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News Release
Destinations of Leavers from Scottish Schools: 2001/02
18 December 2002

A Scottish Executive National Statistics Publication

This document is also available in pdf format (352k)

Information about the destination of Scottish school leavers for 2001/02 is today published by the Scottish Executive Education Department.

This publication updates the News Release "Destinations of Leavers from Scottish Schools: 2000/01" and contains information regarding the destinations of young people leaving Scottish schools (publicly funded, independent and grant-aided). The News Release and accompanying tables can be found on the Scottish Executive Web Site: www.scotland.gov.uk

Findings are of immediate destinations and are not directly comparable to the other participation indicators.

The main findings are: -

• The proportion of young people leaving publicly funded schools who entered into full-time further or higher education remained at 52 per cent during 2001/02 - the same as the previous year. This is made up of 32 per cent going on to full time higher education and a further 20 per cent taking up full time further education.
• 89 per cent of young people who left independent schools continued onto full-time further or higher education.
• Leavers who entered training outwith employment remained the same as 2000/01 at 6 per cent.
• Young people entering employment remained stable at 26 per cent from 1997/98 until 1999/00 then dropped slightly to 23 per cent in 2001/02.
• There is variation in the pattern of leaver destinations between authorities. Geographical location and proximity of further and higher education institutions are all factors which are influential to the school leavers destinations.

TABLES

Table 1 Percentage of school leavers from publicly funded schools in Scotland by destination category: 1992/93 to 2001/02
Table 2 Percentage of school leavers from independent schools in Scotland by destination category: 1995/96 to 2001/02
Table 3 Young people in Training (16-24 year olds with employed or trainee status): 1998/02
Table 4 Education Authority Summary: 1994/95 to 2001/02
Table 5 Aberdeen City: 1999/00 to 2001/02
Table 6 Aberdeenshire: 1999/00 to 2001/02
Table 7 Angus: 1999/00 to 2001/02
Table 8 Argyll & Bute: 1999/00 to 2001/02
Table 9 Clackmannanshire: 1999/00 to 2001/02
Table 10 Dumfries & Galloway: 1999/00 to 2001/02
Table 11 Dundee City: 1999/00 to 2001/02
Table 12 East Ayrshire: 1999/00 to 2001/02
Table 13 East Dunbartonshire: 1999/00 to 2001/02
Table 14 East Lothian: 1999/00 to 2001/02
Table 15 East Renfrewshire: 1999/00 to 2001/02
Table 16 City of Edinburgh: 1999/00 to 2001/02
Table 17 Eilean Siar: 1999/00 to 2001/02
Table 18 Falkirk: 1999/00 to 2001/02
Table 19 Fife: 1999/00 to 2001/02
Table 20 Glasgow City: 1999/00 to 2001/02
Table 21 Highland: 1999/00 to 2001/02
Table 22 Inverclyde: 1999/00 to 2001/02
Table 23 Midlothian: 1999/00 to 2001/02
Table 24 Moray: 1999/00 to 2001/02
Table 25 North Ayrshire: 1999/00 to 2001/02
Table 26 North Lanarkshire: 1999/00 to 2001/02
Table 27 Orkney: 1999/00 to 2001/02
Table 28 Perth & Kinross: 1999/00 to 2001/02
Table 29 Renfrewshire: 1999/00 to 2001/02
Table 30 Scottish Borders: 1999/00 to 2001/02
Table 31 Shetland Islands: 1999/00 to 2001/02
Table 32 South Ayrshire: 1999/00 to 2001/02
Table 33 South Lanarkshire: 1999/00 to 2001/02
Table 34 Stirling: 1999/00 to 2001/02
Table 35 West Dunbartonshire: 1999/00 to 2001/02
Table 36 West Lothian: 1999/00 to 2001/02
Table 37 Independent Schools Summary: 1999/00 to 2001/02
Table 38 Grant Aided Schools: 1999/00 to 2001/02

NOTES FOR NEWS EDITORS

1. National Statistics Publication

This is a National Statistics Publication. It has been produced to high professional standards set out in the National Statistics Code of Practice and Release Practice Protocol. http://www.statistics.gov.uk/about_ns/cop/default.asp

These statistics undergo regular quality assurance reviews to ensure that they meet customer needs. They are produced free from any political interference.

2. Sources

Information on publicly funded schools is provided to The Scottish Executive by Careers Scotland. Information from independent schools is collected directly from the schools.

The data relate to the latest known destinations of leavers as known at 4 October 2002. For example, a school leaver who left in June 2002 and travelled for several months but who is known by Careers Scotland to have taken up employment prior to 4 October will be counted under employment.

3. School Leavers

A school leaver is classed as a young person of school leaving age who left school during or at the end of the school year, where the school year is taken to run from 1 August to 31 July.

In practice, many young people do not decide whether or not to leave school until after they have received the results of external examinations, have tried to get a job or achieve entry to further or higher education or training. For many pupils, therefore, it is only possible to identify later whether they have effectively left school by 31 July. There may also be slight differences in the way Careers Scotland count leavers who return to school for a short period after the summer break. Thus full comparability between education authorities cannot be assured.

