Summary statistics for schools in Scotland 2023

Headline statistics on teachers, pupils, attendance, exclusions and early learning and childcare provision in Scotland.


Headline school and early learning and childcare (ELC) statistics

In 2023 there was a decrease in the number of pupils and in teacher full-time equivalents (FTE). However, as both these changes were relatively small the pupil teacher ratio (PTR), which gives a measure of the size of the teaching workforce relative to the pupil population, remained at 13.2 after rounding.

Teacher numbers increased in the secondary sector and for centrally employed but the combined decreases in primary, special and ELC sectors were large enough to result in a reduction in teacher FTE overall. There was a decrease in both teachers and pupils in the primary sector and the primary PTR remained at 15.3. In secondary schools there was an increase in both teachers and pupils. The increase in secondary pupils was slightly higher proportionally than the increase in secondary teachers meaning there was an increase in pupils per teacher which resulted in the secondary PTR increasing from 12.4 to 12.5.

Figure 1 Publicly funded schools, Scotland, 2017 to 2023

Sector

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

Primary

2,019

2,012

2,004

2,005

2,001

1,994

1,988

Secondary

360

357

358

357

357

358

361

Special

135

133

114

114

111

109

107

 

Figure 2 Pupils by sector, Scotland, 2017 to 2023

Sector

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

Primary

400,312

400,276

398,794

393,957

390,313

388,920

384,725

Secondary

281,993

286,152

292,063

300,954

306,811

309,133

313,061

Special

6,654

6,823

7,132

7,286

7,599

7,821

   7,742

Total

688,959

693,251

697,989

702,197

704,723

705,874

705,528

 

Figure 3 Teachers by sector, Scotland, 2017 to 2023 [Note 1]

Sector

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

ELC

921

821

798

728

704

734

702

School based

49,463

50,099

50,477

51,663

52,593

52,422

52,221

         Primary

24,477

24,899

25,027

25,651

25,807

25,451

25,096

         Secondary

23,150

23,317

23,522

24,077

24,782

24,874

25,049

         Special

1,836

1,883

1,927

1,934

2,005

2,097

2,075

Centrally employed (school)

1,129

1,039

972

1,009

988

1,037

1,111

Total school (excluding ELC)

50,592

51,138

51,449

52,672

53,581

53,459

53,331

Total (including ELC)

51,513

51,959

52,247

53,400

54,285

54,193

54,033

Note 1: ELC teachers include ELC home visiting

Figure 4 Pupil teacher ratios (PTR) by sector, Scotland, 2017 to 2023

Sector

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

Publicly funded schools

13.6

13.6

13.6

13.3

13.2

13.2

13.2

Total based in schools

13.9

13.8

13.8

13.6

13.4

13.5

13.5

          Primary

16.4

16.1

15.9

15.4

15.1

15.3

15.3

          Secondary

12.2

12.3

12.4

12.5

12.4

12.4

12.5

          Special

3.6

3.6

3.7

3.8

3.8

3.7

3.7

Contact

school.stats@gov.scot

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