus on building the leadership capacity within our teams