Public performance reports

The Education Resources Plan is the main planning document for Education Resources and sets out our outcomes and priorities for the year ahead. These priorities align closely with those in the Council Plan and in the Scottish Government’s National Improvement Framework. 

This alignment is important and helps us provide common goals that we can share with our nurseries, schools, services, parents and carers. This also helps ensure that we can work closely together to identify, design and deliver solutions, we can use our given resources effectively and efficiently, and we can enhance our accountability by sharing open and transparent data on our performance.

Education is the largest resource within South Lanarkshire Council with an annual budget of around £480 million per year. Much of this is used to employ over 7000 people to provide direct services to the 60,000 or so children, young people and their families who are in our care every day. 

We do this mostly through our work in 127 primary schools, 20 secondary establishments (including two ASN schools and one SEBN establishment) and 89 Early Learning and Childcare establishments comprising 67 nursery classes and 22 standalone nurseries working alongside a further 98 funded external early years providers. Education Resources also supports community learning and development through the Youth, Family, and Community Learning Service. Our Educational Psychology Service, along with other centrally based services, provides a wide range of specialist help and support to children, young people, families and establishments.

Our commitment to ensuring that the individual needs of every child and young person are met, regardless of age, background or ability means that our service provision is extensive, complex and nuanced. We remain committed to our shared efforts in helping eradicate inequality, embracing new technologies, safeguarding children’s rights, providing safer and more inclusive environments, supporting national reform and working with our parents and carers to help us all achieve better outcomes. 

You may find the ‘Glossary of Terms’ from the Education Scotland Parentzone website useful when exploring the information below.

In 2005, South Lanarkshire Council had the vision to transform our old school buildings into high-quality, vibrant, modern, and inspirational places of learning and teaching, fit for 21st-century education. This ambitious programme involved extensive consultation and communication with stakeholder representatives, including teaching staff, parents, children, and the local community.

From there, we embarked on the largest school building programme in the UK investing over £1.2 billion in new buildings placed at the heart of our local communities. All early years, primary, secondary and specialist provisions were modernised, and we have continued to add new provisions such as those at Jackton Primary and Early Learning Centre to meet changing needs.

This programme means that every school pupil in South Lanarkshire is now taught in a modern educational establishment that supports and contributes to high-quality learning and teaching. This transformation has had a profound impact on learners and their families, providing them with safe, secure, and state-of-the-art facilities that foster academic excellence and personal growth. Our school estate is designed to meet the highest standards of security and safety, ensuring that our children can learn in environments that are both inspiring and protective.

Our estate continues to receive consistently high Scottish Government Condition of School Estate ratings and is a testament to our dedication to providing the best possible educational environment for our children, ensuring they are equipped with the skills and knowledge to thrive in the 21st century.

The recent national expansion of Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) brought several duties to councils under the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014. South Lanarkshire Council welcomed this development and recognised how this growth in provision could help reduce the poverty-related attainment gap and improve long-term outcomes for children and families. All eligible children aged 2-5 years in South Lanarkshire have since been receiving 1,140 hours of free ELC.

Our expansion plans present an ambitious vision for ELC in South Lanarkshire, extending beyond national policy intentions. We have now successfully delivered against the Early Learning and Childcare Delivery Plan by fully implementing the expansion of ELC across the council. This achievement was made possible through partnership working with stakeholders, our workforce, funded external providers, and continuous consultation with parents, carers, and our youngest children.

Percentage of funded early years provision which is graded good/better

What this means
This indicator shows the quality of Early Years Provision by measuring the proportion of Early Learning and Childcare providers rated at least “good” for all quality themes, as a percentage of all funded Early Years Provision, which was inspected by the Care Inspectorate. 

Why this matters
Improving the quality of early years provision is a cornerstone of the Early Years expansion programme. The aim is to provide high quality experience for all children, which complements other early years and educational activity to close the attainment gap and recognises the value of those we entrust to give our children the best start in life.

Our performance and how we compare

How we have performed
South Lanarkshire Council continues to excel in providing early learning and childcare. Despite significant adjustments in staffing, including management teams across various settings, we have maintained our commitment to quality. These changes have brought about higher expectations from inspecting bodies

The Scottish Government emphasises the need for all our schools to support attendance for all and create appropriate support for those who find attending school a challenge.

Follow this link for Information on how to support your child through school.

Percentage attendance at school

What this means
We collect information on the number of times pupils attend school and show this as a percentage of the total number of possible attendances.

Why this matters
South Lanarkshire Council recognises the critical importance of good school attendance for children's educational outcomes and overall wellbeing. Research shows that lower levels of attendance can negatively impact a young person's participation, attainment, and future opportunities. Missing even 10% of schooling over a year can significantly affect academic performance.

Good attendance fosters a strong sense of school connectedness, which is associated with better outcomes in attainment, wellbeing, and reduced involvement in offending behaviours. Regular attendance also serves as a protective factor for children experiencing adversity or trauma, supporting early intervention and positive development.

Education Resources seeks to achieve a positive school ethos and culture in every establishment. This is essential for developing good relationships and positive behaviour in the classroom and wider community. Promoting and ensuring good attendance is vital to helping every child achieve their full potential.

