Question reference: S6W-26184
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 14 March 2024
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Current status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 26 March 2024
Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question (a) S6W-15576 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 27 March 2023 and (b) S6W-17101 by Jenny Gilruth on 22 May 2023, whether it will provide the same information for 2022-23.
Answer
Spending data on additional support for learning (ASL) is provided below. This data is collected from local authorities via the 2022-23 Local Financial Returns (LFR). These figures show that spending on ASL by local authorities reached its highest level on record, £926m in 2022-23.
Local authorities are asked to provide this data in line with guidance to ensure returns are completed on a consistent basis to allow for a reasonable degree of comparability. However, these figures may be affected by variations in local accounting practices and education strategies. It is important to bear this in mind when making comparisons between local authorities and years.
Local authorities are asked to record all centrally funded ASL expenditure under Special Education, irrespective of where it is delivered. Decisions about prioritisation and budgets, including those for the provision of services for pupils with additional support needs, are a matter for individual councils. We recognise the challenges facing authorities in balancing their need to meet a wide range of statutory duties, local priorities and local circumstances.
Table 1 shows gross revenue expenditure on (ASL) education for 2022-23, split by Pre-Primary, Primary, Secondary and Special Education.
Table 1 – 2022-23 ASL expenditure by Local Authority (£000)
Local authority | Pre-Primary Education | Primary Education | Secondary Education | Special Education | Total |
Aberdeen City | £1,103 | £6,002 | £6,756 | £18,020 | £31,881 |
Aberdeenshire | £0 | £0 | £0 | £53,746 | £53,746 |
Angus | £0 | £0 | £0 | £13,885 | £13,885 |
Argyll and Bute | £711 | £4,211 | £4,801 | £3,112 | £12,835 |
City of Edinburgh | £5,474 | £26,029 | £12,472 | £48,983 | £92,958 |
Clackmannanshire | £0 | £0 | £0 | £13,636 | £13,636 |
Dumfries and Galloway | £0 | £0 | £0 | £22,609 | £22,609 |
Dundee City | £212 | £6,098 | £2,709 | £9,113 | £18,132 |
East Ayrshire | £0 | £0 | £0 | £21,246 | £21,246 |
East Dunbartonshire | £431 | £2,407 | £2,157 | £15,579 | £20,574 |
East Lothian | £176 | £3,091 | £2,153 | £12,318 | £17,738 |
East Renfrewshire | £1,010 | £1,754 | £1,453 | £10,656 | £14,873 |
Falkirk | £0 | £0 | £0 | £27,603 | £27,603 |
Fife | £0 | £0 | £0 | £42,578 | £42,578 |
Glasgow City | £5,339 | £17,158 | £26,509 | £87,332 | £136,338 |
Highland | £0 | £0 | £0 | £45,900 | £45,900 |
Inverclyde | £0 | £0 | £0 | £14,750 | £14,750 |
Midlothian | £53 | £3,162 | £1,305 | £15,597 | £20,117 |
Moray | £0 | £0 | £0 | £19,357 | £19,357 |
Na h-Eileanan Siar | £0 | £0 | £0 | £5,880 | £5,880 |
North Ayrshire | £0 | £0 | £0 | £15,008 | £15,008 |
North Lanarkshire | £111 | £11,839 | £5,151 | £45,229 | £62,330 |
Orkney Islands | £124 | £606 | £812 | £2,366 | £3,908 |
Perth and Kinross | £350 | £5,313 | £4,336 | £10,947 | £20,946 |
Renfrewshire | £1,686 | £5,199 | £2,971 | £17,142 | £26,998 |
Scottish Borders | £0 | £0 | £0 | £12,179 | £12,179 |
Shetland Islands | £0 | £0 | £0 | £8,770 | £8,770 |
South Ayrshire | £17 | £932 | £663 | £16,983 | £18,595 |
South Lanarkshire | £0 | £9,793 | £9,361 | £31,444 | £50,598 |
Stirling | £0 | £1,521 | £2,809 | £6,040 | £10,370 |
West Dunbartonshire | £591 | £4,477 | £2,711 | £12,190 | £19,969 |
West Lothian | £0 | £0 | £0 | £29,621 | £29,621 |
All local authorities | £17,388 | £109,592 | £89,129 | £709,819 | £925,928 |
Source: Local Financial Returns – Education (LFR 01) statistical return provided by local authorities to the Scottish Government: Local government finance statistics - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
Table 2 shows the percentage of total gross revenue expenditure on education by local authorities which was accounted for by spending on additional support for learning in 2022-23.
Table 2 – 2022-23 share of education expenditure accounted for by ASL
Local authority | ASL spend as a share of education spend |
Aberdeen City | 13% |
Aberdeenshire | 14% |
Angus | 9% |
Argyll and Bute | 9% |
City of Edinburgh | 17% |
Clackmannanshire | 17% |
Dumfries and Galloway | 11% |
Dundee City | 9% |
East Ayrshire | 12% |
East Dunbartonshire | 11% |
East Lothian | 13% |
East Renfrewshire | 9% |
Falkirk | 12% |
Fife | 9% |
Glasgow City | 17% |
Highland | 13% |
Inverclyde | 13% |
Midlothian | 13% |
Moray | 15% |
Na h-Eileanan Siar | 11% |
North Ayrshire | 8% |
North Lanarkshire | 13% |
Orkney Islands | 9% |
Perth and Kinross | 10% |
Renfrewshire | 11% |
Scottish Borders | 8% |
Shetland Islands | 15% |
South Ayrshire | 12% |
South Lanarkshire | 11% |
Stirling | 7% |
West Dunbartonshire | 14% |
West Lothian | 11% |
All local authorities | 12% |
Source: Local Financial Returns – Education (LFR 01) statistical return provided by local authorities to the Scottish Government: Local government finance statistics - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
All figures in tables 1 and 2 are based on gross expenditure on a funding basis. This means they have not been adjusted for inter/ intra authority transfers.
