Scottish councils will be allowed to request up to two additional school in-service days during the current academic year to give teachers more time to prepare for a revised national curriculum.
The agreement, announced on 4 November, was reached through the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers, which brings together the Scottish Government, local authorities and teaching unions. It is not a decision to close every Scottish school for two extra days on the same dates. Councils will decide whether to request the additional time and determine dates locally, with the government encouraging them to align any days with existing holidays where possible.
The arrangement accompanies a wider overhaul of Curriculum for Excellence. The Scottish Government is aiming to implement an updated curriculum from August 2028, with changes intended to clarify the knowledge and skills pupils should acquire and the progression expected as they move through school.
Education Scotland published early draft technical frameworks on the same day. The organisation says more than 1,500 teachers, early learning practitioners and other contributors have been involved in developing the materials, while more than 3,800 people have registered an interest in reviewing them. The draft frameworks cover learning for children and young people aged three to eighteen.
The documents are not final classroom instructions. Education Scotland says teachers should continue using existing Curriculum for Excellence guidance at present. The draft material will be tested and revised, with updated versions due in January 2027 before wider engagement and finalisation.
Teacher representatives have argued that preparation time is necessary if curriculum reform is to be carried out effectively. The additional days give schools the opportunity to consider the new materials together, assess implications for teaching and plan future changes. They also create a practical issue for families, who may need to arrange childcare if their council introduces extra pupil-free days.
A working group involving government, councils and unions will consider further support for implementation, with a roadmap expected early in 2027. Education Scotland and Qualifications Scotland are also working to align qualifications with the updated senior-phase curriculum.
Parents should therefore wait for an announcement from their own local authority before assuming that their children’s school calendar has changed. The national agreement permits extra days; it does not itself specify when or where they will occur.
Sources
Additional School In-Service Days Agreed — Scottish Government, 4 November 2026. https://www.gov.scot/news/additional-school-in-service-days-agreed/
Education Scotland Shares First Drafts of the Frameworks for Scotland’s Evolved Curriculum — Education Scotland, 4 November 2026. https://education.gov.scot/news/education-scotland-shares-first-drafts-of-the-frameworks-for-scotland-s-evolved-curriculum/
