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A Scottish Executive National Statistics Publication

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Teachers in Scotland, 2003

1. Introduction

1.1 This bulletin contains the latest data on teachers and support staff in publicly funded schools in Scotland, mainly derived from the new annual staff census which took place in September 2003.

1.2 The last full staff census took place in 1998, but since then summary data has been collected each year as part of the school census. Comparison of figures from this full census with 2002 data may therefore be affected by the change in collection method.

1.3 Unless clearly stated as headcount, figures are always full-time equivalent.

2. Main Points

2.1 The total number of teachers in primary, secondary and special schools was 49,230, which is 818 fewer than in 2002. This reflects falling pupil numbers and is broadly in line with the Scottish Executive's projections. Numbers may also be affected by a change in reporting procedure this year.

2.2 There were also an estimated 1,733 teachers in the pre-school sector in the January 2004 census, making a total of 50,963 teachers in schools and pre-schools (730 fewer than in 2002). Additional teachers being trained to meet the Executive's commitment of 53,000 teachers by 2007 had yet to enter the workforce. ( ¹)

2.3 There were a further 1,987 centrally employed visiting specialists and peripatetic teachers and 464 quality improvement officers involved in similar roles but not based in schools.

2.4 There were a further 26,091 school based staff and 2,197 centrally employed staff identified in the staff census as providing support to the education system.

2.5 There were 22,321 teachers in primary schools (22,979 in 2002), giving a pupil teacher ratio of 18.2 (18.0 in 2002). 93 per cent of teachers were female. Eleven per cent were part time.

2.6 There were 24,881 teachers in secondary schools (25,040 in 2002), giving a pupil teacher ratio of 12.8 (12.7 in 2002). 57 per cent of teachers were female. Seven per cent were part time.

2.7 There were 2,027 teachers in special schools (2,028 in 2002), giving a pupil teacher ratio of 3.8 (3.9 in 2002). 82 per cent of teachers were female. Ten per cent were part time.

2.8 The average (mean) age of teachers was 44. The age profile shows a major peak in the late forties/early fifties, but with level numbers in the twenties and thirties. 11 per cent of teachers were aged 55 or over.

2.9 The proportion of teachers who were male has dropped from 30 per cent in 1996 to 26 per cent in 2003. In promoted posts the proportion who were male was 44 per cent, with the figure being 36 per cent for head teachers and deputes.

2.10 In primary schools there were 92 teachers whose main subject was physical education, 73 whose main subject was music and 59 whose main subject was art & design. There were 481 who gave learning support as their main subject, and 257 gave SEN related subjects.

2.11 In secondary schools, the largest number of teachers were in English (2,387) and maths (2,262). Technical education was the subject with the highest proportion of male teachers (91 per cent), with home economics being nearly all female teachers. Music, drama and physical education teachers had the youngest age profiles, with special needs teachers being on average the oldest.

2.12 Where ethnic background data was given, 0.7 per cent of teachers were from minority ethnic groups, which was lower than in the population. There was a higher proportion in secondary (0.9 per cent) than primary (0.4 per cent), while 0.7 per cent of special school teachers were from minority ethnic groups. In promoted posts the proportion who were from minority ethnic groups was 0.4 per cent, though ethnic minority teachers were not, on average, as experienced as white teachers. This analysis may also be affected by the four per cent of teachers for whom ethnic background was not reported.

2.13 There were 102 teachers currently teaching Gaelic language, 178 providing Gaelic medium education, and 333 teachers reported being able to teach through the medium of Gaelic.

2.14 There were 1,837 teachers in the probation induction scheme, 914 in primary schools and 923 in secondary schools.

2.15 There were 2,060 students who graduated from initial teacher training in 2003. In primary, the proportion graduating through PGCE has increased from 33 per cent in 1996 to 57 per cent in 2003.

Contents

Table

Scotland
Summary
1.1 Schools, pupils and teachers by school sector, 2002 & 2003
1.2 Teachers by gender, all sectors, 1990-2003
1.3 Teachers by mode of working, all sectors, 1996-2003

Primary
2.1 Teachers by gender, and pupil teacher ratios, 1990-2003
2.2 …………… age and gender, 2003
2.3 …………… grade, mode of working and gender, 2003
2.4 …………… status and gender, 2003
2.5 …………… employment type and gender, 2003
2.6 …………… ethnicity and grade, 2003
2.7 …………… main subject taught, 2003
2.8 …………… qualification, 2003
2.9 …………… ability to teach through Gaelic and age, 2003
2.10 Teachers with Roman Catholic approval, by age, 2003
2.11 Teachers by class contact time, 2003
2.12 Continuing professional development, by grade and gender, 2003
2.13 Supply teachers by age and gender, 2003
2.14 Teachers not currently in school, 2003
2.15 School Support Staff

