If you think you have everything about teaching in Scotland, you think GTCS is what it’s about, I think that’s what it’s about. On Monday, October 1, 2015, the high school students will return to class for the first time since the start of the new school year. There has been a concerted effort to bring teacher salaries in Scotland up to the OECD average. [Sources: 0, 8, 11]
Schools are supported to provide learning and teaching resources and to help their students, teachers, parents, staff and community members do so. Schools support their students, educators, family members, friends, employees and the general public in enabling them to learn, teach and support. [Sources: 1]
There is a useful fact sheet entitled “If your child cannot go to school,” which has been produced by Education Scotland and the Scottish Government on the School Life in Scotland website. For more information on school life in the UK and Scotland, visit the Education England website and a list of schools in each region. [Sources: 7, 14]
In September 2011, the total number of pupils in Scotland was 4.3 per cent of those taught in independent schools. Of the children who were admitted or dismissed, 4% to 3% attended school at least partially – with an average age of 18.5 years. [Sources: 1, 3, 15]
We are committed to providing schools for every pupil in every primary school and 98% of Scottish schools currently meet this target. Since January 2015, we have committed to teaching 1.5 per cent of all primary school pupils in publicly funded schools. [Sources: 2]
The Scottish Parliament now requires all pupils to have two hours of physical education lessons a week, but schools can vary the mandatory combination. The Scottish Government’s Physical Education and Exercise Plan (PEP) for primary school pupils now requires every pupil to have two hours of physical education lessons a week. Schools may vary the mandatory combination of two and three hours per week for each of the three primary years, and the mandatory combinations may vary by school. [Sources: 1]
Visit the Scottish boarding schools website to learn more about the individual application process in schools. For more information on the admissions process for schools, visit the Scottish Council of Independent Schools website, the Scottish Boarding Schools website for the full list of Scottish schools or the Independent Schools website for more information on their application processes. The Scottish Government has published a useful leaflet, “A guide to parents and school attendance,” on its website. [Sources: 9, 14]
The Curriculum of Excellence (CfE) is the national curriculum used from kindergarten to secondary school in Scotland, followed by the majority of Scottish schools in pre-primary, primary and secondary education. The school year runs from the end of June to the third week of August and from mid-July to the end of September. Children across Scotland start primary school from the middle to the end of August when they are 12, with the first day of school on the last Monday in August. [Sources: 4, 12, 15]
Before school, they spend their first days away from home, whether as toddlers or in kindergarten. At the age of four, children attend primary school for the first half of the year before moving on to secondary school at the age of 11 or 12. [Sources: 5, 12]
Then pupils will begin the first exams, which will be run by the Scottish Qualifications Authority. It is offered through various schools, colleges and other centres and is under the auspices of the Scottish Qualification Authority, the national awarding and accreditation body for Scotland. It offers a range of qualifications, such as English, mathematics, science and social sciences, as well as the opportunity to provide them in different schools, colleges or other centres. [Sources: 1, 12]
There are a number of grant-funded schools in Scotland, some of which were formerly associated with Jordanhill College of Education. Some of these schools are at the heart of the education system, such as the University of Dundee, St Andrews University and Glasgow University, as well as other colleges. [Sources: 13, 15]
Grammar schools are schools that children can attend from the age of 11 and are paid for by the state. There are two types of secondary schools in Scotland: those that finish primary school and those that do not, such as primary and secondary schools. [Sources: 5]
The Register of Independent Schools is generally maintained and monitored by the Scottish Department for Education. Public schools (“public schools”) refer to schools in Scotland that are subject to the Public Schools Act (not to be confused with public schools in other countries such as England and Wales). [Sources: 12, 13]
Comprehensive schools are schools where anyone can go, no matter how good they are at exams, where everyone else is competing to teach. To be recognised as a school, the school must offer full-time education of at least three years and up to four years of secondary education. [Sources: 5, 13]
The cost of going to boarding school in Scotland varies from school to school and can range from £7,000 to £32,000. Parents go to one of these schools and pay school fees, which are used to run the school. One in four children in Edinburgh attend fee-paying secondary school and, although demand for good state schools is still high, many can find their way to Scotland via boarding schools, the first two pupils of which can try different subjects on campus. The Scottish education system is a mix of state and private schools, as well as private and secondary schools. [Sources: 5, 6, 9, 10]
Sources:
[0]: https://www.edinburghlive.co.uk/news/edinburgh-news/coronavirus-scotland-high-school-pupils-20246487
[1]: https://kids.kiddle.co/Education_in_Scotland
[2]: https://www.gov.scot/policies/schools/wellbeing-in-schools/
[3]: https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Scotland_Schools
[4]: https://www.scotland.org/live-in-scotland/school-systems
[5]: https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/37696598
[6]: https://www.struttandparker.com/knowledge-and-research/the-housing-hotspots-around-scotlands-top-schools
[7]: http://www.healthscotland.scot/population-groups/children/education
[8]: https://www.teachertoolkit.co.uk/2018/10/23/teach-scotland/
[9]: https://www.careers.nhs.scot/careers/find-your-career/international-recruitment/education-in-scotland/
[10]: https://www.cnbc.com/2017/08/04/how-to-save-money-by-going-to-school-in-scotland.html
[11]: https://young.scot/get-informed/national/becoming-a-teacher-in-scotland
[12]: https://www.goodschoolsguide.co.uk/choosing-a-school/scottish-education-system
[13]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_Scotland
[14]: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/scotland/family/education/school-and-pre-school-education-s/problems-at-school-s/
[15]: https://www.relocatemagazine.com/articles/education-qualifications-and-education-in-scotland