School Estates and Healthy Living Survey Statistics

The proportion of schools reported as being in good or satisfactory condition has increased to 89.9% (88.3% in 2019). This is 29 percentage points higher than in April 2007 (61.1%).

Meanwhile, the proportion of pupils present on Healthy Living Survey day in February 2020 who took a school meal, free or paid for, decreased to 53.3.% from 54.5% in 2019.

Scotland's Chief Statistician today published two releases on schools in Scotland.

School Estates Statistics 2020 also showed that the proportion of pupils educated in schools in “poor” or “bad” condition has decreased from 36.6% of all pupils (around 257,000) in 2007 to 8.9% of all pupils (around 62,000) in 2020.

Since 2007-08, 958 schools have been built or substantially refurbished (includes those with cost of at least £500,000 for primary schools and at least £1 million for secondary and special schools).

School Healthy Living Survey Statistics 2020 also showed that the proportion of pupils who were registered for free school meals, present on survey day and took a free meal decreased from 78.1% in 2019 to 76.2% in 2020.

The proportion of all schools meeting the Physical Education (PE) target of at least two hours in primary and two periods (100 minutes) at secondary school in 2020 remained the same as in 2019 at 99%. Almost 100% of primary schools are meeting the target, the same as 2019, and the proportion of secondary schools meeting the target in 2020 also remained the same as in 2019 at 94%.

Background

Schools Estate Statistics are sourced from the April 2020 School Estates Core Facts Survey.

The School Healthy Living Survey was conducted in February 2020 before the introduction of any Covid-19 restrictions. This information is collected at school level.

All pupils in P1 to P3 are entitled to free school meals and are included in the number of registered pupils in this statistical publication. Local Authorities may also implement local measures to extend entitlement to free school meals over the national criteria.

Further school statistics are available within the School Education section of the Scottish Government website.

Official statistics are produced by professionally independent statistical staff in line with the standards of the official statistics in Scotland.