Education and skills - National Improvement Framework 2025: improvement plan

13 key NIF measures

Of the 13 key NIF measures, the data source has changed for one measure (HWB: Children total difficulties score (age 13&15)) and so data is available for 2022 only. Of the remaining 12 measures, there has broadly been a narrowing of the gap in seven of the measures, and a widening of the gap in five of the measures over time. The percentage point gap is calculated on data rounded to 1 decimal place.

27-30 month review (children showing no concerns across all domains)

A number of changes to the approach to development assessments and recording of

outcomes were implemented in April 2017. The decline in the percentage reporting ‘no concerns’ around 2017/18 is mainly due to this change. Trends in this measure should therefore be interpreted carefully.

The COVID-19 pandemic led to changes in how reviews were delivered, as well as in the circumstances of daily life for many children in 2020/21 and 2021/22. It is therefore possible that both factors relating to assessment and recording, and genuine changes in the occurrence of developmental problems are contributing to the changes in the trends.

The percentage of eligible children with identified developmental concerns was similar in 2022/23 compared with 2021/22. However, the gap between children living in the most and least deprived areas of Scotland showing no concerns across all domains increased from 11.7 percentage points in 2021/22 to 14.3 percentage points in 2022/23. This is due to an increase in the percentage of eligible children living in the least deprived areas of Scotland showing no concerns in 2022/23 compared to 2021/22. There has also been a small decrease in the percentage of eligible children aged 27-30 months reviewed. The percentage of eligible children reviewed decreased from 89.6% in 2021/22 to 88.0% in 2022/23. Speech, language and communication remains the most frequent developmental domain in which concerns are noted at this review.

HWB: Children total difficulties score (age 4-12)

The proportion of children aged 4-12 with borderline or abnormal total difficulties is similar between 2018-2022 combined (17%) and 2019-2023 combined (19%). The gap between children with borderline or abnormal total difficulties in the most deprived and least deprived areas has increased slightly since 2012-2015 combined (16 percentage points) and was at 19 percentage points in 2019-2023 combined.

HWB: Children total difficulties score (age 13&15)

In 2021/22 the Health and Wellbeing (HWB) Census recorded 43% of 13 and 15 year olds with a borderline or abnormal total difficulties score. The gap between children from the most deprived and least deprived areas was 13 percentage points, with 50% of 13 and 15 year olds from the most deprived areas reporting borderline or abnormal total difficulties scores compared with 37% of those from the least deprived areas.

The HWB Census statistics are the aggregated results for the 16 local authorities who collected data, and are not weighted to population totals. These statistics are not directly comparable with the Scottish Schools Adolescent Lifestyle and Substance Use Survey (SALSUS) estimates previously used to report this measure. As such change in this measure will be reported as data becomes available in future years.

Primary - Literacy (P1, P4, P7 combined)

Primary - Numeracy (P1, P4, P7 combined)

In 2023/24, the data shows the percentage of primary pupils achieving expected levels in literacy increased slightly for both those in the most and least deprived areas compared to 2022/23. The gap between the proportion of primary pupils from the most and least deprived areas who achieved their expected level in literacy has narrowed to 20.2 percentage points and is now lower than that in 2016/17 and at its lowest ever level.

Although the percentage of primary pupils achieving expected levels in numeracy increased slightly for those in the least deprived areas in 2023/24 compared to 2022/23, there was no change in the percentage of primary pupils achieving expected levels in numeracy for those in the most deprived areas. Therefore, the gap between the proportion of primary pupils from the most and least deprived areas who achieved their expected level has increased slightly since 2022/23 and stands at 17.4 percentage points.

Secondary - Literacy (S3, 3^rd level or better)

Secondary - Numeracy (S3, 3rd level or better)

In 2023/24 the gap between the proportion of S3 pupils from the most and least deprived areas who achieved their expected level in literacy narrowed to 12.7 percentage points, lower than the level seen in 2016/17 and the lowest on record. This was due to an increase in S3 pupils from the most deprived areas achieving expected levels of literacy from 80.9% in 2022/23 to 82% in 2023/24.

Similarly, the gap between the proportion of S3 pupils from the most and least deprived areas who achieved their expected level in numeracy narrowed to 12 percentage points, lower than the level seen in 2016/17 and representing the lowest level ever recorded. This was due to an increase in S3 pupils from the most deprived areas achieving expected levels of numeracy from 82.5% in 2022/23 to 84.1% in 2023/24.

