CDN is thrilled to reveal the shortlist for the CDN College Awards 2025! Proudly supported by title sponsor SQA, the Awards celebrate the innovation, talent, and achievements of Scotland’s colleges, staff, and learners.

This year, a record-breaking 199 submissions poured in from across Scotland, showcasing creativity, dedication, and impact across a wide range of areas including digital learning, community engagement, health and wellbeing, sustainability, skills development, and innovation.

The shortlist highlights colleges of all sizes, staff teams, individual lecturers, and students who have gone above and beyond to make a real difference. These initiatives not only demonstrate outstanding talent but also serve as inspiration for the wider college sector.

The winners will be revealed at the celebration ceremony on Thursday 4 December 2025 at Radisson Blu, Glasgow – a highlight of the college calendar bringing together staff, learners, and sector partners to celebrate excellence.

View the shortlist and book your place online here

The August edition of the CDN Update is here, packed with fresh opportunities, sector highlights, and resources to support colleagues across Scotland’s colleges as the new academic year begins.

In this issue, you’ll discover:

There’s so much to explore in this month’s Update – whether you’re interested in leadership development, celebrating sector success, or enhancing inclusive practice, you’ll find something to inspire you.

Read the full August CDN Update here

CDN is thrilled to announce that applications are now open for its brand-new Executive Leadership Series, part of CDN’s outstanding Leadership and Management Programmes. Designed for aspiring and current senior leaders in education and related sectors, the series offers 10 in-person workshops to sharpen skills, expand networks, and deepen leadership expertise in today’s complex educational landscape.

Developed and delivered by CDN’s Delivery and Engagement Partner, Valerie Jackman, the programme runs from October 2025 to June 2026 and covers topics such as leadership development, psychological safety, crisis management, media skills, storytelling, and more. Highlights include sessions with Eve Poole, Harriet Hunter, Anthony Willoughby, and Andrew Woodward, with contributions from Police Scotland and Judith Parke.

Alongside the Executive Leadership Series, CDN has a limited number of places available on its popular CMI-certificated Emerging Leaders and Strategic Leaders programmes, starting this September and again in January 2026. These programmes are designed to inspire, challenge, and equip leaders at every stage of their journey, from new managers to senior executives.

For full Executive Leadership Series details and how to apply, visit here

CDN is excited to announce the launch of Elevate LT, a funded professional learning programme developed in partnership with TeachingHOW2s. Designed to support and enhance teaching practice across Scotland’s colleges, the programme will run throughout the 2025–26 academic year. View the programme here.

Elevate LT is a three-stage pilot programme designed to benefit teaching staff from colleges across Scotland. It offers a practical, evidence-based approach to embedding transformative teaching techniques, supported by the TeachingHOW2s Platform and its integrated AI Assistant, which provides real-time, tailored support to help educators quickly adapt these techniques to their specific subject, lesson topic, and teaching setting.

The aim is to support staff in creating positive, engaging learning environments where both learners and practitioners can thrive. The programme actively encourages collaborative professional learning and development through peer supported activities. A series of practical workshops positioning professional standards within everyday practice will also build the confidence and competence of college lecturers in delivering positive learner outcomes through pedagogy.

Victoria Underwood, Director of Operations and Strategic Planning at CDN said:

“High quality learning and teaching is the bedrock of colleges, and CDN is committed to helping lecturers and practitioners enhance their practice and deliver for their students. The Elevate LT pilot creates space for practitioners to collaborate and invest in enhanced, evidence-based approaches to teaching supported by innovative technology and AI. We’re delighted to be partnering with TeachingHOW2s to launch this exciting new programme tailored specifically for learning and teaching staff across Scotland’s colleges.”

Damian Rollinson Small, Director of Partnerships, TeachingHOW2s said:

“TeachingHOW2s has already worked closely with Scottish colleges to embed evidence-based teaching and foster professional learning cultures — most notably at Dumfries and Galloway College, where the HOW2 Platform played a central role in reshaping the college’s approach to learning and teaching.

“At Dumfries and Galloway College, our partnership has supported not just improvements in teaching practice, but a broader cultural shift — one rooted in inquiry, reflection, and collaboration. Elevate LT is an exciting opportunity to extend that kind of impact across the Scottish college sector, and we’re delighted to be working with CDN to support practitioners in embedding evidence-based teaching into everyday practice — through the collaborative, scalable approach enabled by the HOW2 Platform.”

About the Programme

Each participating college will form an Elevate LT group made up of one or two Advanced Practitioners (APs) and a small number of teaching staff who are keen to enhance their practice.

