Scottish Government

ISBN 0 7559 2692 7(Web only publication)
ISSN 1479-7569

16 ^th August 2005

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A Scottish Executive Statistics Publication

This document contains the latest results of the Scottish Executive's annual survey of teacher and educational psychologist vacancies. The survey covers all local authority schools, including pre-school teachers. Figures for educational psychologists are collected separately.

The main findings were: -

• There were 1,164 teacher vacancies currently advertised at February 2005, equivalent to two per cent of the full teaching complement. The number of vacancies had increased from 790 in 2004.
• There were 439 advertised posts which had been vacant for more than three months, 38 per cent of vacancies, and equivalent to 0.9 per cent of the full teaching complement. The number of these vacancies had increased from 335 in 2004.
• Vacancy rates were two per cent in primary (0.6 per cent for more than three months) and two per cent in secondary (one per cent for more than three months).
• Modern studies and English were the subject areas with the highest vacancy rates, both with four per cent (one and two per cent respectively for more than 3 months). In maths the rate was three per cent (one per cent for more than 3 months).
• There were also 14 vacancies for educational psychologists, three per cent of the workforce.
• There were 2,770 probationer teachers allocated to local authorities for 2005/06, 84 per cent of whom were allocated to their first or second choice authorities.

BACKGROUND NOTES

1. The vacancy information in this statistical publication notice is derived from the February 2005 teacher and educational psychologist vacancy survey. It includes vacancies that had been advertised for permanent appointments or appointments of at least one term's duration, which existed at 18 ^th February 2005.
2. The Scottish Executive carries out an annual teacher workforce planning exercise to help determine the number of places required in teacher training institutions. The vacancies information collected in this survey informs this process in monitoring teacher supply and in setting priorities in subject areas.
3. Vacancy rates have been calculated using figures for the teaching complement supplied as part of the survey. Comparison of these complement figures with the results of the teacher census show an undercount of the workforce reported in the vacancy survey. This means that true vacancy rates are in some cases likely to be very slightly lower than those shown here, though generally there is at most 0.1 per cent difference.
4. Vacancies for integrated special units have not been treated consistently between local authorities. Some have included such vacancies (and the workforce complement) in the sectors in which they are integrated, whereas others have been included in the special sector.
5. The probationer information in this statistical publication notice is the number of probationers that were allocated to each authority as at 31 ^st July 2005. Final placements may be different where students decide not to take up their allocation to a particular authority.
6. All tables are available on the Scottish Executive website at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/bulletins/00429
7. Public enquiries (non-media) about the information contained in this Publication Notice should be addressed to:

1. Media Enquiries about information in this Publication Notice should be addressed to:
   Marion Mackay
   Telephone 0131 244 3070
   Statistics Publication Notice

16 ^th August 2005

Table 1: Currently advertised vacancies ⁽¹⁾ by sector and subject

(1) Vacancy data not available for Aberdeenshire in 2002 or 2003.
(2) Gaelic medium and educational psychologist vacancy data not collected prior to 2004

Table 2: Posts vacant for more than 3 months ⁽¹⁾ by sector and subject

(1) Vacancy data not available for Aberdeenshire in 2002 or 2003.
(2) Gaelic medium and educational psychologist vacancy data not collected prior to 2004

Table 3: Vacancies ⁽¹⁾, by sector and local authority, February 2005

(1) advertised vacancies, and those which have been vacant for more than three months.

Table 4: Vacancy rates ⁽¹⁾, by sector and local authority, February 2005

(1) advertised vacancies, and those which have been vacant for more than three months, as a percentage of reported teaching complement. True vacancy rates may be slightly lower for some subjects, see background note 3.

Table 5: Probationer induction scheme teachers ⁽¹⁾, by sector and local authority as at 31 ^st July 2005

(1) Probationer induction scheme data from SEED statistics on allocation of places.