Summary statistics for schools in Scotland - No. 6: 2015 Edition

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


2. General

777,269 children in September 2015:

  • 97,262 children in 2,492 early learning & childcare centres
  • 391,148 pupils in 2,039 primary schools,
  • 281,939 pupils in 361 secondary schools,
  • 6,920 pupils in 144 special schools.

50,717 teacher FTE (4 FTE fewer than the 2014 figure of 50,720)

13.7 pupil teacher ratio (PTR) in publicly funded schools
- same as in 2014

Teacher numbers remain similar to 2014 figures this year. Although there were decreases in teachers in early learning & childcare (ELC) and secondary sectors, the increase in primary and centrally employed teachers almost cancelled out the effect of any decrease on the total FTE. Pupil numbers increased but the PTR has remained at 13.7. Although primary pupils increased by 1.5 per cent, primary teachers increased by 2.0 per cent meaning the primary PTR improved slightly from 16.8 to 16.7. The secondary PTR did not change, and special PTR worsened slightly. The proportion of pupils in special schools continues to be about one per cent, however the number of pupils in special schools has increased from 6,673 in 2009 to 6,981 in 2014, and then fell slightly this year to 6,920.

Table 2.1: Schools, pupils, teachers and pupil teacher ratios (PTR) for all publicly funded schools by school sector, 2008 to 2015

  2008 2009 2010(2) 2011(2) 2012(2) 2013 2014(2) 2015(3)
 
Schools
ELC(1) 2,645 2,615 2,586 2,553 2,551 2,504 2,449 2,492
Primary 2,153 2,128 2,099 2,081 2,064 2,056 2,048 2,039
Secondary 376 374 372 367 365 364 362 361
Special 193 190 163 158 155 149 145 144
Pupils
ELC (1) 105,420 107,420 92,030 94,840 98,195 102,871 101,463 97,262
Primary 370,839 367,146 365,326 366,429 370,680 377,382 385,212 391,148
Secondary 303,978 302,921 301,007 297,109 293,562 289,164 284,762 281,939
Special 6,756 6,673 6,800 6,973 6,976 6,984 6,981 6,920
Total (excluding ELC) 681,573 676,740 673,133 670,511 671,218 673,530 676,955 680,007
Teachers
ELC (1) (2) 1,650 1,630 1,524 1,461 1,386 1,288 1,200 1,038
Publicly funded schools 52,697 51,371 50,498 49,907 49,867 49,790 49,521 49,679
Total based in schools 51,765 50,599 49,784 49,026 48,691 48,620 48,335 48,395
Primary(2) 23,615 23,243 23,095 22,813 22,685 22,905 22,960 23,425
Secondary 26,067 25,371 24,776 24,241 23,980 23,695 23,401 23,059
Special 2,083 1,985 1,913 1,973 2,026 2,020 1,974 1,911
Centrally employed 933 772 714 881 1,176 1,170 1,186 1,283
Total(2) 54,347 53,001 52,022 51,368 51,253 51,078 50,720 50,717
PTRs
Publicly funded schools(4) 12.9 13.2 13.3 13.4 13.5 13.5 13.7 13.7
Total based in schools(5) 13.2 13.4 13.5 13.7 13.8 13.9 14.0 14.1
Primary 15.7 15.8 15.8 16.1 16.3 16.5 16.8 16.7
Secondary 11.7 11.9 12.1 12.3 12.2 12.2 12.2 12.2
Special 3.2 3.4 3.6 3.5 3.4 3.5 3.5 3.6

(1) From 2010 ELC figures are not directly comparable with previous years. ELC centre count includes local authority and partnership centres. ELC teacher figures now include ELC home visiting. See background note 3.14 and 6.1.
(2) 2014 teacher figures were revised in February and December 2015, see background notes 3.5a and 3.5b. 2010, 2011, 2012 ELC, primary, school and total teacher FTE and PTRs were revised in 2013, see background note 3.5c.
(3) 2015 primary school and pupil figures were updated in February 2016. See background note 3.6 for details.
(4) All school-based and centrally employed teachers contribute to this ratio. Includes grant aided pupils and teachers.
(5) All school-based teachers contribute to this ratio.

Contact

Email: Adam Naylor

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