The programme is delivered in three stages:

Throughout the year, participants will take part in a range of CDN-led and/or facilitated online training sessions, peer learning activities, and coaching conversations, all supported by practical tools to build sustainable, long-term improvement. Advanced Practitioners will also connect through a national Advanced Practitioners Collective to share learning and address challenges.

Get Involved

There is no cost to take part in Elevate LT, but places are limited and a strong commitment is essential. To ensure fair access across the sector, all college HR and Organisational Development (OD) teams have been contacted and will coordinate the application process.

If you are interested in participating, please get in touch with your college’s HR or OD team. Each participating college will nominate staff to form an Elevate LT group—this will include one or two Advanced Practitioners (APs) and a small number of teaching staff who are keen to enhance their practice.

If you are part of an HR or OD team and require further support, please contact Paula Christie, Head of Delivery and Engagement at CDN, at paula.christie@cdn.ac.uk.

CDN looks forward to working in partnership with colleges across Scotland to champion teaching excellence and help shape the future of learning and teaching.

View Elevate LT Programme here

Read Issue 3 Here

We’re delighted to share that Issue 3 of the Colleges Action Inquiry Research Network (CAIRN) Journal is now available to read online.

Hosted by CDN, the CAIRN Journal is a key platform for practitioner-led scholarship across Scotland’s college sector. Each issue showcases the innovative work of educators and researchers who are driving forward professional practice and student experience.

What’s Inside Issue 3?

This latest issue offers a rich and varied collection of research articles, reflective pieces, book reviews and short narratives. Highlights include:

Please note: The views expressed in the journal are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of CDN.

Want to Contribute to a Future Issue?

The CAIRN editorial board welcomes submissions from colleagues across the college sector. The next deadline for draft proposals is 31 August 2025, for publication in the November issue.

Find out how to submit your paper

We hope you enjoy reading this issue and we look forward to hearing your thoughts and contributions.

Scotland’s Tertiary Enhancement Programme (STEP) has wrapped up its first year — and it’s already making an impact. Designed to bring colleges and universities together, STEP is all about collaboration: staff and students co-creating projects to improve learning, teaching, and student support across the sector.

Launched in autumn 2024, STEP is led jointly by College Development Network (CDN) and QAA Scotland, and supported by the Scottish Funding Council. It’s part of Scotland’s Tertiary Quality Enhancement Framework (TQEF), built on the idea that real, lasting improvement happens when people work together.

Each STEP cycle runs for four years, with the sector convening around a particular topic, and the first year focused on Discovery. In 2024-25, under the current topic – Supporting Diverse Learner Journeys – participants connected through a series of in-person and online events to spark ideas and build partnerships.

A Year of Discovery

The first Discovery Day took place on 4 December 2024 at the University of Stirling, where more than 80 participants gathered to learn about STEP’s aims and meet the four Topic Leads. Attendees began exploring sector-wide challenges and identifying opportunities for collaboration. A follow-up online Navigation Session on 10 December gave participants a chance to reflect, raise questions and develop emerging themes using the Open Space method.

The second Discovery Day, held on 29 January 2025 in Inverness, saw the early formation of eight project teams. Discussions focused on how institutions can support effective cross-sector working, with presentations from the University of Aberdeen and New College Lanarkshire showcasing how STEP could be embedded in institutional priorities. A subsequent Navigation Session on 28 April helped teams refine ideas and map out support needs.

By the third Discovery Day on 26 March in Glasgow, the conversation had shifted to outcomes and impact. Participants explored how to evaluate success and meaningfully involve students throughout the process.

The final Discovery Day of the year, held on 28 May in Dundee, was all about moving from ideas to action. Project teams worked on delivery planning, resource requirements and risk management. A final Navigation Session on 9 June provided space for project teams to work on their proposals and gather feedback from their peers.

Reflections and Next Steps

Dr Alison Eales, Quality Enhancement Manager at QAA Scotland, said:
“It has been wonderful to see students and staff from all over Scotland engaging so positively and thoughtfully during this first year of STEP. As a sector, we have built a momentum that should help propel us into the second year and beyond.”

Victoria Underwood, Director of Operations and Strategic Planning at CDN, added:
“In just one year, STEP has started to show real impact. By working together, colleges and universities are finding better ways to support students, no matter their journey. There’s more to come, and year two is when the changes will really start to take shape with tertiary STEP projects moving into implementation.”

As STEP moves into its implementation phase in 2025–26, colleges and universities across Scotland are ready to bring their projects to life. The first year has set the stage — and the journey is only just beginning.