Table 3 shows average per-ASL pupil spending on ASL by local authority in 2022-23. More precisely, this calculation shows gross revenue expenditure on ASL in primary, secondary and special education from the local financial returns, divided by the number of pupils identified as having additional support needs recorded in the Pupil Census.
Table 3 – 2022-23 ASL spending per pupil (cash terms)
Local authority | ASL spend per ASL pupil |
Aberdeen City | £3,079 |
Aberdeenshire | £3,040 |
Angus | £3,591 |
Argyll and Bute | £3,733 |
City of Edinburgh | £3,492 |
Clackmannanshire | £6,322 |
Dumfries and Galloway | £3,407 |
Dundee City | £2,756 |
East Ayrshire | £4,427 |
East Dunbartonshire | £4,909 |
East Lothian | £3,926 |
East Renfrewshire | £3,149 |
Falkirk | £3,968 |
Fife | £2,949 |
Glasgow City | £4,922 |
Highland | £3,419 |
Inverclyde | £4,410 |
Midlothian | £3,626 |
Moray | £3,907 |
Na h-Eileanan Siar | £5,297 |
North Ayrshire | £2,509 |
North Lanarkshire | £7,087 |
Orkney Islands | £3,459 |
Perth and Kinross | £3,381 |
Renfrewshire | £3,684 |
Scottish Borders | £2,369 |
Shetland Islands | £6,762 |
South Ayrshire | £4,072 |
South Lanarkshire | £3,943 |
Stirling | £2,495 |
West Dunbartonshire | £3,669 |
West Lothian | £2,966 |
All local authorities | £3,764 |
Sources:
1. Local Financial Returns – Education (LFR 01) statistical return provided by local authorities to the Scottish Government: Local government finance statistics - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
2. Pupil Census – published annually - for further details go to: Pupil census: supplementary statistics - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
Table 4 provides real terms spend per primary and secondary school pupil based on 2022-23 prices, to align with the most recent Local Government Financial Returns.
Table 4 – Real terms average spend per pupil, 2007-08 to 2022-23
Year | Primary Education | Secondary Education |
2007-08 | £6,481 | £8,834 |
2008-09 | £6,500 | £8,930 |
2009-10 | £6,483 | £8,676 |
2010-11 | £6,527 | £8,612 |
2011-12 | £6,330 | £8,330 |
2012-13 | £6,170 | £8,349 |
2013-14 | £6,030 | £8,296 |
2014-15 | £5,884 | £8,296 |
2015-16 | £5,912 | £8,388 |
2016-17 | £5,902 | £8,350 |
2017-18 | £6,032 | £8,317 |
2018-19 | £6,221 | £8,518 |
2019-20 | £6,465 | £8,696 |
2020-21 | £6,491 | £8,371 |
2021-22 | £6,993 | £8,726 |
2022-23 | £7,075 | £8,766 |
Primary and secondary education figures are adjusted to exclude inter-authority transfers. However, this breakdown is not available for ASL spending, therefore ASL figures in Table 5 are based on gross expenditure on a funding basis. Inflation adjustments are based on HM Treasury’s 15 February 2024 GDP Deflator outturn data.
Sources:
1. Local Financial Returns – Education (LFR 01) statistical return provided by local authorities to the Scottish Government: Local government finance statistics - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
2. Pupil Census - published annually - for further details go to: Pupil census: supplementary statistics - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
3. GDP deflators at market prices: GDP deflators at market prices, and money GDP - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Table 5 provides real terms spending specifically on ASL divided by the number of ASL pupils, based on 2022-23 prices. ASL spend is provided from 2012-13, when the data was first collected. The following figures do not represent all spending benefitting ASL pupils, who also benefit from spending incurred in delivering the wider school system.
Table 5 – Real terms average ASL spend per ASL pupil, 2012-13 to 2022-23
Year | ASL pupils at primary, secondary and special schools |
2012-13 | £5,698 |
2013-14 | £5,238 |
2014-15 | £4,977 |
2015-16 | £4,575 |
2016-17 | £4,204 |
2017-18 | £3,992 |
2018-19 | £3,778 |
2019-20 | £3,607 |
2020-21 | £3,610 |
2021-22 | £3,748 |
2022-23 | £3,764 |
ASL spending figures are based on gross expenditure on a funding basis. Inflation adjustments are based on HM Treasury’s 15 February 2024 GDP Deflator outturn data.Sources:
1. Local Financial Returns – Education (LFR 01) statistical return provided by local authorities to the Scottish Government: Local government finance statistics - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
2. Pupil Census - published annually - for further details go to: Pupil census: supplementary statistics - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
3. GDP deflators at market prices: GDP deflators at market prices, and money GDP - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)