Scottish Survey of Literacy
and Numeracy (SSLN)
Monitoring national performance in literacy and numeracy
September 2013
What is the SSLN?
What does the survey involve?
The Scottish Survey of Literacy and Numeracy (SSLN) is
an annual, sample-based survey which monitors national
performance in literacy and numeracy at P4, P7 and S2.
Developed in partnership between the Scottish Government,
Education Scotland, the Scottish Qualifications Authority
(SQA) and the Association of Directors of Education in
Scotland (ADES), the SSLN is aligned with Curriculum
for Excellence and includes written, online and interactive
teacher/pupil assessments.
Pupils selected to take part in the SSLN complete specific
literacy or numeracy tasks. There are questionnaires for pupils
and for teachers. The pupil questionnaire focuses on factors
which are likely to affect learning, such as pupil attitudes
and experience in class. The teacher questionnaire gathers
information on teachers’ experiences of learning and teaching.
This offers teachers an important platform to contribute to
the professional dialogue on learning and teaching and the
feedback gathered provides a valuable and authentic picture
of their experiences. Each school nominates a designated
‘SSLN coordinator’ to act as the contact point for the survey
in their school.
The survey focuses on literacy and numeracy in alternate
years, with the survey results published the following year.
The second numeracy survey took place in May 2013 and
the second literacy survey will follow in May 2014.
Results of the first literacy and numeracy surveys are
available to view online at www.scotland.gov.uk/ssln
All schools in Scotland are asked to take part in the survey
each year. Pupils are randomly selected to take part by
the Scottish Government’s Education Analytical Services
to ensure the national results fairly represent the full
population of P4, P7 and S2 pupils across Scotland. The
survey provides a snapshot of pupil attainment in literacy
and numeracy at a specific point in time and allows for
comparisons to be made between years.
‘‘
The Scottish Survey of Literacy and
Numeracy (SSLN) is an annual, sample-based survey which monitors
national performance in literacy and
numeracy at P4, P7 and S2.
’’
What are the benefits of
the SSLN?
2014
Each year Education Scotland
refreshes and updates professional
learning resources which have been
developed from the survey findings.
These resources are made available to
teachers, schools and local authorities to
support improvements and to assist and
inform learning and teaching practice.
September
• Literacy 2012 Professional Learning Resource: Listening and Talking: Group Discussion made available
November
• Schools to confirm literacy survey 2014 contact details
2013
The SSLN provides valuable
information, at a national level, on
literacy and numeracy performance at
P4, P7 and S2. The survey findings are used to inform improvements in
learning, teaching and assessment.
SSLN Timeline 2013/14
January
• Literacy 2012 Professional Learning Resource: Reading made available
March
• Literacy 2012 Professional Learning Resource: Writing made available April
• Numeracy survey 2013 results published
• Further numeracy support resources made available
• Literacy survey 2014 materials sent to schools
May
• Literacy survey 2014 undertaken in schools
• Numeracy 2015 pre-test in schools
September
• Numeracy Professional Learning Resource refreshed to reflect 2013 numeracy survey results
Key facts
• Around 4,000 pupils from each year
group (P4, P7 and S2) participate in the
survey each year. Around 6,000 teachers
participate in the teacher questionnaire.
• The survey focuses on literacy and
numeracy in alternate years, and each year some pupils are selected to trial the
assessments that will be used in the following year’s survey. For example,
when the literacy survey is underway,
some pupils will trial assessments for the
following year’s numeracy survey.
• Pupils and teachers are also selected to
complete a questionnaire. The pupil questionnaire captures pupils’ attitudes to learning and factors likely to affect
attainment. The teacher questionnaire
gathers information on teachers’
experiences of learning and teaching.
• Schools from every local authority in
Scotland are involved in the survey.
• Pupils from each school are randomly
selected to take part by the Scottish
Government’s Education Analytical
Services.
• To minimise the burden on schools, only three pupils are selected from P4 and
three from P7. In secondary schools,
fourteen pupils are selected from S2.
• Participation in the survey takes around
2-3 hours of a pupil’s time and is
incorporated into their daily routine at
school.
Further information and support
Further information about the SSLN is available at: www.educationscotland.gov.uk/ssln
• Information is collected for statistical and
research purposes only. The survey data
is safe and secure and pupils’ names,
addresses or any other personal data
are not collected.
• As the survey is designed to monitor
performance at a national level, no
information on individual pupils, schools
or local authorities is published.
• Professional Learning Resources are
developed each year from the survey
findings. This is for teachers, schools
and local authorities to support targeted
improvements in learning and teaching
practice, based on the results of the
survey.