Achievement of Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) Levels 2024-25
Achievement of Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) levels: 2024-25 provides information on national performance in literacy and numeracy, based on all pupils in publicly funded Primary 1, Primary 4, Primary 7 and Secondary 3 classes, and for all pupils based in special schools/units.
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Chapter 1 Achievement of CfE Levels at Scotland level
Primary Stages
For primary stages combined in 2024-25, the proportion achieving expected levels in literacy (75 per cent) was the highest on record and in numeracy (80 per cent) equal highest with 2023-24.
However, when the data is broken down into individual primary stages, at P1 there was a slightly lower proportion achieving the expected level for all organisers than in 2024-25.
At P4, the proportions attaining the expected level are the highest ever for all of the literacy organisers, and the second highest on record for numeracy, very slightly lower than in 2023-24. At P7 all organisers showed the highest ever proportions achieving the expected levels.
As in previous years, the proportion of pupils achieving the expected CfE level across each primary school stage was highest in listening and talking, and lowest in writing. For listening and talking, 88 per cent of pupils in primary stages combined achieved the expected CfE level compared to 77 per cent for writing.
Table 1: Primary attainment was highest in listening and talking and lowest in writing
Percentage of primary pupils achieving expected CfE levels, 2024-25
|
Stage/Level |
Reading |
Writing |
Listening/ Talking |
Literacy |
Numeracy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
P1 - Early Level |
81 |
79 |
87 |
76 |
85 |
|
P4 - First Level |
79 |
74 |
87 |
72 |
78 |
|
P7 - Second Level |
82 |
77 |
88 |
75 |
79 |
|
P1, P4 and P7 combined |
81 |
77 |
88 |
75 |
80 |
The full time series, back to 2016-17 can be found in Table 1 of the supplementary tables.
Secondary (S3) Stage
For S3 pupils, the proportions in 2024-25 achieving third level or better in literacy (90 per cent) and numeracy (91 per cent) are at their highest ever level.
S3 (third level or better) attainment in the reading, writing and listening and talking organisers are all at their highest level.
The proportions of S3 pupils achieving fourth level were at their highest ever across all organisers, and have increased markedly over the last three years. This increase may be partially due to improvements in assessment and recording at level four.
Table 2: Around nine out of ten S3 pupils achieved third level or better in each of the organisers in 2024-25
Percentage of S3 pupils achieving expected CfE levels, 2024-25
|
Stage/Level |
Reading |
Writing |
List./ Talk |
Literacy |
Numeracy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
S3 - third level or better |
91 |
91 |
92 |
90 |
91 |
|
S3 - fourth level |
68 |
66 |
69 |
63 |
68 |
The full time series, back to 2016-17 can be found in Table 1 of the supplementary tables.