Summary statistics for schools in Scotland no. 10: 2019 edition

Results of the annual pupil and teacher census and early learning and childcare provision conducted in September 2019 and attendance, absence and exclusions for the 2018 to 2019 school year.

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Chapter 5: Early Learning and Childcare

98% of eligible three and four year olds were registered for funded ELC (99% in 2018)

11% of two year olds were registered for funded ELC (10% in 2018)

Table 5.1 shows that there were 96,375 registrations for funded Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) in September 2019, a slight decrease of 0.2% since September 2018 when there were 96,549 registrations. Uptake of funded ELC for eligible three and four year olds remains very high, with an estimated 98% registered (99% in 2018). Children registered to receive funded ELC at more than one centre may be counted more than once, so this will slightly overestimate true uptake.

The number of two year olds registered has increased from 5,701 in 2018 to 5,990 in 2019. This represents 11% of all two year olds, an increase from 10% in 2018. Around a quarter of two year olds are eligible for funded ELC through the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 and through subsequent secondary legislation which commenced in August 2015.

At local authority level, the proportion of two year olds registered varies considerably, with the highest proportions found in Inverclyde (21%) and East Ayrshire (21%). Shetland Islands (3%) and Scottish Borders (6%) had the lowest proportions of their two year old populations registered for funded ELC. It should be noted that the proportion of the two year old population registered for funded ELC will be affected by the proportion of the population that is eligible in each local authority area. However, this is currently not known, so the proportion of eligible two year olds that are registered for funded ELC cannot be reported on.

The number of deferred registrations for funded ELC also increased, by 9%, from 4,884 in 2018 to 5,326 in 2019. Of children potentially eligible for deferral 19% were registered for funded ELC in 2019, compared with 17% in 2018.

Table 5.2 shows that the overall FTE of teachers, graduates and staff working towards the SSSC benchmark degree level qualifications in ELC was 4,781 in 2019, compared with 4,222 in 2018, an increase of 13%.

The FTE of teachers working in ELC was 798 in 2019, compared with 821 in 2018, a 3% decrease of 23 FTE. There were 2,535 FTE graduates working in ELC with degrees relevant to early years, other than teachers, a 10% increase of 233 FTE compared with 2,302 recorded in 2018. The FTE of ELC staff working towards the SSSC benchmark degree level qualifications increased by 350 to 1,448 in 2019, a 32% increase compared with 1,098 in 2018.

Table 5.1: Registrations(1) for funded early learning and childcare at local authority and partnership centres, September 2019

Under 2 2 year olds 3 & 4 year olds(2) Deferred entry(4) Total
Number % of population Number % of those eligible(3) Number % of those eligible(5)
Aberdeen City 0 133 6 3,330 94 194 17 3,657
Aberdeenshire 7 188 7 4,612 97 341 22 5,148
Angus 0 110 10 1,653 97 173 30 1,936
Argyll and Bute 0 45 6 1,225 106 89 23 1,359
City of Edinburgh 118 476 9 7,287 95 489 19 8,370
Clackmannanshire 3 98 18 816 98 30 11 947
Dumfries and Galloway 0 134 11 2,081 104 157 24 2,372
Dundee City 2 267 17 2,246 99 181 24 2,696
East Ayrshire 70 268 21 2,050 102 70 10 2,458
East Dunbartonshire 3 86 8 1,724 94 109 18 1,922
East Lothian 9 68 6 1,812 102 103 17 1,992
East Renfrewshire 16 65 6 1,675 93 97 16 1,853
Falkirk 0 180 11 2,558 101 172 20 2,910
Fife 0 591 16 5,912 101 265 13 6,768
Glasgow City 72 740 11 9,261 94 472 14 10,545
Highland 1 139 6 3,536 101 320 27 3,996
Inverclyde 48 155 21 1,264 115 76 20 1,543
Midlothian 0 125 11 1,836 103 132 22 2,093
Moray 0 58 6 1,482 102 123 26 1,663
Na h-Eileanan Siar 4 32 14 382 103 40 33 458
North Ayrshire 0 237 18 1,905 94 79 12 2,221
North Lanarkshire 0 387 11 5,582 95 262 14 6,231
Orkney Islands 0 19 10 336 117 43 42 398
Perth and Kinross 0 165 12 2,225 102 239 32 2,629
Renfrewshire 97 326 19 2,829 105 182 21 3,434
Scottish Borders 0 61 6 1,780 104 75 13 1,916
Shetland Islands 0 7 3 415 105 62 50 484
South Ayrshire 26 162 16 1,637 99 85 16 1,910
South Lanarkshire 69 296 9 5,162 99 292 17 5,819
Stirling 7 67 8 1,425 105 102 23 1,601
West Dunbartonshire 57 178 19 1,441 99 82 17 1,758
West Lothian 0 127 6 2,971 91 190 18 3,288
Scotland 609 5,990 11 84,450 98 5,326 19 96,375

(1) This is a snapshot of registrations at census week (16-20 September 2019). It does not include children who were registered between census week and the end of December.

