Summary statistics for schools in Scotland no. 9: 2018 edition

Results of the annual pupil census, annual teacher census, early learning and childcare provision and school estate survey data.


Chapter 5: Early Learning and Childcare

99% of 3 & 4 year olds are registered for funded ELC (99% in 2017)

10% of 2 year olds are registered for funded ELC (10% in 2017)

Table 5.1 shows that there were 96,549 registrations for funded ELC places in September 2018, an increase of 0.7% since September 2017 when there were 95,893 registrations. This suggests around 99% of eligible 3 and 4 year olds were registered (99% in 2017). Children registered to receive funded ELC at more than one centre may be counted more than once, and so this will slightly overestimate true uptake.

Table 5.1: Registrations(1) for funded early learning and childcare at local authority and partnership centres, September 2018

  Under 2 2 year olds 3 + 4 year olds(2) Deferred Entry(4) Total
Number % of  population Number % of those eligible(3)
Aberdeen City 0   147  6 3,275 92 163 3,585
Aberdeenshire 6   174  6 4,451 95 291 4,922
Angus 1   101  9 1,688 96 152 1,942
Argyll & Bute 0 53  7 1,258 103 68 1,379
Clackmannanshire 0   112  21 861 103 25 998
Dumfries & Galloway 0   104  8 2,060 102 173 2,337
Dundee City 0   239  16 2,268 98 180 2,687
East Ayrshire 0   260  20 1,959 99 72 2,291
East Dunbartonshire 1 69  6 1,787 99 101 1,958
East Lothian 0 93  8 1,664 94 95 1,852
East Renfrewshire 18 54  5 1,738 97 94 1,904
City of Edinburgh 179   457  9 7,453 95 494 8,583
Na h-Eileanan Siar 4 33  14 375 100 38 450
Falkirk 0   115  7 2,783 107 116 3,014
Fife 0   549  14 6,050 101 289 6,888
Glasgow City 35   634  9 9,547 95 380 10,596
Highland 3   138  6 3,731 106 334 4,206
Inverclyde 26   125  17 1,106 97 61 1,318
Midlothian 1   122  11 1,872 105 123 2,118
Moray 0 73  7 1,487 105 88 1,648
North Ayrshire 10   285  21 2,038 100 49 2,382
North Lanarkshire 0   397  11 5,637 96 176 6,210
Orkney Islands 0 5 324 109 41 374
Perth & Kinross 0   129  9 2,255 102 237 2,621
Renfrewshire 126   316  18 2,691 99 222 3,355
Scottish Borders 0 94  8 1,640 96 99 1,833
Shetland Islands 0 2 416 109 46 467
South Ayrshire 24   164  16 1,841 111 67 2,096
South Lanarkshire 46   333  10 5,212 101 266 5,857
Stirling 7 40  5 1,344 100 101 1,492
West Dunbartonshire 52   182  19 1,427 100 68 1,729
West Lothian 0 95  5 3,187 96 175 3,457
Scotland 539 5,701 10 85,425 99 4,884 96,549

(1) This is a snapshot of registrations at census week (17-21 September 2018). It does not include children who were registered between census week and the end of December.

(2) Refers to academic year - 3 and 4 year olds were previously referred to as ‘ante pre-school’ and ‘pre-school’ respectively.

(3) Eligible children are estimated from National Records of Scotland population projections. For 3 year olds, only around half of children are eligible at the time of the census (17-21 September 2018).

(4) Refers to children who are eligible to attend primary school but have deferred entry and remain in funded ELC.

The number of 2 year olds registered has increased from 5,363 in 2017 to 5,701 in 2018. This represents an uptake of approximately ten per cent of all 2 year olds, with uptake remaining around the same level as in 2017. Around a quarter of 2 year olds are now eligible for funded ELC through the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 and through subsequent secondary legislation which commenced in August 2015.

