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Publication - Statistics

Summary statistics for schools in Scotland no. 10: 2019 edition

Published
10 December 2019
Directorate
Learning Directorate
Topic
Education
ISBN
9781839604010

Results of the annual pupil and teacher census and early learning and childcare provision conducted in September 2019 and attendance, absence and exclusions for the 2018 to 2019 school year.

View supporting documents Supporting documents

Chapter 2: Overview

96,375 registrations in 2,576 early learning & childcare centres (ELC)

697,989 pupils in 2,476 schools

52,247 teachers (full-time equivalent, including ELC)

13.6 pupil teacher ratio in schools

The overall number of pupils and teachers have both increased this year and the pupil teacher ratio (PTR) remained the same as 2017 and 2018 at 13.6. The numbers of teachers has increased across all sectors except early learning & childcare and centrally employed. The decrease in primary pupils combined with the increase in primary teachers meant there were fewer pupils per teacher and consequently the primary PTR decreased to 15.9. In secondary schools the number of pupils has grown at a faster rate than the number of teachers meaning there were more pupils per teacher, so the secondary PTR increased to 12.4.

Table 2.1: Schools, pupils, teachers and PTR

Pupils - Headcount; Teachers - Full Time Equivalents (FTE)

2013 2014 2015(1) 2016 2017 2018(6) 2019
Schools
ELC(2) 2,504 2,449 2,492 2,514 2,532 2,544 2,576
Primary 2,056 2,048 2,039 2,031 2,019 2,012 2,004
Secondary 364 362 361 359 360 357 358
Special 149 145 144 141 135 114 114
Pupils
ELC(2) 102,871 101,463 97,262 96,961 95,893 96,549 96,375
Primary 377,382 385,212 391,148 396,697 400,312 400,276 398,794
Secondary 289,164 284,762 281,939 280,983 281,993 286,152 292,063
Special(3) 6,956 6,940 6,871 6,668 6,654 6,823 7,132
Total (excluding ELC)(3) 673,502 676,914 679,958 684,348 688,959 693,251 697,989
Teachers
ELC(2) 1,288 1,200 1,038 985 921 821 798
School based 48,620 48,335 48,395 48,746 49,463 50,099 50,477
Primary 22,905 22,960 23,425 23,920 24,477 24,899 25,027
Secondary 23,695 23,401 23,059 22,957 23,150 23,317 23,522
Special 2,020 1,974 1,911 1,869 1,836 1,883 1,927
Centrally employed (school) 1,170 1,186 1,283 1,239 1,129 1,039 972
Total school (excluding ELC) 49,790 49,521 49,679 49,985 50,592 51,138 51,449
Total (including ELC) 51,078 50,720 50,717 50,970 51,513 51,959 52,247
Pupil Teacher Ratios
Publicly funded schools(4) 13.5 13.7 13.7 13.7 13.6 13.6 13.6
Total based in schools(5) 13.9 14 14 14 13.9 13.8 13.8
Primary 16.5 16.8 16.7 16.6 16.4 16.1 15.9
Secondary 12.2 12.2 12.2 12.2 12.2 12.3 12.4
Special 3.5 3.5 3.6 3.6 3.6 3.6 3.7

(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 and total pupil count 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.

(6) Prior to 2018, special schools with no pupils or where no pupils were on roll but pupils from other schools attended were included in school counts in this table. From 2018, they have been excluded.

Contact

Email: Alasdair.Anthony@gov.scot

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