2. Main Findings
Part 2: Qualifications Attained by Leavers.
2.1. School Leavers.
2.1.1. There has been a continual increase in the proportion of school leavers attaining at least one or more awards at SCQF level 6 or higher in the last 3 years ( Table 11). 47.3 per cent of school leavers attained one or more awards at SCQF level 6 or higher in 2008/09 compared to 43.6 per cent in 2007/08. This will have been influenced by increased staying on rates.
2.1.2. As previously a higher proportion of females than males leaving publicly funded schools achieved passes across all SCQF Levels, except where three or more passes at SCQF Level 7 were attained ( Table 13).
2.1.3. 93.7 per cent of leavers attained English at SCQF Levels 3 to 5 and 94 per cent attained these levels in Mathematics. The proportions attaining English at SCQF Levels 6 and 7 were 27.8 per cent and 1.8 per cent respectively and the corresponding results for Mathematics were 20.4 per cent and 3.3 per cent (Tables 14, 15 & 16).
2.1.4. 3.3 per cent of leavers obtained no awards at SCQF Level 3 or better, compared to 3.7 per cent in 2007/08 and 4.2 per cent in 2006/07. It should be noted that some of these pupils will have achieved unit awards or Access 1 & 2 Cluster awards, however these are not currently included in the analyses. Almost 15 per cent of leavers achieved one or more passes at SCQF Level 7, around 2 per cent more than in 2007/08 (12.8 per cent) ( Table 11).
2.1.5. Leavers from the most deprived decile were more likely to leave with no qualifications at SCQF level 3 or better than those from the least deprived decile, 9.5 per cent compared to 0.5 per cent. Only 4.1 per cent of leavers from the most deprived decile have any awards at SCQF 7, compared to 33.3 per cent of those from the least deprived decile. Similarly, school leavers with additional support needs were more likely (14.0 per cent) to attain no awards at SCQF level 3 or better than those with no additional support needs (2.8 per cent) ( Table 12).
2.1.6. 13.9 per cent of pupils leaving schools in large urban areas attained at least one award at SCQF level 7, this compares to 18.3 per cent of pupils leaving schools in accessible rural areas, and again, this disparity is likely to be linked to different levels of deprivation ( Table 12).
2.2. School Leavers with Additional Support Needs.
2.2.1. 47.4 per cent of leavers from publicly funded secondary and special schools with additional support needs had 5 or more qualifications at SCQF level 3 or above, compared to 92.0 per cent of those with no additional support needs ( Table 17).
2.2.2. 21.9 per cent of those with ASN had no qualifications at SCQF level 2 or above compared to 2.7 per cent of the rest, while 8 per cent had at least one qualification at SCQF level 6 or above, compared to just over 49 percent of those with no ASN ( Table 18).
Part 1: SQA Attainment Data - Post Appeal.
2.3 Attainment.
2.3.1. There has been a gradual increase in attainment over the last 3 years across all measures and stages ( Tables 1-4). This will have been influenced by the increased staying on rates.
2.3.2. Currently 92.7 per cent of S4 pupils achieve English and Maths at SCQF level 3 this is an increase of almost 1 per cent on the previous year ( Table 2). This continues the increasing trend from a low of 90.5 per cent recorded in 2004/05.
2.3.3. There has been a 1 per cent increase since 2007/08 in pupils achieving 3+ awards at SCQF level 6 by the end of S5 (23.4 per cent) ( Table 3).
2.3.4. 13.5 per cent of pupils at the end of S6 achieve 1+ awards at SCQF level 7 or better, up almost 1 per cent on the previous year ( Table 4).
2.3.5. By the time the 2006/07 S4 year group had reached the end of S6, 48.0 per cent had achieved 5+ Awards at SCQF level 5 or better, compared to only 33.1 per cent at the end of S4 ( Table 5).
2.3.6. Females continue to out perform males at all stages and levels, although it should be noted that a higher rate of females stay on to S5 and S6 ( Tables 2-5).
2.4 Tariff Scores1.
2.4.1. There was a slight increase in the average tariff score on the previous year, this continues the trend seen in recent years ( Table 6).
2.4.2. The average tariff score of pupils in the most deprived decile has increased by 3 points on the previous year to 124 points ( Table 6). The gap in the average tariff score between the most deprived decile (124 points) and least deprived decile (230) remains at around 100 points. (Table 6) The average tariff score increases as deprivation decreases.
2.4.3. Pupils attending schools in remote rural areas had average tariff scores of 196 compared to 171 for those in large urban areas. This disparity is likely to be linked to different levels of deprivation. ( Table 6)
2.4.4. Data on looked after children were incomplete, with the 2008 pupil census reporting about 84 per cent of the numbers reported by children's social work statistics (see background note 4.3), and may not be representative of all looked after children. However, the information available suggests that looked after children have much lower average tariff scores (81 for those looked after away from home and 52 for those looked after at home) than those not looked after (181). Furthermore looked after children without additional support needs ( ASN) have a lower average tariff score (70) than pupils who are not looked after but do have ASN (93) ( Table 6).
2.4.5. Over the last three years Chinese (222), Indian (195) and Mixed Race (195) pupils in S4 continue to attain the highest average tariff scores. ( Table 7). When comparing those living in the 20% most deprived data zones to those living elsewhere, the gap between more deprived and less deprived pupils is largest for the white other ethnic groups, and relatively small for Pakistani and Black Other pupils. ( Table 8 and Chart 11).
2.4.6. There has been a slight decrease in the number of qualifications gained in special schools, however the number of pupils in special schools have been declining in the past 10 years ( Table 10).