Teachers across Scotland are telling us the same things. They want to build skills that actually matter for young people’s futures, but feel boxed in by assessment structures that don’t leave room for creativity.
They know employers are crying out for people who can problem solve, communicate and think on their feet, but there’s a gap between what education says it values and what it formally recognises.
And when something new comes along, they’re often expected to commit before they’ve had a proper chance to see what it looks like.
We built the Creative Innovation qualification with all of that in mind.
Turning creative thinking into real-world skills for learners
Our Creative Thinking qualifications, already delivered in schools across Scotland, teach young people how to think differently.
Creative Innovation takes that further. It asks learners what they’re going to do with those ideas.
They research, develop concepts, test and iterate when things don’t work, pitch their thinking persuasively, and evaluate the impact of what they’ve built.
Five learning outcomes drive the whole qualification: Research, Conceptualise, Fail & Fix, Communicate, and Evaluate.
If that sounds more like what happens in a design studio or a startup than a traditional classroom, that’s deliberate. This is a qualification that gives young people the tools to take an idea somewhere real.
Industry-led challenges that build employability skills
Creative Innovation is designed for S4 to S6 learners at SCQF levels 5 and 6, and it’s structured around playlists of challenges created with real industry partners:
- The Caring Innovators challenge, developed in partnership with NHS Scotland, invites learners to pitch ideas that help people thrive, exploring how creativity and empathy can shape the future of healthcare.
- Other challenges see learners reimagining how we experience school, designing bold new food concepts, or building business ideas rooted in joy.
- Opencast, a technology company, is another partner helping to ground the qualification in what the workplace actually needs.
These aren’t abstract exercises. The challenges connect learners to communities and industries beyond school, and the skills they’re developing are the ones that employers and universities are actively looking for.
Try before you deliver: download the full teaching playlist
Here’s something we think matters: you can download a full playlist, an entire academic year of challenges, resources, and activities, before you decide whether to deliver. No commitment, no sign up. Just download it, look through it, and see if it’s right for your learners.
Each playlist contains three challenges with structured project decks, creative warmup activities, video content and downloadable templates.
Teachers are also supported by Dreamcatcher (our electronic marking tool), a network of Daydream Ambassadors, and a Slack community, so no one delivers in isolation.
The qualification is open to any teacher interested in fostering creativity, enterprise and innovation. You don’t need to be in any particular department.
How does the qualification fit within the SCQF, Insight and UCAS?
The qualification carries 24 SCQF credits at level 5 or level 6, Insight points and, at level 6, UCAS tariff points for grades A to D.
It’s credit rated by Edinburgh Napier University and sits within the SCQF, connecting to the progression pathways schools already understand.
Assessment is portfolio-based, practical, and creative, built around the innovation process learners have been living through all year.
Learn more about the Creative Innovation qualification
Find out more about the qualification here and see for yourself. If you’d like to find out more or talk to us about delivering Creative Innovation in your school, get in touch.
We run introductory meetings to support new teachers through the process, and we’d love to hear from you.
We are hosting a CPD event at Dovecot Studios in Edinburgh on Monday 11th May. Walk The Walk brings the five learning outcomes of our qualifications off the page and onto their feet. You’ll step through each one and see what they actually look like when teachers and learners are in the thick of them. Sign up for the event.