Pupils and classes

Pupil demographics

In 2025, a total of 539,032 pupils were recorded as being White-Scottish or White-other British, 77% of the total (Figure 15). The next largest ethnic groups were White-Other (3.8%), White-Polish (2.4%), Asian Pakistani (2.4%) and mixed (2.0%).

In 2025, 43.0% of all pupils (299,445 individuals) had an additional support need (ASN) (Figure 16). This is 2.5 percentage points higher than 2024 when 40.5% of pupils had an additional support need.

The number of pupils identified with ASN has increased markedly since 2009 and there continue to be year on year increases (see table 1.5 of the supplementary statistics). The increase in pupil numbers is partly driven by increased awareness and identification of additional support needs, as well as a change in how ASN statistics were gathered in 2010, ensuring that these record any type of additional support provided to pupils. This should be borne in mind when using and interpreting these statistics.

Statistics on additional support needs include pupils in special schools and those in mainstream schools who are assessed or declared disabled, or have a Co-ordinated Support Plan (CSP), Individualised Education Programme (IEP), Child’s Plan or another type of support (see table 1.6 of the supplementary statistics).

Class sizes

The overall average class size for primary has decreased from 23.3 in 2024 to 23.1 in 2025 (Figure 17). In 2025, the average class size for P1-P3 decreased to 22.8, from 23.0 in 2024. The average class size for P4-7 remained the same at 25.7.

Legislation limits class sizes to 25 for P1 pupils and to 30 for P2 and P3. However, classes may exceed these limits due the inclusion of one or more ‘excepted pupils’ (see the background notes for more information).

Figure 18 shows that the number of P1-P3 pupils taught in classes of 26 or more decreased from 38,209 in 2024 to 32,884 in 2025. The number of pupils taught in classes of 18 or fewer decreased from 19,902 in 2024 to 19,440 in 2025. However, the reduction in the number of pupils in P1-P3 meant that the proportion of pupils taught in classes of 18 or fewer increased slightly from 12.9% in 2024 to 13.0% in 2025.

In 2025, the number of P1 pupils in classes of 26 or more was 424; this was a decrease from 493 in 2024 (Figure 19). In 2025, there were 18 classes with 26 or more pupils and at least one P1 pupil, compared to 20 such classes in 2024 (data not shown).

Statistics on class sizes in the secondary sector are not collected as class size varies widely across subjects and level of teaching.

Figure 15 Pupil ethnicity by sex, Scotland, 2025

Figure 16 Pupils with additional support needs (ASN) by sector and sex, Scotland, 2025 [Note 1]

Figure 17 Average class size of primary school pupils by stage, Scotland, 2019 to 2025 [Note 1]

Note 1: Data refers to the average class size of pupils in each stage, not the average class size of single stage classes. The total primary average class size is calculated on a different basis to all the other class sizes shown, see Background Notes for details.

Figure 18 P1-P3 pupils by class size, Scotland, 2019 to 2025 [Note 1] 

Note 1: The percentage of P1-P3 pupils in classes of 18 or fewer includes two-teacher classes with 36 or fewer. Classes taught by two teachers at all times are treated as two classes of half the size. 

Figure 19 P1 pupils by class size, Scotland, 2019 to 2025