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Publication - Statistics

Summary statistics for schools in Scotland no. 8: 2017 edition

Published
12 December 2017
Directorate
Children and Families Directorate, +1 more … Learning Directorate
Topic
Children and families, Education
ISBN
9781788514989

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

View supporting documents Supporting documents

Chapter 2: Overview

  • 95,893 registrations in 2,532 early learning & childcare centres
  • 688,959 pupils in 2,514 schools
  • 51,513 teachers (full-time equivalent, including ELC)
  • 13.6 pupil teacher ratio in schools

The number of pupils and teachers have both increased this year but the pupil teacher ratio (PTR) in publicly funded schools decreased to 13.6. The rise in teacher numbers was due to an increase in the number of teachers in the primary and secondary school sectors. The numbers of early learning & childcare, special school and centrally employed teachers decreased. The PTR for secondary and special schools remained the same as in 2016 (12.2 and 3.6 respectively) while the PTR for primary schools decreased to 16.4.

Table 2.1: Schools, pupils, teachers and PTR

Pupils - Headcount; Teachers - Full Time Equivalents (FTE)
  2011 2012 2013 2014 2015(1) 2016 2017
Schools
ELC(2) 2,553 2,551 2,504 2,449 2,492 2,514 2,532
Primary 2,081 2,064 2,056 2,048 2,039 2,031 2,019
Secondary 367 365 364 362 361 359 360
Special 158 155 149 145 144 141 135
Pupils
ELC(2) 94,840 98,195 102,871 101,463 97,262 96,961 95,893
Primary 366,429 370,680 377,382 385,212 391,148 396,697 400,312
Secondary 297,109 293,562 289,164 284,762 281,939 280,983 281,993
Special(3) 6,943 6,953 6,956 6,940 6,871 6,668 6,654
Total (excluding ELC)(3) 670,481 671,195 673,502 676,914 679,958 684,348 688,959
Teachers
ELC(2) 1,461 1,386 1,288 1,200 1,038 985 921
School based 49,026 48,691 48,620 48,335 48,395 48,746 49,463
Primary 22,813 22,685 22,905 22,960 23,425 23,920 24,477
Secondary 24,241 23,980 23,695 23,401 23,059 22,957 23,150
Special 1,973 2,026 2,020 1,974 1,911 1,869 1,836
Centrally employed (school) 881 1,176 1,170 1,186 1,283 1,239 1,129
Total school (excluding ELC) 49,907 49,867 49,790 49,521 49,679 49,985 50,592
Total (including ELC) 51,368 51,253 51,078 50,720 50,717 50,970 51,513
Pupil Teacher Ratios
Publicly funded schools(4) 13.4 13.5 13.5 13.7 13.7 13.7 13.6
Total based in schools(5) 13.7 13.8 13.9 14.0 14.0 14.0 13.9
Primary 16.1 16.3 16.5 16.8 16.7 16.6 16.4
Secondary 12.3 12.2 12.2 12.2 12.2 12.2 12.2
Special 3.5 3.4 3.5 3.5 3.6 3.6 3.6

(1) The pupil teacher ratio for Total based in schools in 2015 was amended in October 2017. See background notes for details.

(2) ELC centre count includes local authority and partnership centres, and ELC teacher figures include ELC home visiting.

(3) Special pupils and total pupils headcount were updated for 2011-2016 in October 2017. See background notes for details.

(4) Includes all school-based and centrally employed teachers. Includes grant-aided pupils and teachers.

(5) Excludes centrally employed teachers.

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