The score is based on school leavers’ highest level of qualification, averaged across all leavers within a data zone.
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The score is based on school leavers’ highest level of qualification, averaged across all leavers within a data zone.
Using Scottish Qualifications Framework (SCQF) qualifications data for school leavers, the score is calculated by identifying the best level of qualification each pupil leaves school with.
The score is calculated by multiplying the highest qualification level achieved by each pupil by a corresponding factor. Level 3 qualifications are multiplied by three, Level 4 by four, Level 5 by five and Level 6 by six.
This indicator looks at the highest qualification attained by each pupil, not the number of qualifications attained. For example, one pupil who leaves school with four Level 3 qualifications will score three, whilst a pupil leaving school with one Level 5 qualification will score five. The total score is then divided by the total number of school leavers in each geographical area. A pupils is assigned to a geographical area based on their home address. If their postcode is missing their schools postcode is used.
Data is based on an average of three years and includes all school leavers in secondary schools and special schools. Data from independent schools is not included. There is a lack of data zone level information and independent schools may choose to sit GCSEs or other English qualifications for which we have no information. We do not hold Scottish Candidate Numbers of independent school pupils.
The number of pupils on the roll is taken from the September Pupil Census for the relevant year, which was carried out through the Scottish Exchange of Educational Data (ScotXed) project. The year shown relates to the academic year.
Exam Results Data on National Qualifications are obtained from the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) and are post-review data. These data are linked to the pupil information from School leavers data set, using the pupil's Scottish Candidate Numbers from the Census. For more information please see the background notes to the publication School leaver attainment and initial destinations.
In some geographical areas, there were no school leavers in the school years considered; therefore a rate could not be determined. These geographical area have been removed from the dataset. For disclosure reasons data zones where there are less than 5 school leavers over the 3 years, have been removed from the data set.
Quality checks are conducted by Scottish Government.
Quality checks are conducted by Scottish Government. The data are based on census based collections (the Pupil Census and SQA qualifications data). The known gaps in the data are qualifications for independent school pupils.
Scotland has a different set of qualifications to the rest of the UK and comparisons cannot be made directly.
These data are from the same sources and follow the same quality assurance processes as the school leaver attainment statistics in the National Statistics publication School leaver attainment and initial destinations.
This indicator is based on pupils attainment at the point of leaving school, this provides a full picture of a pupils achievements whilst at school. Qualifications included are National Qualifications (e.g. National 5’s and Highers) as these are what users are mostly interested in. Other qualifications at equivalent Scottish Qualifications Framework (SCQF) level, for example National Progress awards, are not included in this measure. More information on school leavers vocational attainment can be found in Table A1.3 of the publication
The Scottish Government only holds information on pupils in publically funded schools, therefore this indicator does not include information on pupils attending an independent school.
A 3-year rolling average dataset from 2011/12 to 2018/19.
These data are not subject to planned major revisions. The revisions policy follows the Scottish Government Statistics Group Revisions Policy.
This is a linked data resource: it has a permanent unique uri at which both humans and machines can find it on the Internet, and which can be used an identifier in queries on our SPARQL endpoint.
A linked data-orientated view of dimensions and values
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Reference Area
http://purl.org/linked-data/sdmx/2009/dimension#refArea
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Reference Period
http://purl.org/linked-data/sdmx/2009/dimension#refPeriod
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Measure Type
http://purl.org/linked-data/cube#measureType
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Linked Data is stored in graphs. We keep dataset contents (the data) separately from the metadata, to make it easier for you to find exactly what you need.
The data in this dataset are stored in the graph: http://statistics.gov.scot/graph/educational-attainment-of-school-leavers
The data structure definition for this data cube dataset is stored in the same graph as the data: http://statistics.gov.scot/graph/educational-attainment-of-school-leavers
All other metadata about this dataset are stored in the graph: http://statistics.gov.scot/graph/educational-attainment-of-school-leavers/metadata
A breakdown by type of the 48,473 resources in this dataset's data graph.
| Resource type | Number of resources |
|---|---|
| Collection | 2 |
| Component specification | 5 |
| Data set | 1 |
| Data structure definition | 1 |
| Observation | 48,464 |
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