It should be noted that the News Release does not contain information on the destination of leavers from special schools. Leavers from these schools are few in number and fluctuate from year to year.

4. Leaver Destinations

The following categories for leaver destination are included in the News Release. These are also described in the Regulations in the SOED circular 10/93 on the Information for Parents in Scotland.

Full-time Higher Education: - includes leavers following HND (Higher National Diploma) or HNC (Higher National Certificate) courses, degree courses, courses for the education and training of teachers and higher level courses for professional qualifications. It also includes programmes at a level higher than the standard of the New National Qualifications (Intermediate 1, Intermediate 2 and Higher) which were introduced in 1999/00, Scottish Certificate of Sixth Year Studies and the National Certificate of Education of England, Wales or Northern Ireland at Advances Level. Leavers with a deferred, unconditional place in higher education have also been included in this category.

Full-time Further Education: - includes leavers undertaking full-time education which is not higher education and who are no longer on a school roll.

Training: - includes leavers who are on a training course and in receipt of an allowance or grant, such as Skillseekers, but who are not employed. It should be noted that a large proportion of leavers entering employment may also be participants in training through the Skillseekers programme.

Employment: - includes those who are employed for a minimum of 21 hours per week and who are in receipt of payment from their employers. It includes young people undertaking training in employment through Skillseekers. Where a leaver has more than one job, the leaver will be included in the employment category if they have worked more than 21 hours in total.

Other Known Destinations: - includes school leavers who are known by the education authority or school to be unemployed, sick, at home looking after children or caring for the elderly, involved in full-time unpaid voluntary work, or taking time out. This category is a very wide one but it is not possible at present for the careers services to provide information that reliably distinguishes between school leavers who are unemployed or who are employed and/or in education part-time for less than 21 hours per week and those covered by the other options under the heading. It should be noted that this category may include some leavers with more than one part-time placement.

Unknown: - includes all leavers whose destinations are not recorded by the Careers Scotland, independent or grant-aided schools.

5. Interpretation of figures for individual schools

Many factors affect the destinations of leavers. Examples include the following points which should be noted when comparing figures for individual schools.

• Increasing numbers of school leavers are taking a 'year out' before continuing their education or entering employment. Apart from pupils with a deferred unconditional place for Higher Education, pupils taking a 'year out' are included in the 'other known destinations' category. Details on the number of such pupils may be obtained from individual schools.
• The destinations of leavers from individual schools may depend partly on location. For example, in many rural and island areas, young people have to travel long distances or live away from home in order to take up courses in higher or further education.
• Economic factors may affect the availability of employment in the local area. A major construction project or the opening of an industrial enterprise may present many new opportunities. Equally, lack of local employment may encourage leavers towards further education or training.
• In certain areas, or particular years, the pattern of school leaver destinations may be affected by the implementation of Skillseekers, the existence of an education-business partnership or special arrangements for entry to higher education.
• There may be a strong local tradition for pupils either to stay on at school or to leave school as early as possible, affecting the numbers who stay on long enough to gain the necessary entrance qualifications for higher education.
• Schools which offer education only up to S4 do not in general offer the qualifications necessary for leavers to enter higher education, but they may prepare leavers for further education. Such schools are identified (S1-S4) in the tables.
• Some education authority schools are designated to receive pupils from schools which only offer education in S1 to S4 to continue their education in S5 and S6. Such schools may gain a significant proportion of pupils beyond the statutory leaving age who are interested in further and higher education. The schools whose figures could be affected in this way are identified in the tables. In some cases, this may be a temporary situation which has arisen for one year because of the closure of a neighbouring school.
• Some schools have special units which make provision for pupils who have learning difficulties. The destinations of these pupils are included in the figures in the tables and this might have a significant effect which will be heavily dependent on the number of pupils in the special unit and the nature of their needs.
• Fluctuations in the figures from year to year are likely. For example, differences in the proportion of leavers proceeding to higher education may derive from the ability of pupils in a particular year group. Similarly, there may be short-term opportunities for employment in some localities. In small schools with only a few leavers, small changes in the number of leavers in each destination category can make a big difference in percentage terms from year to year.

6. Symbols

Two asterisks (**) have been inserted in the tables in the following circumstances:

1. where the number of leavers in any category is between 1 to 4.
2. for 'unknown destinations' where otherwise it would be possible to calculate the number of leavers less than 5 in another category.

Two hashes (##) have been inserted where a school has recently opened or merged with another schools and the required information is not available.

Schools marked (§) receive pupils after S4 to continue their education in S5 and S6.

7. Enquiries

Public enquiries (non-media) about the information contained in this News Release should be addressed to Denise Macleod, Statistical Enquiries, The Scottish Executive Education Department, Education and Children Statistics Unit, Area 1-A West, Victoria Quay, Edinburgh EH6 6QQ. Telephone 0131 244 0313 or e-mail to: denise.macleod@scotland.gsi.gov.uk

Media enquiries about the information in this News Release should be addressed to Susan Monk 0131 244 2614.

News Release: Internet: www.scotland.gov.uk

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