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Pupil Numbers

Pupil numbers and demographic trends

At the start of each new academic year SCIS gathers statistical data from member schools to provide an overview of the independent education sector in Scotland.  The information is made available to member schools, the public and the press.  Facts and statistics about pupil numbers and demographic projections can be downloaded from the pdf documents, on the right.

Almost 32,000 of Scotland's children are educated in independent schools

In September 2008 there were 31,840 pupils in SCIS schools of which 28,317 were day pupils and 3,523 were boarding pupils. Of the 31,840 total 11,601 pupils were in primary schools and 18,460 were in senior schools.  A table and charts showing the breakdown of pupils in SCIS schools (September 2008) can be downloaded, right.  

Pupil numbers in the independent sector remain stable with the 2008 total the highest of the past decade, apart from 2007 when it rose to 32,065.  Against a decrease in Scotland's total pupil population this is a real achievement.  The latest Scottish Government pupil projections confirm the independent sector's stability over a long period, a trend forecast to continue:

"following trends in recent years, the number of pupils in independent schools has been projected to remain constant" (Source: S1 & S2 Maths & English Class Sizes, Children Educated Outwith School, Pupil Projections and Provisional Pupil Numbers', 20th November 2007, pp 7)  

In late February each year, when the Scottish Government publishes its Statistical Bulletin on Pupils in Scotland, SCIS produces a Fact Card (available to download on the right) showing the number of pupils in SCIS schools in each council area as a percentage of the total pupil population.

• Total pupil population in Scotland (September 2007) 724,280
• Total number of pupils in SCIS Schools (September 2007) 32,065
• Pupils in SCIS schools as a percentage of the total pupil population 4.4%