Secondary
3.1 Teachers by gender, and pupil teacher ratios, 1990-2003
3.2 …………… age and gender, 2003
3.3 …………… grade, mode of working and gender, 2003
3.4 …………… status and gender, 2003
3.5 …………… employment type and gender, 2003
3.6 …………… ethnicity and grade, 2003
3.7 …………… ability to teach through Gaelic and age, 2003
3.8 …………… class contact time, 2003
3.9 …………… main subject taught 1990, 1994, 1998
3.10 …………… main subject taught, gender, Gaelic use, 2003
3.11 …………… main subject taught and age, 2003
3.12 …………… qualification, 2003
3.13 Continuing professional development, by grade and gender, 2003
3.14 Teachers with Roman Catholic approval, by age, 2003
3.15 Supply teachers by main subject taught and gender, 2003
3.16 Teachers not currently in school, 2003
3.17 School Support Staff, 2003

Special
4.1 Teachers by gender, and pupil teacher ratios, 1988-2003
4.2 …………… age and gender, 2003
4.3 …………… grade, mode of working and gender, 2003
4.4 …………… status and gender, 2003
4.5 …………… employment type and gender, 2003
4.6 …………… ethnicity and grade, 2003
4.7 …………… main subject taught, 2003
4.8 …………… qualification, 2003
4.9 …………… class contact time, 2003
4.10 Continuing professional development, by grade and gender, 2003
4.11 Teachers with Roman Catholic approval, by age, 2003
4.12 Supply teachers by age and gender, 2003
4.13 Teachers not currently in school, 2003
4.14 School Support Staff, 2003

Local Authority

Primary
5.1 Teachers in publicly funded primary schools, 1996-2003
5.2 Pupil teacher ratios in publicly funded primary schools, 1996-2003
5.3 Teachers by age, 2003
5.4 …………… grade, 2003
5.5 …………… mode of working and gender, 2003
5.6 …………… employment type, 2003
5.7 …………… ethnicity, 2003
5.8 …………… main subject taught, 2003
5.9 …………… ability to teach through and use of Gaelic, 2003
5.10 Support Staff

Secondary
6.1 Teachers in publicly funded secondary schools, 1996-2003
6.2 Pupil teacher ratios in publicly funded secondary schools, 1996-2003
6.3 Teachers by age, 2003
6.4 …………… grade, 2003
6.5 …………… mode of working and gender, 2003
6.6 …………… employment type, 2003
6.7 …………… ethnicity, 2003
6.8 …………… main subject taught
6.9 …………… ability to teach through and use of Gaelic, 2003
6.10 Support Staff

Special
7.1 Teachers in publicly funded secondary schools, 1996-2003
7.2 Pupil teacher ratios in publicly funded special schools, 1996-2003
7.3 Teachers by age, 2003
7.4 …………… grade, 2003
7.5 …………… mode of working and gender, 2003
7.6 …………… employment type, 2003
7.7 …………… ethnicity, 2003
7.8 …………… main subject, 2003
7.9 Support Staff

Centrally employed staff
8.1 Number of staff (FTE)
8.2 Pupil teacher ratios including centrally employed teachers

Teacher Training
9.1 Number of students graduating from Teacher Training Institutes
9.2 Students Graduating from Teacher Training by subject 1996-2003
9.3 Students entering teacher training at the start of the academic Session, 1995/96 to 2002/03

ICT
10.1 Percentage of teachers with e-mail addresses,1999-2004

Scottish Executive Statistical Services

Enquiries

BACKGROUND NOTES

1. The information in this publication for 2003 is derived from the September 2003 staff census of all publicly funded primary, secondary and special schools. Information about centrally employed staff was also collected from local authorities.

2. Information relating to previous years is derived either from previous staff censuses (the last being in 1998), or from the annual school census, which until 2003 contained summary information on teacher numbers.

3. Information from the census is used to inform policy making, particularly in modelling the teacher workforce to ensure adequate future supply of newly trained teachers, and for monitoring current policies and equality issues.

4. Coverage

5. The staff census covers all publicly funded schools in Scotland (local authority and grant-aided). Where a school has more than one department, for example a secondary school with a primary department, these are counted as separate schools. The census of independent schools is published separately, and is available on the Scottish Executive website

6. http://www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/bulletins/00340-00.asp

7. From 2003 separate staff and pupil censuses have taken place. Results of the pupil census were published in "Pupils in Scotland, 2003", available on the Scottish Executive website at

8. http://www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/bulletins/00350-00.asp

   Census content

9. The content of the staff census is considered in consultation with the School Education Information Advisory Group (SEIAG). This group includes representatives from local authorities, teaching unions and headteachers associations, as well as staff from the Scottish Executive. The committee operates in the light of National Statistics guidelines, which restricts the department to collecting only the information that is required, at a level which is fit for purpose, whilst always trying to minimise the burden on data providers. Recommendations for changes to the census are made to SEIAG through the Scottish Exchange of Educational Data (ScotXed) network.

