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

3. Teachers

50,970 teachers in publicly funded schools and ELC centres (including centrally employed), compared to 50,717 in 2015
13.7 Pupil teacher ratio in local authority schools
- same as in 2015
87% of teachers on the 2015/16 probationer induction scheme were in employment in September 2016

Table 3.1: Publicly funded teachers ( FTE) by sector and local authority, 2016

	ELC (1)	School				Total (incl. ELC)
		Primary School	Secondary School	Special School	Centrally employed
Aberdeen City	58	804	712	63	24	1,662
Aberdeenshire	44	1,362	1,192	51	50	2,698
Angus	8	557	545	0	22	1,132
Argyll & Bute	10	403	423	11	4	851
Clackmannanshire	13	279	226	20	3	541
Dumfries & Galloway	19	651	687	7	122	1,485
Dundee City	30	648	629	56	34	1,397
East Ayrshire	12	546	530	59	14	1,162
East Dunbartonshire	30	517	615	52	33	1,247
East Lothian	44	439	447	0	27	957
East Renfrewshire	28	545	648	31	3	1,255
Edinburgh City	137	1,540	1,408	172	92	3,350
Na h-Eileanan Siar	2	153	158	0	10	324
Falkirk	20	751	777	59	18	1,625
Fife	53	1,780	1,570	73	72	3,548
Glasgow City	72	2,402	1,974	337	157	4,942
Highland	18	1,081	1,144	42	87	2,373
Inverclyde	6	332	355	45	4	742
Midlothian	21	409	395	35	33	894
Moray	14	412	401	0	35	862
North Ayrshire	14	653	625	39	54	1,385
North Lanarkshire	46	1,620	1,577	217	60	3,521
Orkney Islands	10	120	129	0	10	270
Perth & Kinross	41	677	618	18	16	1,370
Renfrewshire	26	749	767	81	36	1,658
Scottish Borders	23	463	472	0	118	1,075
Shetland Islands	8	153	154	0	11	326
South Ayrshire	41	491	494	24	33	1,084
South Lanarkshire	65	1,528	1,514	151	10	3,267
Stirling	10	432	470	18	22	953
West Dunbartonshire	11	442	418	46	23	939
West Lothian	50	958	833	108	0	1,949
All local authorities	985	23,899	22,906	1,814	1,239	50,842
Grant aided	0	21	51	55	0	127
Total	985	23,920	22,957	1,869	1,239	50,970

(1) Includes partnership ELC centres, and teachers in ELC centres whether centre-based, centrally employed or home visiting.

Table 3.2 shows that total teacher numbers (including ELC, primary, secondary, special and centrally employed teachers) across all publicly funded schools in Scotland decreased between 2010 and 2014, before stabilising in 2015 and increasing in 2016. Although the total FTE for 2016 has increased since 2015, this is not the case for each local authority. In 20 local authorities the number of teachers has either been maintained or increased, with the largest increase being eight per cent in Clackmannanshire. Twelve local authorities saw a decrease this year, with the largest decrease being two per cent in Moray.

Table 3.2: Teachers in publicly funded early learning and childcare and schools, by local authority, 2010 to 2016

	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016
Aberdeen City	1,677	1,692	1,696	1,687	1,707	1,685	1,662
Aberdeenshire	2,741	2,642	2,638	2,701	2,700	2,712	2,698
Angus	1,199	1,173	1,156	1,157	1,143	1,144	1,132
Argyll & Bute	909	874	871	868	878	847	851
Clackmannanshire	500	495	494	509	510	502	541
Dumfries & Galloway	1,605	1,568	1,570	1,533	1,520	1,504	1,485
Dundee City	1,511	1,472	1,461	1,436	1,407	1,408	1,397
East Ayrshire	1,219	1,198	1,169	1,155	1,150	1,162	1,162
East Dunbartonshire	1,233	1,193	1,186	1,211	1,222	1,232	1,247
East Lothian	975	978	970	954	953	966	957
East Renfrewshire	1,229	1,222	1,224	1,242	1,224	1,241	1,255
Edinburgh City	3,320	3,274	3,302	3,344	3,281	3,324	3,350
Na h-Eileanan Siar	369	365	353	344	324	326	324
Falkirk	1,565	1,576	1,590	1,596	1,603	1,603	1,625
Fife	3,646	3,576	3,574	3,596	3,529	3,544	3,548
Glasgow City	4,981	5,080	5,069	4,888	4,883	4,838	4,942
Highland	2,465	2,408	2,376	2,365	2,360	2,381	2,373
Inverclyde	797	766	768	745	732	742	742
Midlothian	850	848	849	867	880	890	894
Moray	920	894	903	885	887	881	862
North Ayrshire	1,387	1,387	1,348	1,374	1,363	1,359	1,385
North Lanarkshire	3,658	3,614	3,597	3,575	3,523	3,465	3,521
Orkney Islands	270	252	254	259	265	266	270
Perth & Kinross	1,391	1,391	1,381	1,382	1,374	1,378	1,370
Renfrewshire	1,614	1,597	1,617	1,610	1,607	1,621	1,658
Scottish Borders	1,152	1,158	1,157	1,133	1,089	1,072	1,075
Shetland Islands	400	373	357	340	330	331	326
South Ayrshire	1,174	1,120	1,136	1,120	1,102	1,104	1,084
South Lanarkshire	3,198	3,227	3,230	3,253	3,225	3,246	3,267
Stirling	980	963	945	942	943	928	953
West Dunbartonshire	946	923	906	918	921	931	939
West Lothian	1,986	1,914	1,952	1,939	1,935	1,944	1,949
All local authorities	51,866	51,212	51,100	50,932	50,568	50,576	50,842
Grant aided	157	156	153	145	153	141	127
Total	52,022	51,368	51,253	51,078	50,720	50,717	50,970

