Scottish Study of Early Learning and Childcare: phase 4 report

2. Child, parent and household characteristics

This chapter examines the key characteristics of the sample gathered at Phase 4 of the SSELC. At the time of data collection, these eligible two-year-olds would have been receiving funded ELC for a maximum of six months.

The figures presented in this section are unweighted and are intended to describe the sample only, rather than the population as a whole. For some measures, the same data was collected from both the parent and the child's keyworker. Where that is the case, figures from each respondent type are reported.

2.1 Characteristics of the Phase 4 sample

The vast majority of parent respondents were female (91%). The mean age of respondents to the parent questionnaire was 31. Three-quarters (73%) were aged between 25 and 39, with 16% aged under 25. Parent responses indicated that participant children were more likely to be girls than boys (54% female, 46% male).

Table 2.1 provides a summary of household composition at Phase 4. Around half (49%) of the children in the household lived with just one adult, while a higher proportion (58%) lived with just one parent or parent figure. More than a third (37%) had no siblings in the household.

Base: All respondents (parent questionnaire, Phase 4, unweighted)

^a Parent figures includes the child's mother, father or main carer, and their partner if they live within the household. This is used to define single-parent households as referred to within the report.

Eighty-one percent of respondents to the parent survey indicated that they were the child's main carer, with 17% reporting that the caring was shared equally with someone else in the household. Two percent reported that caring was shared equally with someone outside the household and the remaining 1% reported that they were not the main carer.

Table 2.2 shows that approximately half (49%) of respondents to the parent survey were in households within the lowest 10% (decile) of equivalised household incomes (across the whole population). At Phase 4 this equated to having an annual equivalised household income of less than £13,500^[16].

Base: All respondents (parent questionnaire, Phase 4, unweighted)

^a The range shown is for a two adult household. For one adult and one child under 14 it will be smaller. For three or more people it will be higher – see footnote^[16].

The disproportionate representation of lower income households in this sample reflects the eligibility criteria for access to ELC when a child is aged two, as these households are more likely to include a parent who is in receipt of qualifying benefits.

The disproportionate representation of more economically disadvantaged families is also reflected in the deprivation levels of the areas where respondents lived (Table 2.3). Four in ten (41%) respondents lived in areas among the 20% most deprived in Scotland.

Base: All respondents (keyworker and parent questionnaires, Phase 4, unweighted)

Most respondents (92%) were White, with 85% identifying themselves as White Scottish. Eight percent were from a non-White background, similar to the Census 2022 estimate of 7% for the Scottish population generally.

The majority of parents only spoke English at home (87%) whilst 12% spoke English and another language and only 1% spoke only another language at home.