In this guide
People and working hours
Headcount counts people. Full-time equivalent (FTE) expresses working hours as a share of a standard full-time week. [1]
| In this example | People | FTE |
|---|---|---|
| Teacher A works half-time | 1 | 0.5 |
| Teacher B works half-time | 1 | 0.5 |
| Together | 2 | 1.0 |
Compare headcount with headcount and FTE with FTE. Check the sectors covered too: a total including early learning and childcare is not the same population as a school-only total.
A census is a snapshot
The 2025 school staff census describes 10 September 2025. It counts qualifying occupied posts; vacancies are excluded and supply teachers are included only under specified conditions. It does not count everyone available for work throughout the year. [2]
Someone on a supply list may have no work on census day. To understand access to work, ask about actual bookings and hours over a stated period as well as list membership.
A post is not a contract
In the census, employment type describes the post held. A teacher with a permanent employment contract can occupy a post classified as temporary. [2]
Read percentages with their starting point
A percentage needs a denominator: the group it is a share of. A change in percentage points and a percentage increase are different calculations.
| Question | Calculation | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| How much did the share change? | 25% − 20% | 5 percentage points |
| How much did the count grow? | (25 − 20) ÷ 20 × 100 | 25% |
Rounded figures may not add exactly to a published total. A missing, suppressed or inapplicable value should not be treated as zero. [2]
Understand post-probation outcomes
Post-probation tables follow a specified Teacher Induction Scheme cohort into recorded school employment. Full-time permanent and part-time permanent are separate categories. The “Other” category can include teaching elsewhere, supply work, unemployment or leaving teaching; it is not an unemployment rate. [3]
Ask: which cohort, which employment category, and which census date? Keeping those three details in a chart title makes the result much easier to interpret.
Check corrections and the original record
The 2025 bulletin carries a March 2026 notice about a minor Fife reporting error. The published figures were not revised because its impact was assessed as negligible. Retain the notice when referring to that release. [4]
A freedom of information request is a question, not a finding. Check the substantive response and any attached documents before drawing a conclusion. One council's response does not establish a national pattern. The campaign methodology explains its checks and evidence gaps. [5]
Before you share a figure
- Name the source and link to the relevant table or response.
- State the year or census date and the area covered.
- Say whether it counts people, posts, hours or FTE.
- Include the denominator for a percentage.
- Keep the qualification that changes how the number should be understood.
Sources
- Scottish Government — Pupil and teacher characteristics 2025: Definitions and glossaryChecked 20 September 2026
- Scottish Government — Pupil and teacher characteristics 2025: Background notesChecked 20 September 2026
- Scottish Government — Pupil and teacher characteristics 2025: School teachers, post-probation employmentChecked 20 September 2026
- Scottish Government — Pupil and teacher characteristics 2025: Key points and correction noticeChecked 20 September 2026
- Scottish Teachers for Permanence — Evidence sources and methodologyChecked 8 September 2026