Table 3.3 shows pupil teacher ratios ( PTRs) in publicly funded schools, giving a measure of the size of the workforce compared with the pupil population. The PTR improved, with fewer pupils per teacher, between 2005 and 2008. From 2008 it increased gradually to reach 13.5 in 2012. It remained at this level in 2013 but increased slightly in 2014 to 13.7, partly due to the increase in pupils in the primary sector, and only a small increase in primary teachers. Although pupil numbers have increased further since 2014, the total number of teachers increased in 2016, meaning the PTR has remained at 13.7.

The Attainment Scotland Fund is a targeted initiative focused on supporting pupils in the local authorities and schools of Scotland with the highest concentrations of deprivation. At the time of the census in September 2016, 160 FTE teachers were funded through this initiative. The national PTR excluding these teachers was 13.7, the same as the equivalent ratio from the previous year.

PTRs have varied between local authorities over time. The largest increases in PTRs this year were in Aberdeen City and Moray, the largest decreases (improvements) in PTRs were in Clackmannanshire, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire.

Table 3.3: Pupil teacher ratios in publicly funded schools (all sectors excluding ELC), by local authority, 2010 to 2016 ⁽¹⁾

	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015 (2)	2016
Aberdeen City	13.6	13.4	13.5	13.5	13.6	13.6	14.0
Aberdeenshire	13.0	13.4	13.4	13.3	13.5	13.3	13.4
Angus	13.0	13.2	13.2	13.1	13.3	13.2	13.3
Argyll & Bute	12.6	12.9	12.5	12.4	12.2	12.4	12.3
Clackmannanshire	13.8	13.6	13.7	13.5	13.3	13.4	12.5
Dumfries & Galloway	12.5	12.7	12.5	12.7	12.7	12.7	12.7
Dundee City	11.8	12.1	12.3	12.6	12.9	13.0	13.2
East Ayrshire	13.6	13.7	14.0	14.0	14.0	13.9	13.9
East Dunbartonshire	13.3	13.6	13.7	13.6	13.6	13.6	13.5
East Lothian	14.4	14.4	14.8	15.1	15.2	15.1	15.4
East Renfrewshire	13.6	13.7	13.5	13.4	13.7	13.7	13.7
Edinburgh City	14.1	14.3	14.2	14.3	14.9	14.9	15.1
Na h-Eileanan Siar	9.9	9.8	10.2	10.1	10.4	10.3	10.5
Falkirk	13.4	13.4	13.4	13.4	13.5	13.5	13.5
Fife	13.4	13.7	13.7	13.7	14.0	14.0	14.1
Glasgow City	13.4	13.1	13.1	13.6	13.6	13.8	13.8
Highland	13.0	13.2	13.2	13.2	13.2	13.1	13.1
Inverclyde	13.5	13.8	13.6	13.8	13.8	13.5	13.5
Midlothian	14.3	14.4	14.6	14.2	14.2	14.2	14.2
Moray	13.3	13.5	13.4	13.7	13.7	13.7	14.1
North Ayrshire	13.8	13.7	14.0	13.7	13.7	13.6	13.3
North Lanarkshire	13.6	13.8	13.9	13.9	14.2	14.4	14.1
Orkney Islands	10.6	11.0	11.0	10.6	10.5	10.4	10.4
Perth & Kinross	13.0	12.9	13.1	13.1	13.3	13.3	13.6
Renfrewshire	14.9	14.9	14.6	14.8	14.7	14.6	14.3
Scottish Borders	13.3	13.2	13.2	13.3	13.7	13.8	13.8
Shetland Islands	8.6	9.2	9.5	9.7	10.0	10.0	10.2
South Ayrshire	12.8	13.2	13.0	13.1	13.2	13.2	13.4
South Lanarkshire	13.9	13.7	13.7	13.6	13.7	13.7	13.7
Stirling	13.0	13.2	13.4	13.1	13.2	13.4	13.2
West Dunbartonshire	13.3	13.6	13.7	13.6	13.6	13.5	13.4
West Lothian	13.5	14.0	14.1	14.0	14.1	14.1	14.1
All local authorities	13.3	13.5	13.5	13.5	13.7	13.7	13.7
Grant aided	8.3	8.5	8.5	8.9	8.4	8.9	9.8
All publicly funded	13.3	13.4	13.5	13.5	13.7	13.7	13.7

(1) Includes teachers based in schools and centrally employed teachers.

