Thank you for your statement, Cabinet Secretary. I do welcome your announcement that the new curriculum will be phased in, but I do so with a little bit of caution. On the one hand, a phased roll-out makes sense, for instance, it enables teething troubles to be resolved and it gives more time for teachers, as you’ve said, to adapt; however, it’s surely going to involve at least some teaching staff having to teach to two different curricula, and the potential for additional stress and confusion for teachers, pupils and parents concerns me. Have you consulted teachers about this potential challenge and how it will be addressed? What support, help and advice are you going to offer teachers and school leaders to ease the transition?

No matter how good the new curriculum may be, the standard of teaching is key. That’s something you’ve already mentioned today: the standard of teaching. So, I would like you to explain how the new teacher standards regime will ensure that the new curriculum will be taught as effectively and as well as can be achieved. How will the new standards support and promote the new curriculum and ensure that any teaching staff who are not performing to the correct standard are helped to achieve it, and if they can’t, are helped to an alternative path?

Comment has been made by teaching unions that teachers won’t be ready to teach the new curriculum, and I think your planned roll-out is at least partly in response to that. But how are you going to make sure that, even with the additional time, those teachers will be ready and confident to deliver the new curriculum in accordance with your timetable?

Lastly, you refer to the education report and report card. I would like you to give a little bit more detail about this. Would you explain how it will work and what the objectives will be? You’ve also said that you want to have improved robust assessment and accountability. I just ask: assessment and accountability of whom, and how do you envisage this working in practice? Thank you.