Prior to 2011, the graduate workforce working in ELC was only formed of teachers. However, since 2011 they have only made up part of this workforce as a Bachelor’s degree (SCQF level 9) in Childhood Practice was introduced. From 2017, the census data collection was expanded to reflect this change in the workforce. The FTE and job type of graduate staff (with a SCQF level 9 qualification relevant to early years) working in ELC, other than teachers are now collected. Data has also been collected on ELC staff that do not hold a graduate level qualification (SCQF level 9) relevant to early years that were working towards the benchmark degree level qualifications required for registration with the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) as a manager/lead practitioner. See the background notes for a list of the SSSC benchmark qualifications.

Table 5.2 shows that the FTE of graduates working in ELC with degrees relevant to early years, other than teachers, was 2,302, an increase of 229 compared with 2,074 recorded in 2017. The FTE of ELC staff working towards the SSSC benchmark degree level qualifications has increased by 87 to 1,098 in 2018, compared with 1,011 in 2017. Finally, there were 821 FTE teachers working in ELC at the time of the census, compared with 921 in 2017.

Table 5.2: FTE of teachers, graduate staff, and staff working towards graduate qualifications at centres providing funded early learning and childcare, by local authority

    Full Time Equivalent (FTE)
Teachers (1) Graduates (2)   Working towards graduate qualifications (3) Total
Aberdeen City 35  67  57  159 
Aberdeenshire 14  51  53  118 
Angus 44  29    79 
Argyll & Bute 36    52 
Clackmannanshire 16  16    39 
Dumfries & Galloway 18  50  15    84 
Dundee City 37  44  49  129 
East Ayrshire 13  72  37  122 
East Dunbartonshire 30  45  43  118 
East Lothian 12  40  14    67 
East Renfrewshire 31  71  27  128 
City of Edinburgh   138  246    110  494 
Na h-Eileanan Siar 14    25 
Falkirk 25  76  29  130 
Fife 68  64  70  202 
Glasgow City 55  490    138  682 
Highland 35  31  29    95 
Inverclyde 42  10    60 
Midlothian 15  46  15    76 
Moray 35  15    56 
North Ayrshire 11  78  31  119 
North Lanarkshire 42  123  55  219 
Orkney Islands   15 
Perth & Kinross 42  41  37  120 
Renfrewshire 14  80  30  124 
Scottish Borders 17  11    37 
Shetland Islands   16 
South Ayrshire 27  48  31  106 
South Lanarkshire 63  178  55  295 
Stirling 49  35    92 
West Dunbartonshire 50  12    71 
West Lothian 10  56  26    93 
Scotland   821 2,302 1,098 4,222

(1) GTCS registered teachers. Includes teachers in ELC centres, centrally employed teachers, and home visiting teachers.

(2) Includes staff that hold: a degree level benchmark qualification required by the SSSC for registration as a manager/lead practitioner (see background notes for list of benchmark qualifications); a degree level (SCQF level 9) qualification relevant to early years and are working towards a degree level benchmark qualification required by the SSSC for registration as a manager/lead practitioner; or a degree level qualification sufficient to meet the registration standards of another regulatory body (e.g. Nursing and Midwifery Council, General Medical Council).

(3) Staff that do not hold degrees (SCQF level 9) relevant to early years, but are working towards a SSSC benchmark degree level qualification for registration as a manager/lead practitioner.

Table 5.3 shows the characteristics of teachers in ELC. The vast majority of teachers (94%) are female, although since 2015 the proportion of male teachers has doubled from 3% to 6%. Since 2012, the average age of teachers has remained around age 45. Data on age and gender is only available for teachers, although they only form part of the graduate workforce in ELC.

Table 5.3: ELC Teacher characteristics percentages(1), 2018

Gender Age
Female Male Under 25 25 to 34 35 to 44  45 to 54  55 or over  Average Age
94 6 1 16 31 33 19 45

(1) Figures are based on headcount

Chart 2 shows the age profile of GTCS registered ELC teachers, as at September 2018.  The number of teachers generally increases with age, with peaks at ages 35 and 48, before decreasing sharply after age 57.

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

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

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