6th November 2026
A ‘non-negotiable, cross-curricular policy commitment’: the place of Learning for Sustainability in Scotland’s refreshed Curriculum for Excellence

Education Scotland has now shared the first drafts of the full technical frameworks for Scotland’s evolved curriculum..
We’re delighted to see #LearningforSustainability (LfS) being referenced as a ‘non-negotiable, cross-curricular policy commitment’ in these first drafts of teh refreshed Curriculum for Excellence; which will be enacted in Scotland’s schools and early learning settings from August 2028.
As Scotland’s UN University-recognised Regional Centre of Expertise in Education for Sustainable Development, we’re looking forward to continuing to work in partnership across Scotland with policy-makers, practitioners, learners, and communities to support, weave, embed, and celebrate LfS as an ethos and approach across life-long learning.
Here’s the Education Scotland LinkedIn announcement in full:
Education Scotland has today (4th November) shared the first drafts of the full technical frameworks for Scotland’s evolved curriculum. This marks a major milestone in the ongoing Curriculum Improvement Cycle – a systematic review to strengthen Scotland’s curriculum, aiming to provide greater clarity and enhanced coherence for learners aged 3 to 18.
👉These initial documents have been developed with over 1,500 teachers, practitioners and partners who are helping to co-design the evolved curriculum as part of the Curriculum Improvement Cycle.
👉To ensure a rigorous, transparent evaluation, over 3,800 teachers, practitioners, school leaders, local authority leads, and partners across the wider education sector, have registered their interest in reviewing these drafts and providing independent feedback. A representative sample of these volunteers will be invited to submit detailed responses.
👉The draft technical framework documents for the evolved curriculum introduce a clearer way of setting out what matters in each curriculum area and how learning develops over time. They provide expectations of what children and young people should know, be able to do, and come to understand within each curriculum area.
👉Alongside the technical frameworks, the updated draft of Building Scotland’s Curriculum has also been shared today which will evolve into an interactive, digital resource providing national practice guidance across Scotland. https://ow.ly/345j5103EYz
👉Throughout this long-term programme, Education Scotland is committed to total transparency, sharing key developments and drafts as they emerge so the wider profession can stay informed.
👉Education Scotland stresses that teachers and practitioners do not need to take any action or change their current planning and teaching at present. These documents are early, non-final drafts shared strictly for transparency and review by the independent test group. Schools and settings should continue using the existing Curriculum for Excellence guidance.
👉When finalised, the technical frameworks will be used by teachers and practitioners to help plan daily learning, teaching and assessment.
You can view the drafts via our Curriculum Improvement Cycle blog https://ow.ly/4S385103EYw