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

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


4. Classes and pupils

12.7% of P1-P3 pupils were taught in classes of 18 or fewer
23.5 average class size for pupils in primary school

Table 4.1 shows the average class size for pupils in primary school in 2016 was 23.5. This is a slight increase from 23.4 in 2015. Class size data are not collected in the secondary sector as class size varies widely across subjects.

Table 4.1: Average class size of primary school pupils (1), 2010 to 2016

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 (2) 2016
P1 21.1 20.5 20.6 21.2 21.2 21.1 21.2
P2 22.8 23.3 23.3 24.0 23.9 24.1 24.0
P3 23.4 23.9 24.0 24.5 24.7 24.8 24.7
P1-P3 22.4 22.5 22.6 23.2 23.3 23.3 23.3
Primary 22.5 22.7 22.7 23.2 23.3 23.4 23.5

(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.

(2) Statistics for 2015 were updated in February 2016, see background note 2.

Table 4.2 shows the number of P1-P3 pupils in publicly funded schools in various class sizes. It is a Scottish Government aspiration to reduce P1-P3 class sizes to 18 or fewer.

In 2016, 21,906 (12.7 per cent) of P1-P3 pupils were taught in classes of 18 or fewer (including those taught by two teachers at all times with a class size of 36 or fewer). This is up from 20,999 (12.2 per cent) in 2015. The number of pupils taught in classes of 26 or more decreased from 47,147 in 2015 to 46,293. This represents 26.8 per cent of pupils, a smaller proportion than the 27.3 per cent recorded in 2015.

Table 4.2: Number of P1-P3 pupils by class size, 2010 to 2016 (1)

Class Size 2010 2011 2012 2013 20142 2015 (2) 2016
1 - 18 34,351 32,580 31,101 22,992 22,138 20,999 21,906
19 - 20 14,293 15,121 15,655 15,995 16,673 16,437 16,232
21 - 25 70,687 76,499 80,243 86,854 87,295 87,989 88,285
26 - 30 39,087 36,679 37,805 42,908 45,539 46,489 45,486
31 or more 249 757 473 736 470 658 807
% in classes of 18 or fewer or in 2 teacher classes of 36 or fewer 21.6 20.2 18.8 13.6 12.9 12.2 12.7

(1) The percentage of P1-P3 pupils in classes of 18 or fewer includes two-teacher classes with 36 or fewer. Classes taught by two teachers at all times are treated as two classes of half the size.

(2) Statistics for 2015 were updated in February 2016, see background note 2.

Legislation was introduced in November 2010 to limit class sizes for P1 pupils to 25. Table 4.3 shows the number of P1 pupils by class size. Some P1 pupils may be in classes of over 25 due to the inclusion of one or more "excepted pupil" (see background note 3). In 2016 the number of pupils in classes of 26 or more was 698; higher than in 2015 but still considerably lower than before the legislation was introduced in 2010.

Table 4.3: Number of P1 pupils by class size, 2006 to 2015

class size 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 (1) 2016
1 - 18 16,156 16,208 15,713 11,968 11,558 11,213 11,737
19 - 20 5,967 8,025 8,459 8,554 8,822 9,377 8,168
21 - 25 24,568 30,351 32,009 36,310 36,722 35,930 36,934
26 or more 6,896 609 503 560 451 637 698

(1) Statistics for 2015 were updated in February 2016, see background note 2.

Table 4.4 shows that the percentage of P1-P3 pupils in classes of 18 or fewer varies considerably between local authorities. One of the main reasons for this is the differing proportions of schools with a small number of pupils between local authorities.

Table 4.4: Percentage of P1-P3 pupils in classes of size 18 or fewer or in two teacher classes with a pupil teacher ratio of 18 or fewer, by local authority, 2010 to 2016

