3  Impact of the coronavirus (COVD-19)

The Scottish Government did not collect Achievement of CfE Levels data for any pupils in 2019-20 as schools were closed on the planned ACEL census date of 8th June 2020.

For 2020-21, data were collected for Primary school (P1, P4 and P7) pupils only. Secondary school and special school data were not collected due to other pressures on these schools including implementation of the SQA National Qualifications Alternative Certification Model.

The closures of schools between March 2020 and January 2021 because of the pandemic are likely to have had a negative effect on some pupils’ progress and attainment. It is therefore likely to have had an impact on the CfE levels some children achieved in 2020-21. The impact of this disruption will also have affected young people covered by the 2021-22 publication and it is possible that the impact of the pandemic has continued to affect the CfE levels some children and young people achieved in 2022-23.