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Publication - Statistics

Summary statistics for schools in Scotland no. 7: 2016 edition

Published
13 December 2016
Directorate
Learning Directorate
Topic
Education
ISBN
9781786526656

Results of the annual pupil and teacher censuses, early learning and childcare data, school estates data, attendance and absence data and exclusions data.

View supporting documents Supporting documents

2. Overview

781,376 children

  • 96,961 registrations in 2,514 early learning & childcare centres
  • 396,697 pupils in 2,031 primary schools
  • 280,983 pupils in 359 secondary schools
  • 6,735 pupils in 141 special schools

50,970 teachers (full-time equivalent, including ELC)
13.7 pupil teacher ratio in schools

Overall, pupil numbers and teacher numbers have both increased this year, although the Pupil Teacher Ratio ( PTR) in publicly funded schools remained at 13.7. The rise in teacher numbers was due to a substantial increase in the number of teachers in primary schools. This resulted in the primary PTR improving from 16.7 to 16.6. The number of early learning & childcare, secondary, special and centrally employed teachers reduced, but these reductions were not of the same magnitude as the increase in primary teachers. The PTR for both secondary and special schools remained the same as in 2015 (12.2 and 3.6 respectively).

Table 2.1: Schools, pupils, teachers and pupil teacher ratios ( PTR) for all publicly funded schools by school sector, 2010 to 2016

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 (2) 2016
Schools
ELC (1) 2,586 2,553 2,551 2,504 2,449 2,492 2,514
Primary 2,099 2,081 2,064 2,056 2,048 2,039 2,031
Secondary 372 367 365 364 362 361 359
Special 163 158 155 149 145 144 141
Pupils
ELC (1) 92,030 94,840 98,195 102,871 101,463 97,262 96,961
Primary 365,326 366,429 370,680 377,382 385,212 391,148 396,697
Secondary 301,007 297,109 293,562 289,164 284,762 281,939 280,983
Special 6,800 6,973 6,976 6,984 6,981 6,920 6,735
Total (excluding ELC) 673,133 670,511 671,218 673,530 676,955 680,007 684,415
Teachers
ELC (1) 1,524 1,461 1,386 1,288 1,200 1,038 985
School based 49,784 49,026 48,691 48,620 48,335 48,395 48,746
Primary 23,095 22,813 22,685 22,905 22,960 23,425 23,920
Secondary 24,776 24,241 23,980 23,695 23,401 23,059 22,957
Special 1,913 1,973 2,026 2,020 1,974 1,911 1,869
Centrally employed (school) 714 881 1,176 1,170 1,186 1,283 1,239
Total school (excluding ELC) 50,498 49,907 49,867 49,790 49,521 49,679 49,985
Total (including ELC) 52,022 51,368 51,253 51,078 50,720 50,717 50,970
Pupil Teacher Ratios
Publicly funded schools (3) 13.3 13.4 13.5 13.5 13.7 13.7 13.7
Total based in schools (4) 13.5 13.7 13.8 13.9 14.0 14.1 14.0
Primary 15.8 16.1 16.3 16.5 16.8 16.7 16.6
Secondary 12.1 12.3 12.2 12.2 12.2 12.2 12.2
Special 3.6 3.5 3.4 3.5 3.5 3.6 3.6

(1) ELC centre count includes local authority and partnership centres, and ELC teacher figures include ELC home visiting. 2010, 2011, 2012 ELC and primary figures were revised in 2013. See background note 4.

(2) 2015 primary school and pupil figures were updated in February 2016. See background note 2 for details.

(3) All school-based and centrally employed teachers contribute to this ratio. Includes grant aided pupils and teachers.

(4) Excludes centrally employed teachers.

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