The Education, Children and Families Committee met on 2 September 2025, to discuss a range of issues, including early years funding, school access for research, a consultation on Hunter's Hall Park, mobile phone policy in schools, and support for transgender pupils. The committee agreed to increase hourly rates for funded early learning and childcare, and to proceed with a statutory consultation regarding Hunter's Hall Park. They also decided to delay a decision on a council-wide mobile phone ban, and noted that some Scottish government guidance on transgender pupils should be disapplied.

Early Years Funding

The committee agreed to increase the hourly rate paid to providers for funded early learning and childcare. The new rates are £6.77 per hour for 3-5 year olds and £7.27 per hour for 2 year olds. The payment for meals was also increased to £3.65 per meal. The committee considered three options for the Partner Provider Agreement Process, designed to ensure the council delivers its services in a manner that makes the most effective use of public funds, within the Best Value requirement of the Local Government in Scotland Act 2003¹. The options were:

1. Open the opportunity of a partnership to all Providers that meet the National Standard for Funded Early Learning and Childcare², and procure a framework of providers.
2. Review the Early Years delivery plan to allow flexibility in the 65% local authority places and 35% private provider places with the aim to reduce capacity for places in local authority settings and repurpose buildings.
3. Retain the current approach to partnership agreements in line with the Early Years Delivery Plan. The committee agreed to retain the current approach to partnership agreements in line with the Early Years Delivery Plan.

Access to Schools for Research

The committee noted the updated protocols for researchers seeking access to children in City of Edinburgh Council schools and early years centres. These changes require researchers to obtain opt-in consent from parents and carers, demonstrate no detriment to children, and show potential benefit to children or staff. All research access to schools and early years centres had been paused in March 2025 until these stricter protocols were established.

Hunter's Hall Park Consultation

The committee approved a statutory consultation to remove Common Good status from a section of land within Hunter's Hall Park in Craigmillar. This would allow for the construction of a BMX track and a new primary school, as well as the relocation of Greengables Nursery School to the new school site. The consultation will be undertaken according to the requirements of the Schools (Scotland) (Consultation) Act 2010³ as amended and the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015⁴. The report was referred to the Culture and Communities Committee for information.

Mobile Phones in Schools

The committee considered a report responding to a motion by Councillor Christopher Cowdy on banning mobile phones in schools. The report presented four options:

1. Ban mobile phones in all schools.
2. Ban mobile phones in all primary schools.
3. Carry out an Integrated Impact Assessment⁵ and consultation to inform a decision.
4. Schools continue to follow Scottish Government Guidance.

The committee agreed to delay a decision and carry out an Integrated Impact Assessment and consultation, which was option 3. They also agreed to receive a further report in two cycles (January 2026) providing an update on the two-year lockable pouches pilots in Portobello High School and Queensferry High School.

The committee noted that Scottish Government Guidance states head teachers are empowered to consult their school community and take locally appropriate steps to limit the use of mobile phones in schools, up to and including a full ban.

During the discussion, the committee considered a deputation from Smartphone Free Schools in Edinburgh, who presented evidence of incidents of phone misuse at an Edinburgh High School, including the sharing of pornography and racist messages.

Support for Transgender Pupils in Schools

The committee considered a report providing an update on support for transgender pupils in schools. The report noted that certain mandatory changes had to be made to the school estate in advance of the new school term to ensure that the Council was acting lawfully in terms of single-sex spaces. It also noted that certain limited sections of the Scottish Government's 'Supporting transgender young people in schools: guidance for Scottish schools' requires to be disapplied while an update is awaited from the Scottish Government following the Supreme Court's judgement in For Women Scotland v Scottish Ministers.

The committee agreed that further changes to schools will require to be considered by the Council on a policy basis to ensure alignment with the Equality Act 2010, taking account of legal risk and potential costs.

During the discussion, the committee heard deputations from LGBT Youth Scotland, Friends of Abbeyhill, Resisting Transphobia in Edinburgh, NASUWT, and For Women Scotland.

Children's Services and Performance Review

The committee received a motion from Councillor Euan Hyslop regarding the Children's Services and Performance Review, specifically noting concerns raised by UNISON about the consultation period and lack of advanced copies of the consultation pack for trade unions. The committee agreed that any proposal to remove the Children's Social Work Team from Edinburgh Royal Hospital for Children and Young People as part of the review will be presented in a report to councillors for a decision on the future of the service if there are to be any changes that will impact on service provision.

Quality Improvement and Scrutiny Update

The committee noted the Quality Improvement Service approach to Raising Standards in Schools, the response to the identification of Priority Schools, and the strengths and areas for improvement identified through Education Scotland and the Quality Improvement Service scrutiny activity.

Edinburgh Education Trust

The committee noted that the Edinburgh Education Trust has not made any awards since May 2020, and agreed to the updated composition of the Awards Panel and to receiving an annual report on the Trust's performance and impact.

Community Access to Schools

The committee agreed to the continued pause of Phase One of the transfer of management of non-sports lets to Edinburgh Leisure, and to receiving a further update in two cycles (January 2026) with a view to implementing Phase Two from April 2026.

Learning for Sustainability

The committee noted the approaches taken to ensure that Learning for Sustainability (LfS) is an integral part of Edinburgh schools' curriculum and is an entitlement for all learners, as well as the Education Standards and Quality Report and the Action Plan for Session 2025-2026.

Revenue Monitoring

The committee noted the estimated net residual budget pressure of £0.390 million at month three and the proposed actions to address the forecast overspend position.

Learning from the Champions Board Copenhagen Trip

The committee noted the report on the Champions Board Copenhagen Trip.

School Admissions Policy: Merging Classes

The committee noted the current position on merging classes, regarding waiting lists and reserved places, as well as the significant financial cost which would be incurred in ensuring all year groups currently at capacity reserve places.