1+2 languages policy: findings from the 2023 survey of local authorities

2. Methodology

The 2022-23 survey of local authorities on implementation of the 1+2 languages policy took place from 6 February 2023 to 28 April 2023 although returns were accepted until 14 July 2023. The questionnaires for schools asked quantitative and qualitative questions on progress in implementation and delivery of the 1+2 policy. Local authorities were responsible for collating the schools' answers before returning the questionnaires to SG. Survey returns were received from 30 out of 32 local authorities with some local authorities providing partial returns i.e. some schools did not participate. Questionnaires were completed by 1,565 mainstream primary, 307 mainstream secondary, and 51 special schools. This represents approx. 79% of mainstream primary, 86% of mainstream secondary, and 50% of special schools in Scotland (compared with approx. 86% of primary, 88% of secondary, and 35% of special schools in Scotland in 2021).

The same number of authorities answered the survey in 2023 than in 2021 but the overall number of mainstream schools who answered the survey decreased which may result in a positive bias towards schools which have implemented the policy. Caution should therefore be exercised when comparing number of schools between the 2023 survey and the previous 2021 one.

Although similar surveys were conducted previously, the set of questions sent to schools and local authorities did evolve to reflect the progress of our knowledge and understanding of the implementation of the policy in schools and to minimise the impact on teachers' workload post pandemic. As a result, we do not have a statistical baseline that can be used to put these figures in context from the inception of the policy. We will provide comparisons with the 2020-21 survey where questions were the same.

In sections 3 to 6 of this report, percentages provided are percentages of the number of schools or local authorities that responded to the survey, and not the total number of schools or local authorities in Scotland.

In sections 7 and 8:

• Percentages are expressed as percentages of the schools who responded to the survey and reported they that are providing an entitlement to L2 or L3
• where we have a single response per school, we provide the proportion of schools who responded in a particular way.
• where we have multiple answers for a single school, percentages relate only to those schools who were offering an L2 or L3 provision (rather than based on all schools that responded).