(2)The pupil teacher ratio for 2015 for North Lanarkshire changed due to corrections with their primary pupil roll in February 2016. See background note 2 for details.

One of the most important uses of the data collected in the teacher census is in modelling future changes in the workforce in order to provide guidance on the number of new teachers to train. Chart 1 shows the age profile of school teachers and the change since 2004. The age profile for 2004 shows a peak around age 50. However, in 2016 the age profile is relatively flat between age 23 (when most teachers qualify) and late fifties (when most teachers retire).

Chart 1: Age profile, school based teachers, 2004 to 2016

Chart 2 shows the age profile of GTCS registered ELC teachers, as at September 2016. The number of teachers generally increases with age up to mid-thirties, and then fluctuates, before decreasing sharply at age 60.

Chart 2: Age profile of GTCS registered early learning and childcare teachers, September 2016

Table 3.4 shows that 77 per cent of teachers were female. Across all promoted posts this proportion decreased to 71 per cent, although the proportion of head teachers that were female was higher at 79 per cent. The average (mean) age of primary, secondary and special school teachers was 41, compared to 42 in 2015 and 44 in 2004, so teachers were, on average, younger in 2016 than in 2004.

The proportion of teachers who had temporary contracts (including probationers) was 16.3 per cent (compared with 17.3 per cent last year). 15.6 per cent of teachers were working part-time, with the rate higher amongst females (18.2 per cent) than males (6.9 per cent).

Table 3.4: Teacher characteristics percentages by sector, 2016

	ELC	School
		Primary	Secondary	Special	Centrally Employed (3)	Total (excluding ELC)
Gender
Female	95	90	63	76	84	77
Male	5	10	37	24	16	23
Unknown	0	0	0	0	0	0
Age (years) (1)
Under 25	1	8	5	1	0	6
25 to 34	18	31	27	20	11	28
35 to 44	28	25	25	26	23	25
45 to 54	31	24	24	29	34	24
55 or over	22	13	18	24	31	16
Unknown	0	0	0	0	0	0
Average Age	45	40	42	45	41	41
Ethnicity (1)
White - Scottish	:	66	58	65	49	62
White - Other British	:	27	31	24	31	29
White - Other	:	2	3	4	5	3
Minority Ethnic Group	:	1	2	2	4	1
Not Disclosed	:	5	5	5	11	5
Employment type
Permanent	:	82	85	86	81	84
Temporary (non-induction)	:	12	11	14	19	11
Probationer induction scheme	:	6	4	0	0	5
Grade
Head teacher	:	7	1	6	3	4
Percentage female	:	86	41	80	75	79
Depute head teacher	:	5	5	7	2	5
Percentage female	:	88	54	75	89	73
Principal teacher	:	7	23	11	11	15
Percentage female	:	90	62	74	81	69
Teacher	:	81	71	76	84	76
Percentage female	:	91	65	76	85	79
All - Percentage female	:	90	63	76	84	77
Mode of working
Full-time	35	82	88	84	68	84
Percentage female	98	89	61	74	81	75
Part-time (2)	65	18	12	16	32	16
Percentage female	94	95	82	86	91	90

(1) Excludes grant aided schools.

(2) Includes ELC teachers who are peripatetic or shared with other centres. ELC figures are based on headcount; other teacher data is based on FTE.

(3) Excludes mainstream supply [These teachers are included in the appropriate school sector statistics].

Table 3.5 shows the percentage of post-probationers from recent induction cohorts who were in publicly funded permanent or temporary posts at the time of the following year's teacher census. The proportion increased from 86 per cent in 2015 to 87 per cent in 2016.

Table 3.5: Percentage of post-probationers in permanent or temporary employment in the following year's teacher census, 2009/10 to 2015/16

	Probationer cohort
	2009/10	2010/11	2011/12	2012/13	2013/14	2014/15	2015/16
Full-time permanent	13	16	28	35	39	45	55
Full-time temporary	29	35	35	35	33	35	27
Part-time permanent	2	1	3	2	2	2	2
Part-time temporary	15	14	8	6	6	4	2
Other (1)	42	34	25	21	20	14	13
Number of teachers in cohort	3,044	2,857	1,944	2,044	2,215	2,448	2,524

(1) The "Other" category includes those teaching elsewhere, including in the independent sector, those who have found supply work, and those who are unemployed or who have left teaching, although this detail is not included in the census data.

Table 3.6 shows that some of these teachers secure posts as they become available later in the year or in subsequent years. For example while 66 per cent of the 2010/11 cohort were present in the 2011 census, in the following censuses the percentage increased to 70 per cent in 2012 and 2013, 71 per cent in 2014 onwards.

Table 3.6: Percentage of post-probationers in permanent or temporary employment, 2010 to 2016

	Sep-10	Sep-11	Sep-12	Sep-13	Sep-14	Sep-15	Sep-16
2009/10 cohort	58	66	70	70	71	71	71
2010/11 cohort		66	70	70	71	71	71
2011/12 cohort			75	77	79	77	78
2012/13 cohort				79	77	77	77
2013/14 cohort					80	81	79
2014/15 cohort						86	83
2015/16 cohort							87