10. Collection methods

11. The information required to complete the September 2003 staff census was collected electronically, through local authorities, from nearly all publicly funded primary, secondary and special schools, as part of the ScotXed programme. The information is generally that stored on schools' management information systems, thus reducing the burden on schools.

12. ScotXed supports and promotes effective and secure data exchanges so that key partners in school education in Scotland can benefit from access to information to monitor and improve education services. Partners include: Local authorities, schools, the Scottish Qualifications Authority, HM Inspectorate of Education, Learning and Teaching Scotland and Scottish Executive Education Department. Further information, including specifications of the data exchanges, can be found at www.scotxed.net.

13. Definitions and Data quality

14. Tables in this publication cover publicly funded schools only, i.e. local authority and grant-aided.

15. Unless clearly stated as headcount, figures are always full-time equivalents. Where a teacher works in more than one school, this is counted as one person in the headcount. In previous years' school censuses (though not for the 1998 teacher census) the teacher would have been counted once from each school.

16. Due to the change in method of collection from previous years, and the various difficulties experienced with this first electronic census, caution must be taken in making comparisons with previous years. Past publications contain contradictory figures for some years. We have published here figures which we believe to be the most accurate.

17. Because of the difficulties this year, school level data was re-sent to LAs to ensure the correct total number of teachers. Four LAs sent amended data at school level. Where possible the individual level data was amended to reflect these changes, but in Perth & Kinross and South Ayrshire all data has been scaled to the corrected FTE figure. Approximate scaling factors are

18. Perth & Kinross primary 1.022 South Ayrshire primary 1.074

    Perth & Kinross secondary 1.066 Perth & Kinross special 0.934

19. Figures for the special school sector are compiled from special schools and special units, but not integrated special units. There would appear to be inconsistency between school and between local authorities in the reporting of special schools and special units, as well as changes over the past few years. We therefore advise caution when comparing results with previous years and across local authorities.

20. A few authorities do not have special schools, and may fund places in neighbouring authorities for their pupils. Special schools includes those where there were no pupils based, but which received pupils based in other schools.

21. At September 2003 there was one grant-aided mainstream school, with primary and secondary departments, and seven grant-aided special schools. These were:

Mainstream

• Glasgow City: Jordanhill

Special

• City of Edinburgh: Donaldson's College; Royal Blind School; Harmeny School;
• North Lanarkshire: The Scottish Centre for Children with Motor Impairment;
• Glasgow City: East Park;
• South Lanarkshire: Stanmore House School;
• Renfrewshire: Corseford Residential School;

Only partial information is collected from grant aided special schools.

15. These schools are included in national totals, but are identified separately in the local authority level tables. In previous years they have been included within the local authority of their location.

16. New job grades were introduced in August 2003, which are used in this census. About 140 teachers in the census reported being chartered teachers. However, in September 2003 it would not have been possible for a teacher to have fully gained charter teacher status. It is therefore assumed that those teachers who indicated they were chartered teachers had embarked on the course, and have been included here as teacher grade.

17. The Teacher Induction Scheme, for newly qualified probationer teachers, was introduced in 2002. Probationers on the scheme have 0.7 of the normal class contact time without this affecting their full time equivalence. Probationers are allocated to local authorities by the General Teaching Council for Scotland in partnership with the Scottish Executive, so numbers are held centrally. Census data identifying teachers on the probationer induction scheme fell far short of these numbers, so in this publication only the centrally held figures are shown.

18. For 2003 the maximum class contact time (CCT) was set as 25 hours in primary schools, 23.5 hrs in secondary schools, and 22.5 hrs in special schools. In 2004 the maximum CCT in primary school reduces to 23.5 hrs. CCT data was generally not available for Argyll & Bute, and national figures have therefore been scaled up. Tables in this publication show CCT for part-time teachers grossed up to a full time post. For example, if a teacher with FTE of 0.5 had a CCT of 12.5 hrs, this would appear as FTE 0.5 with 25 hours CCT as that is what their equivalent CCT would be if they were working full-time.

