Headline school and early learning and childcare (ELC) statistics

In 2023 there was a decrease in the number of pupils and in teacher full-time equivalents (FTE). However, as both these changes were relatively small the pupil teacher ratio (PTR), which gives a measure of the size of the teaching workforce relative to the pupil population, remained at 13.2 after rounding.

Teacher numbers increased in the secondary sector and for centrally employed but the combined decreases in primary, special and ELC sectors were large enough to result in a reduction in teacher FTE overall. There was a decrease in both teachers and pupils in the primary sector and the primary PTR remained at 15.3. In secondary schools there was an increase in both teachers and pupils. The increase in secondary pupils was slightly higher proportionally than the increase in secondary teachers meaning there was an increase in pupils per teacher which resulted in the secondary PTR increasing from 12.4 to 12.5.

Figure 1 Publicly funded schools, Scotland, 2017 to 2023

Figure 2 Pupils by sector, Scotland, 2017 to 2023

Figure 3 Teachers by sector, Scotland, 2017 to 2023 [Note 1]

Note 1: ELC teachers include ELC home visiting

Figure 4 Pupil teacher ratios (PTR) by sector, Scotland, 2017 to 2023