Overall attendance

How we have performed
There is national concern about reduced levels of school attendance, particularly since the covid-19 pandemic. Figures published by Scottish government showed a drop in overall school attendance rates to 90% in 2022-23 which is down from 92% in 2020-21.  For the 2022-23 academic year, the average attendance across primary schools in Scotland was 93%, secondary schools at 88.2% and ASN establishments at 88%.  This contributes to a trend in consecutive decline in school attendance rates since 2014-15.  It is also recognised that significant disparities exist based on socioeconomic status. Attendance in our schools is slightly above the national average.  To continue to improve we have developed a comprehensive two-year action plan which will look at key areas such as data management, use of targeted funding, employee training and parental engagement.

To see how we compare against other councils, links to the data are available in the 'Benchmarking' paragraph on the Improvement and how we compare page on our website.

Exclusion incidents per 1,000 pupils

What this means
These indicators measure the number of exclusion incidents per 1,000 pupils.  National data is only published every second year.

Why this matters
Whilst very much a last resort, exclusion, like other absences, can disrupt a student's education, leading to gaps in learning and lower academic achievement. Exclusions can negatively impact mental health and wellbeing, causing feelings of isolation and rejection. Social interactions and the development of key social skills are also hindered, affecting the student's ability to form positive relationships.

Higher exclusion rates among certain groups, such as students with additional support needs and those from deprived backgrounds, highlight issues of equity and inclusion. Excluded students are at a higher risk of adverse long-term outcomes.

Addressing the causes of exclusions and providing support to at-risk students is crucial to ensure all young people can succeed in a supportive educational environment.

How we have performed
Whilst exclusion rates within South Lanarkshire remain slightly higher than the national average, the number of exclusions has significantly decreased over the years from 39 (per 1000 pupils) in 2010 to the current 18 (per 1000 pupils) which is lower than pre-pandemic levels.  Almost all exclusions are temporary, with pupils expected to return to their original school after the exclusion period.  Our data underscores the importance of addressing the underlying factors contributing to exclusions through early intervention, positive school cultures, restorative practice, mentoring and training.

To see how we compare against other councils, links to the data are available in the 'Benchmarking' paragraph on the Improvement and how we compare page on our website.

South Lanarkshire Council recognises the importance of levels of achievement in schools, including secondary attainment, as a key measure of educational success.

The Achievement of Curriculum for Excellence Levels (ACEL) data provides information on pupils' performance in literacy and numeracy. This data is based on teacher judgments and covers pupils in Primary 1, Primary 4, Primary 7, and Secondary 3. Wider secondary data also includes information on a range of SQCF level courses including National 4/Level 4, National 5/Level 5, Higher/Level 6 and Advanced Higher/Level 7 qualifications.

Achievement and attainment

What this means
These are measures of the percentage and overall numbers of pupils gaining Scottish Credit and Qualification Framework awards. The Scottish Government provides a tool (Insight) that allows our results to be benchmarked with similar pupils from across Scotland. These are known as our "virtual comparator".

Why this matters
Levels of achievement, including secondary attainment, are vital for understanding and improving educational outcomes, promoting equity, and ensuring that every child in South Lanarkshire receives a high-quality education.

Our performance and how we compare

Percentage of P1, P4 and P7 pupils attaining the appropriate Curriculum for Excellence level for their stage or better in Literacy

Percentage gap between P1, P4 and P7 pupils from the least and most deprived areas attaining the appropriate Curriculum for Excellence level for their stage or better in Literacy

Percentage of P1, P4 and P7 pupils attaining the appropriate Curriculum for Excellence level for their stage or better in Numeracy

Percentage gap between P1, P4 and P7 pupils from the least and most deprived areas attaining the appropriate Curriculum for Excellence level for their stage or better in Numeracy

Percentage of pupils gaining 1 or more awards at SCQF Level 5 or better

Percentage of pupils gaining 1 or more awards at SCQF Level 6 or better

How have we performed?
South Lanarkshire schools continue to perform well against local and national benchmarks. Our steady progress in literacy and numeracy can be attributed to several important factors included targeted interventions, ongoing professional development for teachers and support staff, increased parental engagement, effective use of data, and support from government initiatives like the Scottish Attainment Challenge.

The slight drop in secondary attainment levels over the same period, whilst in line with the national position, is more complex and can be attributed to several factors. The COVID-19 pandemic caused significant disruptions, including school closures, remote learning challenges, and the cancellation of exams, impacting students' learning and attainment. Internal assessments during the pandemic introduced variability, and increased stress and mental health issues further affected performance. As a result, there was also continued disruption and adaptations to assessment approaches. The impact of these different approaches to certification means that care should be taken when making comparisons over time, particularly when comparing 2020/21, 2021/22 and 2022/23 with previous or subsequent years.

Socioeconomic factors also played a role, with the attainment gap widening between the most and least deprived students. South Lanarkshire Council is working to address these issues through targeted interventions, additional individual support, and further efforts to close the attainment gap.

South Lanarkshire Council recognises the importance of positive school leaver destinations as a key indicator of our success. Positive destinations, including higher education, further education, employment, training, personal skills development, and voluntary work, are crucial for young people's future opportunities and long-term success. In 2021-22, over 96% of our school leavers were in a positive destination three months after the end of the school year

Proportion of pupils entering positive destinations (initial destinations)

What this means
This measure assists schools in assessing how well they are preparing their young people for life beyond school.

Why this matters
Focusing on positive destinations helps reduce inequalities by supporting all young people, regardless of their background, to achieve their potential. We use data on school leaver destinations to inform policy and practice, ensuring continuous improvement in our schools and better support for young people transitioning from school to further education, training, or employment.

Our performance and how we compare