Scotland’s Tertiary Enhancement Programme (STEP) is the national enhancement programme for Scotland’s colleges and universities. STEP is a sector-owned programme of activity that supports enhancement across the tertiary sector in Scotland. The programme is jointly managed by the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) and College Development Network (CDN).

STEP Topic Leads: overview

A core team of four individuals – two staff and two student STEP Topic Leads, with both colleges and universities represented in these roles – act as key sector-level leads for STEP. They champion the STEP topic across Scotland and beyond, driving the ambitions of the sector. Their insights on the sector and topic support the operational delivery of the STEP topic, working closely with QAA and CDN, and through the STEP governance groups.

The STEP Topic Leads chair the STEP Topic Leadership Group, which provides operational leadership for STEP. The Topic Leadership Group provides guidance and expertise for project teams around project development and evaluation.

Our College Student STEP Topic Lead has completed her term of office. We are therefore seeking a new Lead for session 2025-26.

Why should you be interested in this role?

One of our current Student STEP Topic Leads, Adelayo Adebayo, from the University of Stirling Student’s Union shares what inspired them to take on the role.

“Being a Student STEP Topic Lead has been incredibly rewarding. The role has allowed me to contribute strategically to sector-wide enhancement work, collaborate meaningfully with staff and students across institutions, and ensure that the student voice shapes key priorities. It’s also been a valuable opportunity for personal development, building confidence, leadership skills, and a deeper understanding of quality assurance and enhancement across the tertiary sector.”

STEP Topic Leads: expectations

Nomination and appointment of STEP Topic Leads

Nominations timeline 

A report published today by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) has recommended that the funding body and the College Development Network (CDN), the national enhancement and improvement agency for Scotland’s colleges, work together to meet emerging professional development needs in colleges. This includes collaborating on work in relation to the implementation and delivery of Scotland’s Tertiary Quality Enhancement Framework and in support of the training and development of college staff and governors and developing professional best practice.

The report, which forms part of SFC’s commitment to understanding the outcomes and impacts of its funding, incorporates views from a survey of college leaders. It also takes into account interviews with people CDN’s services and a review of ongoing performance data provided to the Scottish Funding Council. The College Development Network currently receives around £1.4 million of annual funding from SFC.

The report found that CDN’s work reflected the priorities of both the Scottish Government and the Scottish Funding Council, and that recent changes to its leadership and operations have had a positive effect on the organisation’s ability to engage with and better understand the needs of colleges. There was also recognition for CDN’s effectiveness as a key intermediary and enabler bringing together staff and boards across the college sector and other sector agencies involved in tertiary education.

Amongst the report’s further recommendations are the active exploration of other opportunities for collaboration and for the building of a better appreciation of the part partner agencies play in  learning and quality improvement for Scotland’s colleges.

Francesca Osowska, Chief Executive of the Scottish Funding Council, said:

“Good evaluation is a fundamental part of the Scottish Funding Council’s ambition of creating a connected, agile and sustainable tertiary education and research system for Scotland.

“It’s not just about looking at the work of organisations that receive our funding, it’s also about SFC thinking about its own role as a provider of funding and as a strategic partner supporting the success of its investments for students, communities and the economy.

“I look forward to working alongside CDN to implement the recommendations of the report and achieving even greater success in the future.”

Marie Hendry, Chief Executive of the College Development Network, said:

“We welcome the findings of this important evaluation and are pleased to see recognition of the value and impact of CDN’s work across Scotland’s college and wider tertiary sectors.

“It’s particularly encouraging to see our role as a connector and enabler of professional learning and quality improvement acknowledged. We look forward to continuing our close collaboration with the Scottish Funding Council as we respond to emerging priorities together and welcome SFCs ongoing commitment to CDN’s role and our impact.

“By working in partnership, we can help shape a responsive, future-focused system that supports college staff and delivers meaningful benefits for learners and communities across Scotland.”

Professor Ken Thomson OBE, Chair of College Development Network (CDN), said:

“We welcome this important report and look forward to working with SFC and colleagues and partners across the sector to take forward its recommendations.

“The report highlights the critical work of CDN in delivering for colleges and the wider tertiary sector through our enhancement, improvement and quality work and we are grateful to SFC for its ongoing commitment to supporting CDNs strategic ambitions. We are particularly grateful to those colleges, partners and colleagues who took the time to respond to the review and for their positive feedback on CDN’s renewed focus on prioritising engagement and impact.”

Today’s report is part of an ongoing series of evaluations of SFC’s strategic funding which will be made available to colleges, universities and the wider public on the SFC website.

