Chapter 2  Achievement of CfE Levels by Deprivation

When considering data by the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD), it is important to note that the data show the difference between young people living in the most and least deprived areas. Not every person living in a deprived area will themselves be experiencing high levels of deprivation and not everyone experiencing deprivation will live in a deprived area.

The figures shown in Charts 1, 2, 3 and 4 provide four of the 13 key National Improvement Framework measures used to measure the poverty-related attainment gap. These key measures are:

• Percentage of P1, P4 and P7 pupils combined achieving expected Level in Literacy;
• Percentage of P1, P4 and P7 pupils combined achieving expected Level in Numeracy;
• Percentage of S3 pupils achieving Third Level or better in Literacy and;
• Percentage of S3 pupils achieving Third Level or better in Numeracy.

The charts show Achievement of CfE Levels by SIMD since 2016-17, with the ‘pp’ abbreviation indicating percentage point difference between pupils from the most and least deprived areas (referred to as the attainment gap).

Primary Stages

The attainment gap among primary pupils combined was at its lowest ever level for literacy.

As attainment among the most deprived has improved more than the least deprived in the past year, the attainment gap has narrowed slightly from 20.5 percentage points in 2022-23 to 20.2 percentage points in 2023-24.

Chart 1: The attainment gap in literacy at primary level has narrowed to its lowest ever level

Percentage of P1, P4 and P7 pupils (combined) achieving expected CfE level in literacy by SIMD, 2016-17 to 2023-24

The attainment gap in numeracy increased from 17.0 percentage points in 2022-23 to 17.4 percentage points in 2023-24. This is slightly wider than it was in 2017-18 and 2018-19. Attainment for pupils from the least deprived areas increased by 0.5 percentage points; attainment for pupils from the most deprived areas did not change.

Chart 2: The attainment gap in numeracy at primary level increased in the latest year and remains wider than in 2018-19

Percentage of P1, P4 and P7 pupils (combined) achieving expected CfE level in numeracy by SIMD, 2016-17 to 2023-24

Secondary (S3) Stage

For S3, the most deprived group has seen an increase in the proportion of pupils achieving the expected level for literacy to the highest since records began in 2016-17.

As attainment among the least deprived pupils has remained stable, the S3 pupils attainment gap in literacy has narrowed from 13.7 percentage points in 2022-23 to 12.7 percentage points in 2023-24. This is the lowest on record.

Chart 3: The attainment gap in literacy at S3 narrowed in the latest year, to the lowest on record

Percentage of S3 pupils achieving Third Level or better in Literacy by SIMD, 2016-17 to 2023-24

The proportion of S3 pupils achieving third level or better in numeracy in the least deprived areas has remained fairly stable over the last three years. Over the same time period attainment has improved in the most deprived areas, leading to a narrowing of the attainment gap to 12.0 percentage points, representing the lowest level ever recorded.

Chart 4: Attainment gap in numeracy at S3 narrowed in the latest year to the lowest since 2016-17

Percentage of S3 pupils achieving Third Level or better in Numeracy by SIMD, 2016-17 to 2023-24