Centre for Teaching Excellence launches

Putting Scotland at the forefront of global practice.

Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth has joined staff and teachers to mark the formal launch of the Centre for Teaching Excellence at the University of Glasgow.

The facility was established to help place Scotland at the forefront of global teaching practice and will support research and innovation within the profession. It is founded on the substantial evidence about the critical role of the teacher in improving outcomes for children and young people.

I am determined to help improve learning and teaching across the country to make sure Scotland’s children and young people achieve the best they possibly can.

The launch of this centre of excellence is a significant step in our education reform journey. It will work with teachers, to meet their needs and help them deliver truly excellent learning and teaching.

This is why we worked in partnership with teachers and professional associations to develop the Centre’s objectives, to put Scotland at the forefront of taking innovative research into teaching practice.

This facility provides an opportunity for teachers to come together, collaborate and shape the future of Scottish education.
MS GILRUTH

The Glasgow base will be complemented by a further two hubs at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig on Skye (Gaelic education) and in Dumfries (Rural and remote education and learning for sustainability). There will be up to 40 secondment opportunities for teachers across the country, to support the work of all three research hubs.

The Centre has been developed in partnership with teachers and professional associations as part of ongoing work to reform and improve Scotland’s education system.

Through the Centre for Teaching Excellence, we are striving to energise the system and support teachers through professional learning approaches and high-quality, research-informed resources and opportunities, to develop further their pedagogical expertise, help to close the attainment gap and improve educational outcomes for all children and young people.

As hosts, it is our hope that we can further develop our collaboration with teachers and educators, politicians and policy makers to ensure that Scotland’s education system is one that can truly lead the future’s local and global challenges.

We are delighted to be leading this exciting and important innovation that has real potential to transform how we do education in Scotland.
MARGERY MCMAHON, PROFESSOR OF EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP AT THE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION AND DIRECTOR OF THE CENTRE FOR TEACHING EXCELLENCE

Background

The Centre, backed by £4 million of Government investment in 2025-26, will support teachers to engage with the best research and evidence to improve their teaching practice. This will include learning in relation to areas of priority identified by teachers, stakeholders and what we know already from a number of reports on Scottish education.

As well as the existing hubs in Sabhal Mòr Ostaig and Dumfries, further hubs are to be established focussing on: