School Education in Scotland
Tim Simons
Scottish Government
Learning Directorate
Education
Structure within Government
First Minister
Cabinet Secretary for Education & Lifelong Learning
Minister for Skills and Lifelong Learning
Minister for Children and Early Years
Director General: Learning and Justice
Education responsibilities include – children and young people,
lifelong learning and analytical services
Scottish Local Authorities
Pre-School Education Centres
Primary Schools
Secondary Schools
Special Schools
Further Education Sector
Higher Education Sector
Scottish Government – Purpose and
National Outcomes
Purpose is to create a more successful country, with
opportunities for all of Scotland to flourish, through
increasing sustainable economic growth.
National Outcomes include:
• We are better educated, more skilled and more
successful, renowned for our research and innovation.
• Our children have the best start in life and are ready to
succeed.
• Our young people are successful learners, confident
individuals, effective contributors and responsible
citizens.
National Education Agencies
- HMIE – evaluates the quality of pre-school
education, all schools, teacher education,
community learning and development, further
education and local authorities.
- LTS – provides advice and support on the
curriculum for children and young people aged
3-18.
- SQA – national accreditation and awarding body
in Scotland.
- New Agency - to be formed from July 2011
Statistical Information: Schools
School Census September 2010
• Population of Scotland – 5.1 million
• 673,138 school-aged pupils
• 2,634 publicly-funded schools
• 2,099 primary schools (age 5-11)
• 372 secondary schools (age 12-18)
• 163 special schools
Statistical Information: Schools
School Census Sept 2010
• 32 Local Authorities
• 49,923 school-based teachers
• 43 Further Education (FE) colleges
• 20 Higher Education Institutions (HEIs)
Statistical Information: Schools
School Census Sept 2010

Pre-School
Approximately 97% 3 and 4 year olds in attendance.
There are 2,586 centres
• Primary Schools (5-11 years)
Average class size 23.1 Pupil: Teacher ratio 15.8:1
• Secondary Schools (12-18 years)
Class sizes variable. Pupil: Teacher ratio 12.1:1

Special Schools
Account for 1.0% of total pupil population.
Pupil: Teacher ratio 3.6:1
Statistical Information: Schools
School Census Sept 2010
• Ethnic background of pupils
- White - UK 92%
- White - other 3%
- Asian-Pakistani 2%
- Mixed 1%
- 2% undeclared
• 138 different first languages
- Polish
- Punjabi
- Urdu
Statistical Information
Additional Support Needs
School Census Sept 2010
•69,587 pupils (10.3% of all pupils) had additional
support needs of which 66% were boys.
•Approximately 1.7% of pupils had a learning disability,
2.2% had social, emotional or behavioural difficulties.
•62,694 are in mainstream schools (9.4% of mainstream
school pupils.)

6,800 pupils are in special schools.
Statistical Information
Finance
• £4.87bn total gross revenue expenditure on
school education in 2008/09 (£4.74bn 2007-08)
£35bn total funding for local authorities over the
period 2008-11

SCQF
Levels
Qualifications
12
Doctorate
11
Masters
10
Honours Degree
9
Ordinary Degree
8
Higher National Diploma
7
Advanced Higher/Higher
National Certificate
AH/HNC
6
Higher
H
5
Intermediate 2/Standard
Grade Credit level
National 5
4
Intermediate1/Standard
Grade General level
National 4
3
Access 3/Standard Grade
Foundation level
Acc 3
Access 2
Acc 2
Access 1
Acc 1
2
1
Next Generation of
National Qualifications
OECD Review 2007
• Scotland is a well-schooled nation by
international standards”
• Many positive aspects of system, including
consistently-high performance in international
surveys e.g. PISA
• High quality pre-school education
• World class teacher induction
• High attainment/achievement for majority of
learners
OECD Review 2007
Review also uncovered challenges to system:



Need to reduce achievement gap linked to poverty and
deprivation
Need to achieve socially broader participation in upper
secondary education and HE
Need to reduce number of young people leaving school
with minimal qualifications and the comparatively high
proportion who find themselves in 'precarious transition'
i.e. 16-19’s not in education, employment or training
2002-03 – Background
• National Debate on Education/Parliamentary
Inquiry into Purposes of Education
– pupils, parents, teachers, employers and
others consulted.
– people valued and wanted to keep many
aspects of the curriculum, including
flexibility, breadth and depth.
2002-03
• Respondents wanted to:
– reduce over-crowding in the curriculum and
make learning more enjoyable.
– better connect the various stages of the
curriculum from 3 to 18.
2002-03
• achieve a better balance between academic and
vocational subjects and include a wider range of
experiences:
– equip young people with the skills they will need
in tomorrow’s workforce;
– allow more choice to meet the needs of individual
young people.
2004 – 2009: Summary of Curriculum Development
• Report published outlining the values, purposes and
principles of the curriculum 3-18.
• Ministerial Response to report sets out a range of actions
designed to give shape to these aspirations, including
streamlining the curriculum and simplifying the
assessment and qualifications system.
• Publication of framework for learning and teaching.
• Development of experiences and outcomes for the
curriculum.
Learner entitlements
•
•
•
a coherent curriculum from 3 to 18
a broad general education, including the
experiences and outcomes well planned across all
the curriculum areas, from early years through to
S3
a senior phase of education after S3 which provides
opportunity to obtain qualifications as well as to
continue to develop the four capacities
Learner Entitlements
•
•
•
opportunities for developing skills for learning, skills for
life and skills for work with a continuous focus on
literacy, numeracy, and health and wellbeing
personal support to enable them to gain as much as
possible from the opportunities which Curriculum for
Excellence can provide
support in moving into positive and sustained
destinations beyond school.
Curriculum design principles
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Challenge and enjoyment
Breadth
Progression
Depth
Personalisation and choice
Coherence
Relevance
Curriculum Levels
Early
First
Second
Third and
Fourth
Senior
phase
The pre-school years and P1, or later for some.
To the end of P4, but earlier or later for some.
To the end of P7, but earlier or later for some.
S1 to S3, but earlier for some.
The fourth level broadly equates to Scottish Credit and
Qualifications Framework level 4.The fourth level experiences and
outcomes are intended to provide possibilities for choice and
young people's programmes will not include all of the fourth level
outcomes.
S4 to S6, and college or other means of study.
Curricular areas
•
Expressive Arts
•
Languages and literacy
•
Health and well-being
•
Mathematics and numeracy
•
Religious and Moral Education
•
Sciences
•
Social Subjects
•
Technologies
2008 -2009: Assessment and Qualifications
• Consultation on next generation of National
Qualifications
• Announcement of future arrangements for
National Qualifications.
• Announcement of Assessment Strategy.
• Publication of Skills Framework.
2010
• Publication of Framework for Assessment.
• Progress reports on development of new and
revised National Qualifications.
• Advice on certification of literacy and
numeracy.
• Launch of National Assessment Resource.
STEM – Science, Technolology, Engineering
and Mathematics
• Strategic priorities set out in the
Government’s Science Action Plan
• LTS “Science Portal” to be available from next
month
• STEM-ED “Progression Project” will provide a
useful tool for teachers
• Place of science CPD positively acknowledged
in the Donaldson Report
STEM – Science, Technolology, Engineering
and Mathematics
• CERN Visit has been an excellence opportunity
to witness cutting edge science
• Excellence Groups have provided useful advice
to Government on future direction of
curriculum policy
• Recent positive report from the Royal Society
on relative value of Scottish Highers
School Education in Scotland
Tim Simons
Scottish Government
Learning Directorate