- How many schools are there in Scotland?
Primary 2184
Secondary 381
Special 190
Total 2,755
Primary 382,783
Secondary 312,979
Special 6975
Total 702,737
- When do children start primary?
Pupils usually start primary school at age 5, although there are some younger pupils. They attend primary school for seven years.
- When do children start high school?
Pupils are usually eleven or twelve when they start high school.
Pupils can leave school after turning sixteen. This is usually after fourth year. However, many children choose to stay on to complete fifth and sixth year.
- What's the Scottish equivalent of GCSEs and A levels?
In Scotland, pupils sit Standard Grades instead of GCSEs and Highers instead of A levels. These aren't the only qualifications available to pupils. More information is available at the qualifications section of this site.
- Can parents choose which school to send their children to?
Yes. Parents can make a placing request to a school of their choice, whether that's in their council area or not.
- How many denominational schools are there?
Scotland has 395 state-funded faith schools - 391 Catholic, 1 Jewish and 3 Episcopalian. These schools play an important part in education in Scotland. We believe it's important for parents and pupils to have the choice to attend a faith school, if they want to.
The average primary class now has 23.6 pupils. In 1996, the average was 24.9. We don't collect data on the size of secondary classes.
- How many teachers are there?
There are 54,484 teachers in Scotland.
Are there any teacher shortages?
No, but we are recruiting extra English and maths teachers to help us to reduce class sizes in early secondary school classes.
- How do I become a teacher in Scotland?
There are opportunities for committed and qualified teachers in Scotland. For more information on how to become a teacher, please visit www.infoscotland.com/teaching
- Are you scrapping history?
No. We are carrying a wide review of the curriculum in Scottish schools. We have no plans to drop history.
- How do I find out about independent schools in Scotland ?
There are 150 independent schools across Scotland. For more information on independent schools, please visit www.scis.org.uk
Is bullying a problem in Scottish schools?
Bullying is totally unacceptable and is not tolerated in Scottish schools. Every school must have an anti-bullying strategy and act quickly to take action whenever an incident of bullying occurs. We have no reason to think that Scotland has a particular problem with bullying. School inspectors recently told us that discipline in Scottish schools is generally good.
- What about children who need additional support in school?
Some children need extra help to get the most from their education. This could be for lots of reasons, like they have a learning disability, they could be going through a difficult time at home, or because they are particularly gifted. The Executive introduced an Act which says that councils have to make sure that children who do need help get it. This could be extra help from teachers, counsellors or health professionals.
Gifted children often need extra support at school to make sure that they are challenged and kept interested. The Additional Support for Learning Act says that councils have to make sure that children who do need help get it. That applies just as much to gifted children as it does to those with physical disabilities or learning difficulties.
- What are schools of ambition?
Schools of ambition are a select group of secondary schools across the country who have found exciting new ways to inspire their pupils to get more from their education. There are currently 52 schools on the programme. These schools have set out plans on how they will improve the schools performance. Most are developing expertise in one area, like art, drama or enterprise.
Every Scottish school is working towards becoming a health promoting school. These are schools which encourage everyone at the school to live a healthy life and working to ensure the physical, social, spiritual, mental and emotional well-being of pupils and staff. They do this through what's taught in schools and also by promoting healthy living in all that they do. Many work with communities and families in the local area to take the message even further.
- Are school meals healthy?
Yes. Scotland is ahead of the game when it comes to school meals. Since December 2005, primary school lunches have met tough nutrient standards and foods that are high in salt, sugar and fat are only available a few times a week. There are also plans to extend these standards to include what's on offer in tuck shops and vending machines, so that only healthy options are available.
- Can schools keep my children in over lunchtime?
Schools set their own policy on this.
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