Summary Statistics for Schools in Scotland, No 5: 2014 Edition

This contains the results of the annual pupil census, annual teacher census, early learning and childcare data and school estates data.


Table 3.2 shows the average class size for pupils in primary school. Class size data are not collected in the secondary sector as class size varies widely across subjects. The overall average class size in primary has remained at a similar level to last year, 23.3 in 2014 compared to 23.2 in 2013.

The average class size for a P1-P3 pupil has also remained at a similar level to last year, 23.3 in 2014 compared with 23.2 in 2013. As part of the 2010 budget agreement local authorities were committed to maintaining pupil teacher ratios in P1-P3. It is not possible to calculate P1-P3 pupil teacher ratios from the census data. Therefore average class size together with overall pupil teacher ratios in primary (see table 1.1) are considered the nearest proxy measures.

Table 3.2: Average class size of primary school pupils(1), 2006 to 2014

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

P1

23.1

20.9

21.0

21.1

21.1

20.5

20.6

21.2

21.2

P2

23.7

23.5

23.0

22.8

22.8

23.3

23.3

24.0

23.9

P3

24.1

24.0

24.0

23.7

23.4

23.9

24.0

24.5

24.7

P1-P3

23.6

22.8

22.6

22.5

22.4

22.5

22.6

23.2

23.3

primary

23.2

22.8

22.7

22.5

22.5

22.7

22.7

23.2

23.3

(1) Data refer to the average class size of pupils in each stage, not the average class size of single stage classes. The total average class size is calculated on a different basis than the P1 to P3 class sizes, see background note 3.6.

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Email: Adam Naylor

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