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26 April, 2005

ISBN 0 7559 2538 6 (Web only publication)
ISSN 1479-7569

This document is also available in pdf format (156k)
The tables are also available in Excel Format (98k)

A Scottish Executive National Statistics Publication

This statistical publication notice provides results of the first full teacher census in publicly funded schools in Scotland since 1998.The main findings for September 2004 are:

• The total number of teachers based in primary, secondary and special schools was 49,554, which is 324 more than in 2003. Numbers may also be affected by a change in local authority reporting procedure this year.

• There were also an estimated 1,733 teachers in the pre-school sector in the January 2004 census, making a total of 51,287 teachers based in schools and pre-schools.

• Changes in local authority recording practices make it difficult to distinguish between increases in teachers who are based in schools and those who are centrally employed. There were a further 2,165 centrally employed visiting specialists and peripatetic teachers involved in similar roles but not based in schools. This is an increase of 138 from 2003.

• Overall there has been an increase of 463 teachers from 2003. This reflects changes in class contact time under the Teachers' Agreement. Most of the additional teachers being trained to meet the Executive's commitment of 53,000 teachers by 2007 had yet to enter the workforce.

• There were a further 21,488 school based staff and 2,278 centrally employed staff identified in the staff census as providing support to the education system.

• There were 22,577 teachers in primary schools (22,321 in 2003), giving a pupil teacher ratio of 17.6 (18.2 in 2003). 93 per cent of teachers were female. Twelve per cent were part time.

• There were 24,984 teachers in secondary schools (24,881 in 2003), giving a pupil teacher ratio of 12.7 (12.8 in 2003). 58 per cent of teachers were female. Seven per cent were part time.

• There were 1,993 teachers in special schools (2,027 in 2003), giving a pupil teacher ratio of 3.7 (3.8 in 2003). 82 per cent of teachers were female. Eleven per cent were part time.

• The average (mean) age of teachers remained at 44. The age profile shows a major peak in the late forties/early fifties, but with level numbers in the twenties and thirties. 16 per cent of teachers were aged 55 or over (15 per cent in 2003).
• The proportion of teachers who were male has dropped from 30 per cent in 1996 to 25 per cent in 2004. In promoted posts the proportion who were male was 39 per cent (down from 42 per cent in 2003), with the figure being 31 per cent for head teachers and deputes (down from 32 per cent in 2003).

• In primary schools there were 142 teachers whose main subject was physical education, 108 whose main subject was music and 60 whose main subject was art & design. There were 532 who gave learning support as their main subject, and 281 gave SEN related subjects.

• In secondary schools, the largest numbers of teachers were in English (2,510) and maths (2,382). 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.

• Where ethnic background data was given, 0.7 per cent of teachers were from minority ethnic groups, which was lower than in the population. However, for teachers registered since 2001 this percentage is 1.5 per cent, which is more comparable with the rate in the general population. This analysis may also be affected by the five per cent of teachers for whom ethnic background was not reported.

• There was a higher proportion of teachers from minority ethnic groups in secondary and special schools (1.0 per cent in both) than in primary (0.3 per cent). In promoted posts the proportion was 0.3 per cent, though the ethnic minority teachers have not, on average, been in the workforce for as long as white teachers.

• There were 104 teachers currently teaching Gaelic language, 203 providing Gaelic medium education (178 in 2003), and 365 teachers reported being able to teach through the medium of Gaelic (333 in 2003).

• There were 2,074 teachers in the probation induction scheme (1,837 in 2003), of which 1,079 were in primary schools and 995 were in secondary schools.

• There were 2,285 students who graduated from initial teacher training in 2004 (compared to 2,060 in 2003). In primary, the proportion graduating through PGCE has increased from 33 per cent in 1996 to 57 per cent in 2004

Contents

Summary
1 Schools, pupils and teachers by school sector, 2003 & 2004

Primary
2 Teachers by age and gender, 2004
3 …………… grade and gender, 2004
4 …………… ethnicity and grade, 2004
5 …………… main subject taught, 2004

Secondary
6 Teachers by age and gender, 2004
7 …………… grade and gender, 2004
8 …………… ethnicity and grade, 2004
9 …………… main subject taught, 2004

Special
10 Teachers by age and gender, 2004
11 …………… grade and gender, 2004Local authority
12 Teachers and pupil teacher ratios, 2004

Centrally Employed Staff
13 Centrally employed staff, 2004

BACKGROUND NOTES

The information in this publication for 2004 is derived from the September 2004 staff census of all publicly funded primary, secondary and special schools. Information about centrally employed staff was also collected from local authorities. The census was carried out through the Scottish Exchange of Educational Data (ScotXed) project, using information from schools' management information systems. More details on the ScotXed project can be obtained from www.ScotXed.net .Information relating to years prior to 2003 is derived either from previous staff censuses or from the annual school census, which until 2003 contained summary information on teacher numbers. Caution must be taken in making comparisons with previous years.

Please see the full staff census publication "Teachers in Scotland, 2004" (link below) for more complete background notes on the data collected.Information from the census is used to inform policy making, particularly in modelling the teacher workforce to ensure future supply of newly trained teachers, and for monitoring current policies.All tables are available on the Scottish Executive website http://www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/bulletins/00417

Full results are available in the publication "Teachers in Scotland, 2004"

http:// www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/bulletins/00416

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.

The following symbols are used:

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

Enquiries or comments

Public enquiries (non-media) about the information contained in this statistical publication notice should be addressed to:

Mal Cooke,
Pupil, Teacher and School Statistics
Scottish Executive Education Department,
Room 1B-South,
Victoria Quay, Edinburgh
EH6 6QQ.

Telephone 0131 244 1689
or email school.stats@scotland.gsi.gov.uk

Media enquiries about the information in this statistical publication notice should be addressed to:
Marion MacKay : 0131 244 3070

Statistics Publication Notice

26 April, 2005

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