Achievement of Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) Levels 2016-17

Chapter 3: Achievement of CfE levels by gender

• A higher percentage of females are achieving the expected CfE level compared to males across all stages and organisers.
• The difference between the percentage of males and females that achieved the expected CfE level was largest in writing and smallest in numeracy, at all stages.

At all stages and across all four organisers, females outperformed males; particularly in writing. The largest difference between the percentage of males and females achieving the relevant level in writing was in P7 at 14 percentage points, with the lowest in S3 at eight percentage points.

The smallest difference in performance between genders was in numeracy. Females outperformed males but by a smaller margin; three percentage points in P1 and S3 and two percentage points in P4 and P7.

With respect to S3 pupils achieving Fourth Level, the difference between genders was greatest, but the pattern was still the same in that the smallest difference was in numeracy and the largest was in writing.

Table 3.1: Percentage of primary pupils achieving expected CfE levels by gender, 2016/17

Table 3.2: Percentage of S3 pupils achieving Third Level or better by gender, 2016/17

Table 3.3: Percentage of S3 pupils achieving Fourth Level by gender, 2016/17