SCQF Levels 4, 5 and 6 (1 or more National Qualifications on leaving school)

The data presented here is based on school leavers achieving 1+ National Qualifications at SCQF Levels 4 to 6. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic led to changes to the way in which National Qualification results at SCQF Levels 5 to 7 were determined. This attainment data considers all of the attainment which a school leaver gains over their time at school. This means the attainment of school leavers in 2019/20, 2020/21 and 2021/22 may be based on a combination of different approaches to determining results. Data is presented here from 2016/17 however there is a longer time series available in the Summary statistics for attainment and initial leaver destinations statistics.

At SCQF Level 4 or better, the gap between the proportion of school leavers from the most deprived and least deprived areas attaining 1 pass or more in National Qualifications was 5.9 percentage points. This is slightly wider than in 2021/22, when it was 5.8 percentage points. The proportion attaining 1 pass or more in National Qualifications at this level decreased for school leavers from both the most and the least deprived areas between 2021/22 and 2022/23. But it decreased by slightly more for those from the most deprived areas, which has led to the gap between the two groups widening. Since 2016/17, the gap at SCQF Level 4 or better increased from 5.9 percentage points to a peak of 7.1 percentage points in 2019/20 but has since decreased back 5.9 percentage points in 2022/23.

At SCQF Level 5 or better, the gap was 20.2 percentage points in 2022/23. This is wider than in 2021/22 (19.1 percentage points). The proportion attaining 1 pass or more in National Qualifications at this level decreased for school leavers from both the most and the least deprived areas between 2021/22 and 2022/23. But it decreased by slightly more for those from the most deprived areas, which has led to the gap between the two groups widening. Since 2016/17, the gap increased pre-pandemic, before decreasing to its narrowest in 2020/21 (18.2 percentage points) but the gap has increased again in recent years.

At SCQF Level 6 or better, the gap was 36.9 percentage points in 2022/23. This is slightly narrower than in 2021/22 (37.0 percentage points). The proportion attaining 1 pass or more in National Qualifications decreased for school leavers from both the most and the least deprived areas between 2021/22 and 2022/23. But it decreased by more for those from the least deprived areas, which has led to the gap between the two groups narrowing. Since 2016/17, the gap has narrowed most years, starting from 37.6 percentage points in 2016/17 and reaching its narrowest in 2020/21 (34.4 percentage points) before increasing again in recent years.

School Attendance

School attendance rates across all sectors in 2023/24 are similar to those in 2022/23 (90.3% compared to 90.2%). In 2023/24, the gap in attendance rates between children living in the most and least deprived areas of Scotland was 6.6 percentage points, compared to 6.7 in 2022/23 but higher than 4.8 percentage points in 2016/17.

Participation measure

The gap between the proportion of 16-19 year olds participating in education, employment or training in the most and least deprived areas has decreased over time from 11.5 percentage points in 2016/17 to 8.2 percentage points in 2023/24. This is driven by an increase in the proportion of 16-19 year olds from the most deprived areas participating in education, training and employment from 84.8% in 2016/17 to 88.4% in 2023/24.

Initial Positive destination

This measure provides information on the outcomes for young people approximately three months after the end of the academic year (the first Monday in October). Positive destination includes higher education, further education, training, employment, voluntary work, Personal Skills Development and Activity Agreements (up to 2017/18).

The time series includes years where school leaver destinations have been affected – either directly or indirectly – by the COVID-19 pandemic. The impacts of COVID-19 should therefore be kept in mind when considering changes over time in school leavers’ destinations. The greatest effect of the pandemic on school leaver destinations is likely to have been seen in 2019/20. However, it is likely that there has been some ongoing impact on the destinations of some 2020/21 and 2021/22 school leavers. The pandemic may also have influenced some pupils’ decisions on when to leave school.

The gap in the proportion of school leavers in an initial positive destination has narrowed each year since 2016/17 (with the exception of 2019/20) and is now at 3.7 percentage points compared with 6.9 percentage points in 2016/17. This was due to an increase in school leavers in an initial positive destination from the most deprived areas from 89.8% in 2016/17 to 94% in 2023/24.

Summary tables of the key measures are set out below, while the remaining sub-measures can be seen in the NIF Interactive Evidence Report.