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 (2) 2016
Aberdeen City 11.9 16.6 16.4 16.1 11.2 10.6 11.0
Aberdeenshire 12.6 11.1 13.1 14.9 13.3 12.4 14.7
Angus 26.8 25.5 20.4 21.0 23.1 22.4 19.6
Argyll & Bute 48.8 44.6 45.5 45.4 34.9 24.2 27.2
Clackmannanshire 28.2 22.0 19.0 16.1 17.8 11.8 19.7
Dumfries & Galloway 24.9 20.6 20.4 12.0 16.4 13.6 17.1
Dundee City 27.2 27.0 28.5 9.4 2.8 3.4 2.6
East Ayrshire 41.4 43.4 19.5 7.6 13.0 9.5 11.1
East Dunbartonshire 28.3 22.2 21.2 21.8 11.3 10.6 12.9
East Lothian 8.9 7.5 4.0 4.3 6.3 6.0 4.2
East Renfrewshire 32.5 38.1 35.6 7.6 15.7 9.5 16.5
Edinburgh, City of 16.5 15.3 15.3 7.0 7.2 6.1 5.7
Na h-Eileanan Siar 74.7 62.8 51.7 39.8 48.0 51.3 57.8
Falkirk 12.6 7.7 8.5 4.9 6.3 8.5 5.6
Fife 26.0 26.7 27.4 24.1 22.9 20.8 20.8
Glasgow City 9.8 6.2 10.1 3.8 3.7 3.6 4.2
Highland 30.1 23.2 20.3 18.4 18.1 20.5 19.1
Inverclyde 20.6 16.8 12.3 9.3 10.0 7.5 6.5
Midlothian 9.2 15.3 5.0 7.7 11.7 10.3 16.7
Moray 26.1 19.7 20.6 8.9 14.1 10.8 8.0
North Ayrshire 25.1 7.7 11.6 7.2 7.6 10.8 13.0
North Lanarkshire 10.1 10.0 8.0 8.1 7.7 8.6 9.8
Orkney Islands 51.5 44.8 33.4 27.2 29.6 22.6 19.8
Perth & Kinross 23.3 26.6 20.7 15.7 15.1 14.3 14.7
Renfrewshire 33.1 34.6 36.5 6.9 10.8 11.9 13.3
Scottish Borders 30.1 23.1 22.6 21.6 12.7 14.3 10.3
Shetland Islands 43.3 31.6 24.5 26.5 31.2 25.5 33.9
South Ayrshire 25.7 28.4 23.4 20.2 17.8 24.6 19.5
South Lanarkshire 23.7 25.3 23.9 22.9 17.7 16.1 15.5
Stirling 23.0 26.7 24.9 17.4 15.2 17.4 14.9
West Dunbartonshire 31.6 22.6 15.9 9.9 13.3 13.6 16.2
West Lothian 19.8 26.0 24.4 20.3 17.0 13.6 16.3
Scotland (1) 21.6 20.2 18.8 13.6 12.9 12.2 12.7

(1) The statistics for Scotland include one grant aided mainstream school.

(2) Statistics for 2015 were updated in February 2016, see background note 2.

Table 4.5 shows the pupil characteristics primarily used in equalities monitoring. In 2016, 86.2 per cent of pupils were recorded as being White-Scottish or White-other British. The largest other ethnic backgrounds include White-Other (4.8 per cent), Asian Pakistani (1.9 per cent) and mixed (1.2 per cent).

170,329 pupils (24.9 per cent of all pupils) had an additional support need ( ASN) recorded. This includes pupils in special schools and those in mainstream schools with a Co-ordinated Support Plan ( CSP), Individualised Education Programme ( IEP), Child Plan or some other type of support.

Table 4.5: Pupil characteristics: ethnicity, additional support needs and English as an additional language by gender, 2016 (1)

Female Male Total
Total Pupils 335,620 348,795 684,415
Ethnicity
White - Scottish 272,551 282,925 555,476
White - Other British 16,899 17,681 34,580
White - Gypsy/Traveller 552 569 1,121
White - Other 16,244 16,942 33,186
Mixed 4,217 4,191 8,408
Asian - Indian 2,598 2,780 5,378
Asian - Pakistani 6,350 6,630 12,980
Asian - Bangladeshi 446 462 908
Asian - Chinese 1,881 1,826 3,707
Asian - Other 1,818 1,869 3,687
Caribbean/Black 494 539 1,033
African 3,212 3,343 6,555
Other 2,497 2,753 5,250
Not known / not disclosed 5,797 6,142 11,939
English as an Additional Language 18,855 20,487 39,342
Additional Support Needs ( ASN)
CSP (Co-ordinated Support Plan) 840 1,545 2,385
IEP (Individualised Education Programme) 11,807 25,926 37,733
Child Plans 8,928 16,167 25,095
Assessed/Declared Disabled 5,166 11,099 16,265
Other 54,100 76,942 131,042
All pupils with ASN (2) 67,340 102,989 170,329
All pupils with ASN (excluding Other type) (2) 20,713 40,769 61,482

(1) Statistics for ethnicity and English as an Additional Language do not include grant aided special schools as this information is not collected. There were 207 pupils at grant aided special schools in 2016.

(2) Pupils may have more than one type of ASN, therefore the totals for ASN may not equal the sum of individual types of ASN.

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