We use cookies to collect anonymous data to help us improve your site browsing experience.

Click 'Accept all cookies' to agree to all cookies that collect anonymous data. To only allow the cookies that make the site work, click 'Use essential cookies only.' Visit 'Set cookie preferences' to control specific cookies.

Set cookie preferences

Your cookie preferences have been saved. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

Publication - Statistics

Summary statistics for schools in Scotland no. 9: 2018 edition

Published
11 December 2018
Directorate
Learning Directorate
ISBN
9781787814394

Results of the annual pupil census, annual teacher census, early learning and childcare provision and school estate survey data.

This document is part of 2 collections

View supporting documents Supporting documents

Chapter 6: School Estates

96 schools were built or substantially refurbished in 2017-18

86.6% of schools were in good or satisfactory condition in 2018

83.3% of schools were of a good or satisfactory suitability in 2018

The School Estates Core Facts survey collects information on the size, condition, suitability and capacity of all schools open on 1st April 2018. Information is also collected on all schools that were built or substantially refurbished during the financial year 2017-18. Only builds or refurbishments costing at least £0.5 million for Primary and at least £1 million for Secondary and Special schools are reported here. These statistics are used to monitor progress in improving the school estate.

Table 6.1 shows that 96 schools were built or refurbished in 2017-18, 71 of which were Primary schools. Since 2011-12, 490 schools have been built or substantially refurbished.

Table 6.1: Schools built or substantially refurbished

  2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18
Primary 37 43 50 71 33 82 71
Secondary 6 14 8 5 9 11 17
Special 3 3 5 5 2 7 8
Total schools built or refurbished 46 60 63 81 44 100 96

As a result of the investment and reorganisation of the school estate, the proportion of schools in good or satisfactory condition has increased from 81.7 per cent in April 2012 to 86.6 per cent in April 2018. Taking into account the different number of pupils in each school, this shows an increase in the proportion of pupils in good or satisfactory condition schools from 83.5 per cent in April 2012 to 88.2 per cent in April 2018.

Table 6.2: School condition and school rolls

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
Schools (1)
Numbers
A: Good 581 623 620 641 666 703 696
B: Satisfactory 1,540 1,477 1,498 1,479 1,453 1,462 1,470
C: Poor 446 449 422 406 396 345 331
D: Bad 23 17 16 11 8 5 3
Condition not recorded 6 1 2 1 1 1 1
Percentages  
A: Good 22.4 24.3 24.2 25.3 26.4 27.9 27.8
B: Satisfactory 59.3 57.5 58.6 58.3 57.6 58.1 58.8
C: Poor 17.2 17.5 16.5 16.0 15.7 13.7 13.2
D: Bad 0.9 0.7 0.6 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.1
Condition not recorded 0.2 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Pupils on school roll (2)
Numbers
A: Good  224,523 241,392 241,605 225,505 236,260 253,369(3) 265,717
B: Satisfactory  334,204 318,799 321,568 347,360 335,159 343,506 336,660
C: Poor  102,845 103,815 103,635 98,387 102,526 83,810 78,475
D: Bad  7,476 5,889 5,422 4,277 3,604 2,137 1,884
Condition not recorded 176 0 213 0 0 0 0
Percentages  
A: Good  33.5 36.0 35.9 33.4 34.9 37.1 38.9
B: Satisfactory  49.9 47.6 47.8 51.4 49.5 50.3 49.3
C: Poor  15.4 15.5 15.4 14.6 15.1 12.3 11.5
D: Bad  1.1 0.9 0.8 0.6 0.5 0.3 0.3
Condition not recorded 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

(1) Condition as reported in April of each year. See background notes for more information on the condition ratings.

(2) Pupils on the school roll as recorded in the previous September. Schools which opened after September but before April will have no pupils recorded for that school year unless they chose to supply this figure during the School Estates collection.

Information on suitability of schools has been collected since April 2010. Suitability provides a measure of the extent to which a school building and its grounds are appropriate in providing an environment which supports quality learning and teaching. The proportion of schools with a good or satisfactory suitability has increased from 77.2 per cent in April 2012 to 83.3 per cent in April 2018. Taking into account the different number of pupils in each school, this shows an increase in the proportion of pupils in good or satisfactory suitability schools from 78.8 per cent in April 2012 to 85.9 per cent in
April 2018.

Table 6.3: School suitability and school rolls

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 (3) 2017 2018
Schools (1)
Numbers
A: Good 622 663 688 706 728 777 788
B: Satisfactory 1,381 1,394 1,387 1,339 1,324 1,271 1,295
C: Poor 531 477 451 463 445 447 405
D: Bad 50 32 28 26 22 16 8
Suitability not recorded 12 1 4 4 5 5 5
Percentages
A: Good 24.0 25.8 26.9 27.8 28.8 30.9 31.5
B: Satisfactory 53.2 54.3 54.2 52.8 52.5 50.5 51.8
C: Poor 20.5 18.6 17.6 18.2 17.6 17.8 16.2
D: Bad 1.9 1.2 1.1 1.0 0.9 0.6 0.3
Suitability not recorded 0.5 0.0 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2
Pupils on school roll (2)
Numbers
A: Good  209,541 225,757 234,021 240,245 250,508 271,260 277,429
B: Satisfactory  317,729 320,627 323,994 316,170 312,851 302,296 309,105
C: Poor  126,139 111,686 102,527 107,368 104,009 101,321 91,774
D: Bad  15,397 11,825 11,581 10,393 8,095 5,795 2,248
Suitability not recorded 418 0 320 1,353 2,086 2,150 2,180
Percentages
A: Good  31.3 33.7 34.8 35.6 37.0 39.7 40.6
B: Satisfactory  47.5 47.9 48.2 46.8 46.2 44.3 45.3
C: Poor  18.8 16.7 15.2 15.9 15.4 14.8 13.4
D: Bad  2.3 1.8 1.7 1.5 1.2 0.8 0.3
Suitability not recorded 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.3 0.3 0.3

(1) Suitability as reported in April of each year. See background notes for more information on the suitability ratings.

(2) Pupils on the school roll as recorded in the previous September. Schools which opened after September but before April will have no pupils recorded for that school year unless they chose to supply this figure during the School Estates collection.

Back to top