National Standardised Assessments for Scotland: national report 2024-2025

Executive Summary

This report presents an analysis of outcomes from the Scottish National Standardised Assessments (SNSA) and Measaidhean Coitcheann Nàiseanta airson Foghlam tron Ghàidhlig (MCNG) for the academic year 2024–2025. It provides insights into learner performance in Numeracy, Reading/Literacy, and Writing across Primary 1 (P1), Primary 4 (P4), Primary 7 (P7), and Secondary 3 (S3), with breakdowns by key demographic indicators.

This summary in general terms about the assessments and categories of learners. The analysis here is based on SNSA outcomes as due to the number of MCNG assessments completed, a similar breakdown would risk identifying individual learners^[1]. For the same reason, a number of graphical analyses in this report have been provided for the SNSA but not for the MCNG. For the ethnicity outcomes, to allow for the presentation of data, the MCNG ethnicity groupings differ from those used in SNSA where more granularity can be provided without identification of completers.

Across all stages, the majority of learners achieved outcomes in the middle to upper capacity bands. In P1, most learners achieved in bands 4–6, with band 6 being the most common. Bands 8 and 9 were most frequently achieved at P4. For P7, bands 8 to 10 were most common. S3 outcomes were more evenly distributed across bands 9 to 11 with 10 being the most frequently achieved.

In Numeracy, a greater proportion of male learners tended to achieve outcomes in the higher capacity bands at all stages for the Numeracy assessments than female learners, but this was reversed in both Reading and Writing where female learners achieved outcomes in higher capacity bands.

In the categories of Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD), Free School Meal Entitlement (FME), Additional Support Needs (ASN), and Looked After Children (both at Home and Away from Home), greater proportions of learners from the least deprived backgrounds, with no FME and ASN and those who are not Looked After Children, tended to achieve outcomes in the highest capacity bands. This was observed across all stages and subject areas. These differences become more pronounced as learners move through the stages of their education.

Generally, learners from Asian and Mixed or multiple ethnic groups backgrounds had higher proportions achieve outcomes in the higher capacity bands. Learners from White backgrounds had a higher proportion achieving in the higher capacity bands in earlier stages compared to later year groups. Learners from Caribbean or Black and Other backgrounds tended to score lower across all stages and assessments.

Assessment-level breakdown and analysis is contained in the main body of this report.