(2) Refers to academic year - three and four year olds were previously referred to as 'ante pre-school' and 'pre-school' respectively.

(3) Eligible children are estimated from National Records of Scotland population projections. For three year olds, only around half of children are eligible at the time of the census (16-20 September 2019). Children are counted once for each centre they are registered with, so the same child may be counted multiple times if they attend more than one centre. Children may also attend centres outside of the local authority they live in, which would also affect these figures.

(4) Refers to children who are eligible to attend primary school but have deferred entry and remain in ELC.

(5) Eligibility figures for deferral are calculated on the assumption that all children born from September to February inclusive are potentially eligible for funded ELC if they defer entry to primary school; January and February born children are entitled to the additional year of funded ELC, while for September to December born children, the local authority decides whether to provide it. Children born after school commencement date in mid-August can also defer entry to primary school, but they are not included in the calculation for the percentage of those eligible for deferred entry to avoid double counting with the four year old category.

Table 5.2: Teachers, graduate staff, and staff working towards graduate qualifications at centres providing funded early learning and childcare, by local authority, September 2019

Full Time Equivalent (FTE) and percentage

Teachers(1) Graduates(2) Working towards graduate qualifications(3) Total
FTE % change since 2018
Aberdeen City 28 68 58 153 -3
Aberdeenshire 19 105 93 217 83
Angus 8 45 35 88 12
Argyll and Bute 9 44 21 75 44
City of Edinburgh 132 283 123 537 9
Clackmannanshire 7 26 14 46 17
Dumfries and Galloway 20 74 23 117 40
Dundee City 39 55 40 133 3
East Ayrshire 13 88 61 162 32
East Dunbartonshire 31 49 36 116 -2
East Lothian 7 37 11 55 -17
East Renfrewshire 33 64 30 127 -1
Falkirk 3 51 51 104 -19
Fife 70 59 81 210 4
Glasgow City 58 451 238 747 10
Highland 30 52 12 93 -2
Inverclyde 9 45 28 82 37
Midlothian 14 65 29 109 44
Moray 3 35 14 53 -5
Na h-Eileanan Siar 2 4 3 10 -60
North Ayrshire 9 94 43 146 22
North Lanarkshire 32 167 69 268 22
Orkney Islands 5 6 8 19 27
Perth and Kinross 40 65 56 161 34
Renfrewshire 8 112 43 163 32
Scottish Borders 19 21 1 42 15
Shetland Islands 6 7 8 21 35
South Ayrshire 28 38 51 117 10
South Lanarkshire 73 161 45 279 -6
Stirling 12 61 57 129 39
West Dunbartonshire 14 57 24 95 34
West Lothian 21 45 41 107 15
Scotland 798 2,535 1,448 4,781 13

(1) GTCS registered teachers. Includes teachers in ELC centres, centrally employed teachers, and home visiting teachers.

(2) Includes staff that hold: a degree level benchmark qualification required by the SSSC for registration as a manager/lead practitioner (see background notes for list of benchmark qualifications); a degree level (SCQF level 9) qualification relevant to early years and are working towards a degree level benchmark qualification required by the SSSC for registration as a manager/lead practitioner; or a degree level qualification sufficient to meet the registration standards of another regulatory body (e.g. Nursing and Midwifery Council, General Medical Council).

(3) Staff that do not hold degrees (SCQF level 9) relevant to early years, but are working towards a SSSC benchmark degree level qualification for registration as a manager/lead practitioner.

Table 5.3 shows the characteristics of teachers in ELC. The vast majority of teachers (94%) were female. Since 2015 the proportion of male teachers has doubled from 3% to 6%.

Table 5.3: ELC Teacher characteristics percentages, 2019

Percentage of headcount

Sex Age
Female Male Under 25 25 to 34 35 to 44 45 to 54 55 or over Average Age
94 6 1 15 33 33 18 45

Since 2012, the average age of teachers has remained around age 45. Data on age and sex is only available for teachers, although they only form part of the graduate workforce in ELC.

Chart 2 shows the age profile of GTCS registered ELC teachers, as at September 2019. The number of teachers generally increases to age 40, then peaks at age 40 and 47, before decreasing sharply after age 59.

Chart 2: Age profile of GTCS registered early learning and childcare teachers

Chart 2: Age profile of GTCS registered early learning and childcare teachers

Contact

Email: Alasdair.Anthony@gov.scot

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