Scottish Government

BACKGROUND NOTES

1. Under the Registration of Independent Schools (Scotland) Regulations 2006, independent schools are required each year to supply certain statistics to the Scottish Government. This census covers independent primary, secondary and special schools. In 2006 the collection of the independent census changed, reducing the number of forms required to be completed by schools. This potentially reduced the burden on schools, as well as ensuring that information was consistent.

2. Teacher numbers for the 2007 and 2008 censuses have been revised and therefore differ slightly from those published at the time. The exact number of teachers reported is always likely to be affected by a handful of missing or inaccurate data. Data for years prior to 2007 has not been revised.

3. Results of the census of publicly funded schools is available from the following link: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/bulletins/00777

Information on leaver destinations for independent schools are published and can be found at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/bulletins/00774

4. Where numbers of pupils/students are given, these relate to pupils based at the school. Pupils/students who are attending the school but are based at another centre (for example, students from a Further Education College who are taking some classes at a school) are not included. In 2009 there was a school which was open but had no pupils enrolled, this school is not included in the figures in this publication.

5. A class is a group of pupils normally supervised by one teacher. The group may occasionally be supervised by more than one teacher, for example, when pupils are receiving learning support from a teacher who is not the class teacher.

6. A composite class is a class of pupils from two or more stages.

7. Following the implementation of the Support For Learning Act, there have been changes in the way additional support needs are reported. From 2005 arrangements have been put in place to identify pupils with additional support needs who require a co-ordinated support plan. The statutory criteria and content for a co-ordinated support plan can be found at:
http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/publications/s/publication_tcm4510131.asp?strReferringChannel=inclusiveeducation

8. A Co-ordinated Support Plan is available only where the education authority is responsible for the child's education. Education authorities have discretionary power to make provision for pupils with additional support needs in independent schools, for whose education they are not responsible. The education authority may comply with a request from a parent to establish whether a child in an independent school, for whose education they are not responsible, has additional support needs or would, if the education authority were responsible for the child's education, require a co-ordinated support plan. Such a request can also be made by a manager of an independent or grant-aided school.

9. For those pupils who had a Record of Needs immediately prior to the commencement of the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004, on 14 November 2005, the education authorities funding the pupils were, within 2 years (November 2007), to establish whether or not such pupils require a co-ordinated support plan. The provision being made for the recorded pupil is preserved as a minimum level of support unless there is a significant change in the individual's additional support needs or until the date that it is established that they require a plan, or if they do not require a plan, 2 years from the date that that is established. Such pupils are referred to in this publication under the heading " RoN". Pupils with RoN provision were not reported in the Pupils in Scotland 2009 census but have been recorded in the Independent Census. There were a small number of pupils still recorded as having ongoing provision based on a previous RoN since this was still valid until November 2009.

10. Individualised Educational Programmes ( IEPs) are written plans setting targets that a child, with special educational needs, is expected to achieve. Targets should be limited in number and focus on key priorities of learning. They should be simple, clearly expressed and measurable. Pupils may have an IEP with another record of support needs but they cannot have both a CSP and a RoN. Pupils with any combination of needs (including those not eligible for CSPs, RoNs or IEPs) are classed as having Additional Support Needs.

11. Unless clearly stated as headcount, figures are always full-time equivalents ( FTE). Where a teacher works in more than one school, this is counted as one person in the headcount.

12. In small number of cases we are uncertain whether the information on GTC registration is complete. In other cases registration might have lapsed. Teachers in the independent schools are not required to be registered with the GTC.

13. The following symbol is used:

- = zero or rounds to zero
n/a = not available
* = disclosive data

14. All percentages are rounded separately and breakdowns may consequently not appear to sum to their total.

15. This is a National Statistics publication. National Statistics are produced to high professional standards set out in the National Statistics Code of Practice. They undergo regular quality assurance reviews to ensure that they meet customer needs. They are produced free from any political interference.

16. This report was edited by Paul Gona, Kasia Bejtka and Venetia Haynes.

17. All tables are available on the Scottish Government website at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/bulletins/00815

Enquiries

18. Public enquiries (non-media) about the information contained in this notice should be addressed to:

tel. 0131 244 0183
or email school.stats@scotland.gsi.gov.uk

19. Media enquiries about the information in this notice should be addressed to:

Tom Whittles, tel: 0131 244 2530

Statistics Publication Notice
27th April 2010