19. Some local authorities experienced difficulties in returning data on subjects taught. For processing reasons, where this information was not returned, it was necessary to attribute "other" as the main subject. This was also the case where teachers were not directly involved in teaching (e.g. head teachers). Teachers with zero CCT have not been included in subject taught tables, except for Argyll & Bute which did not submit CCT data.

20. Some local authorities experienced difficulties in returning data on qualifications. It has therefore only been published at a Scotland level, having been scaled up from those individuals who returned details of qualifications with at least one teaching qualification. Scaling factors were 1.14 in primary, 1.31 in secondary, and 1.21 in special. Qualifications data does not include supply teachers.

21. Some local authorities experienced difficulties in returning data on GTC registration. This information has therefore not been published. It is hoped that problems will be resolved for 2004.

22. Information on continuing professional development (CPD) was only asked for once if teachers were working in various schools. However, there were 45 FTE teachers where this information was not sent from any school. CPD information has been published at Scotland level, and, where not sent, has been set to "no". Teachers for whom the grade was reported as "chartered teacher" have been assumed to be undertaking the programme for chartered teacher status.

23. Information on ability to teach through Gaelic was only asked for once if teachers were working in various schools. However, there were 45 FTE teachers where this information was not sent from any school. In these cases ability to teach through Gaelic has been assumed to be "no", unless the teacher was currently teaching through Gaelic.

24. Information on ethnic background and national identity was only asked for once if teachers were working in various schools. However, there were 45 FTE teachers where this information was not sent from any school. In these cases ethnicity and national identity categories have been set to "not known".

25. The ethnicity and national identity categories were based broadly on those collected in the 2001 population census and were agreed following consultation. In choosing them it was necessary to balance the competing needs of not grouping different peoples together too much, while having large enough groups for valid analysis. Teachers were given the option of not disclosing their ethnicity. About 96 per cent of teachers disclosed their ethnic background, with the section of data including ethnic background missing for a further 0.1 per cent. Where "minority ethnic groups" are referred to, this includes all categories of ethnic background other than white-UK and white-other. Information was received for mainstream grant aided schools but has not been published here for disclosure reasons.

26. Roman Catholic approval means teachers have been approved as to their religious belief and character by a representatives of the Roman Catholic church.

27. Since there was only one code to identify supply teachers, it was not possible to determine which supply teachers were covering vacancies (and so should be counted in the total) and which were covering short-term sick absence (and so shouldn't, to avoid double counting). In practice it was found that most schools had not included the sick absence cover staff in their returns, so all supply teachers recorded were included in the total. This may have lead to a small amount of double counting. The census specification for 2004 has been changed to avoid this problem.

28. There were some differences in the way in which authorities deal with peripatetic teachers. In some cases these are considered as allocated to the schools where they teach, and have been included, with relevant partial FTE, in the school-level data. In other cases they are included in the centrally employed staff table. It is possible that a small amount of undercounting or double-counting has occurred.

29. Disclosive data

30. For certain types of information, numbers less than five are deemed to be disclosive, and hence not published. Where figures have been removed they are replaced by a *. Other figures in the table may also be removed to stop a disclosive figure from being calculated from the total. Occasionally data swapping has taken place to avoid disclosure.

31. Rounding

32. All percentages are rounded separately and breakdowns may consequently not sum to 100 per cent.

33. Symbols

34. The following symbols are used:

    . .	= not available		-	= nil or rounds to nil
    #	=not applicable		*	= disclosive data

32. Other data

33. Some further data, for example some schools level data, will be made available on the Scottish Executive website www.scotland.gov.uk/stats . Ad-hoc tables are available on request.

34. Analysis on a more local level (e.g. postcode sector, social inclusion partnership area, parliamentary constituency, etc) may also become available via the Neighbourhood Statistics website - http://www.sns.gov.uk.

35. General

36. All tables are available on the Scottish Executive website at

37. http://www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/bulletins/00352-00.asp

38. This is a National Statistics publication. National Statistics are produced to high professional standards set out in the National Statistics Code of Practice. They undergo regular quality assurance reviews to ensure that they meet customer needs. They are produced free from any political interference
39. The team responsible for producing this document was:

40. Mal Cooke, Bianca Heggie, Colin Gallacher.

    Enquiries or comments

41. Public enquiries (non-media) about the information contained in this News Release should be addressed to

42. Mal Cooke,
    Pupil, Teacher and School Statistics,
    Scottish Executive Education Department,
    Area 1A-West,
    Victoria Quay,
    Edinburgh
    EH6 6QQ.
    Telephone 0131 244 1689

    or email school.stats@scotland.gsi.gov.uk

43. Media enquiries about the information in this News Release should be addressed to:

Statistics Publication Notice

29 July 2004

(1) Revised 11:00, 30 July 2004

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