Monday 14 July marks the relaunch of the nationwide Choose College campaign, championing Scotland’s colleges and their vital role in shaping the country’s future.

Backed by the CDN Marketing and Communications Network, the campaign is a collaborative effort that brings together colleges from across Scotland to spotlight the life-changing opportunities offered through further education.

Now in its latest iteration, Choose College aims to reach prospective students and the wider public with a simple yet powerful message: Scotland’s colleges matter. From boosting skills and supporting communities to fuelling economic growth, colleges are at the heart of the nation’s development.

Get Involved: Share Your College Story

Students and college staff are being encouraged to share their own experiences on social media using the hashtag #ChooseCollege. These personal stories will help demonstrate the transformative impact of college education and inspire others to explore what Scotland’s colleges have to offer.

Supporting the Campaign

To ensure a united voice across the sector, a Marketing Toolkit has been developed and made available to all participating institutions. The toolkit includes logos, typefaces, branding guidelines, suggested social media posts, and eye-catching graphics—everything needed to tailor the campaign for local audiences.

Join the Movement

Whether you’re a current student, staff member, alumnus, or supporter of further education, this is your moment to get involved. Share your voice, amplify the message, and help Scotland Choose College.

For more information and to access the Marketing Toolkit, visit: www.cdn.ac.uk/choose-college/

The Quality Assurance Agency and CDN last week held two events in Dundee as part of the Scotland’s Tertiary Enhancement Programme (STEP).

STEP is Scotland’s national enhancement programme for colleges and universities, and is a key part of Scotland’s Tertiary Quality Enhancement Framework. It is run in partnership between CDN and QAA Scotland, and is supported by the Scottish Funding Council.

Launched last autumn, STEP is designed to enable colleges and universities to work together to improve and enhance learning, teaching, the student experience and staff development across tertiary education in Scotland.

The fourth of our STEP Discovery Days took place in Dundee on Wednesday 28 May. These events support the development of collaborative projects designed to create positive impacts for Scotland’s tertiary education sector. Previous events have taken place this academic year in Glasgow, Stirling and Inverness.

Each four-year cycle of STEP activities is themed around a particular topic. The topic of STEP’s first cycle of activities, which will run until 2028, is Supporting Diverse Learner Journeys. Over the course of this year’s four Discovery Days, participants have developed proposals for projects with this focus that will be implemented through the next three years.

On Thursday 29 May – also in Dundee – a special STEP event looked at ways to understand and support student transitions in Scotland.

It featured keynote presentations from the Edge Foundation’s Dr Josh Patel, and from Dr Michelle Morgan, Dean of Students at the University of East London. Josh charted the approaches across the four nations to tertiary collaboration and tertiary journeys, while Michelle considered the value of adopting a whole-institutional approach to improving the experience, progression, retention and success of both students and staff.

The event also included presentations introducing three current STEP projects which explore and promote successful student transitions. Nicola Mulholland, Dean for Academic Development at New College Lanarkshire, talked about a collaborative initiative around transitions learning. Professor Luke Millard, Dean of Learning and Teaching at Abertay University, and Jane Roscoe, Director of Curriculum and Partnerships at Dundee and Angus College, discussed pathways, process and design to enable student success. And Phil Storrier, Executive Director of Student Experience and Academic Performance at Dumfries and Galloway College, explored strategies for setting students up for success through enquiry-based learning.

“We’re so pleased by the progress we’ve seen this year,” said Heather Fotheringham, Quality Enhancement Manager at QAA Scotland. “Our participants – both students and staff from across Scotland’s colleges and universities – have shown such energy, enthusiasm and commitment in stepping up to work collaboratively and create a brilliant set of initiatives to promote the enhancement of our tertiary education sector. It’s such a joy to see how STEP has really taken off – and to see how it will really work to improve the experience of students and staff across Scotland.”

Victoria Underwood, CDN’s Director of Operations and Strategic Planning, added: “The final Discovery Day of STEP’s first year was a real milestone — a powerful demonstration of the energy and commitment across Scotland’s tertiary sector. It was fantastic to see colleagues from both colleges and universities working side by side with a shared purpose. STEP showcases the great potential of Scotland’s tertiary sector when we collaborate to enhance learning, teaching and the student experience. At CDN, we’re proud to work in partnership with QAA Scotland and institutions nationwide to drive meaningful innovation. These events have not only sparked bold ideas but also laid the foundations for projects that will support and strengthen diverse learner journeys in the years ahead.”

To find out more about STEP, please visit our dedicated website.