26 Feb start for Education (Scotland) Act 2025

Mark 26 February 2026 in your planner. That’s when the Education (Scotland) Act 2025 takes another step forward. The Commencement No. 3 Regulations were made on 12 February, laid before the Scottish Parliament on 16 February, and appoint 26 February as the date when further listed provisions of the Act take legal effect. This is a tidy, technical step that helps the wider reform stay on schedule.

A quick refresher helps. The Act received Royal Assent on 6 August 2025 and does two big things: it establishes Qualifications Scotland to replace the SQA, and it creates the office of His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education in Scotland. Those bodies provide the structure for how qualifications and inspection will run in the years ahead, with the Bill having been introduced by the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills and passed in June 2025. (parliament.scot)

How today’s notice fits the timeline matters. Earlier Commencement No. 2 Regulations switched on key parts on 27 January, 1 February, 1 March, 1 April and 31 August 2026, and set transitional rules so first‑year corporate plans and annual reports aren’t due before the new bodies are properly up and running. That is why you’ve already seen Qualifications Scotland begin operating this month, with inspection arrangements shifting from March under the Act. (vlex.co.uk)

So what actually changes on 26 February? Think “legal green light” rather than classroom disruption. The Commencement No. 3 Regulations bring into force remaining provisions listed in their schedule, some for specific purposes only. You should not expect new course content or altered assessment this school year because of this switch‑on.

For teachers and lecturers, the signal is steady. Qualifications Scotland says the 2026 National Qualifications will run as normal, there are no changes to what you are teaching this year, and centre approvals carry over. Keep delivering your current schemes of work and key dates as planned. (sqa.org.uk)

For school and college leaders, this is mainly an operational handover. Qualifications Scotland became fully operational from 1 February 2026, and assessment systems like SOLAR are updating branding through February. Your approved‑centre status and account‑manager contacts remain in place, so you can phase any visual updates when materials are naturally refreshed. (stf.org.uk)

Learners and parents can expect continuity this term. Exams and results follow the usual rhythm, but there are new ways to have your say. Qualifications Scotland has opened a first wave of engagement on course improvements and is recruiting Interest Committees so classroom voices shape future changes. Applications for the Teacher and Practitioner Interest Committee close on 2 March 2026. (qualifications.gov.scot)

On inspection and improvement, the Act moves functions to a new Chief Inspector. The earlier Commencement No. 2 Regulations set out how live inspections, notices and enforcement actions convert over from 1 March, avoiding gaps in accountability. November 2025 government minutes also flagged recruitment and operational readiness for HMIE, which helps explain the March handover date. (vlex.co.uk)

Dates to circle now: the Commencement No. 3 Regulations take effect on 26 February 2026; further provisions follow on 1 March, 1 April and 31 August 2026 under the earlier schedule. Use these as planning anchors for governance paperwork, inspection handling and any references in policies that still mention the SQA. (vlex.co.uk)

What we suggest you do this week is simple. Check any policy or website text that still names the SQA and note where it will need updating to Qualifications Scotland over the term. Brief colleagues that this is a legal commencement, not a curriculum change. Encourage staff and students to feed into the live Qualifications Scotland consultations and committees so their classroom experience is heard early. (qualifications.gov.scot)