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Highland

Teaching posts, staffing and the campaign’s FOI evidence for Highland: 24 FOI requests, 10 datasets and 4 findings.

Teaching posts that are permanent · 2025
80.0%
23rd of 32 · Scotland 81.6%
Teaching posts that are temporary · 2025
15.5%
8th of 32 · Scotland 13.7%
Teachers per 1,000 pupils · 2025
78.4
11th of 32 · Scotland 75.8
Permanent posts80.0%Temporary posts15.5%Teachers per 1,000 pupils78.4Teacher FTE since 2015−2.5%Pupils since 2015−4.7%
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01 Contracts

How secure are Highland’s teaching posts?

Teaching-post FTE by contract type at each September census. Induction-scheme posts are the probation year.

Sector
  • Permanent
  • Temporary (not induction)
  • Induction scheme
0%20%40%60%80%100%202020212022202320242025
2025Permanent 80.0%Temporary (not induction) 15.5%Induction scheme 4.5%

02 Against the other 31

Where Highland ranks

Each dot is a council. The dashed line is Scotland.

Teaching posts that are permanent

80.0% · 23rd of 32 · 2025

Scotland 81.6%Angus: 88.3%Aberdeenshire: 88.0%Clackmannanshire: 87.6%Perth and Kinross: 86.6%Aberdeen City: 86.2%Argyll and Bute: 86.2%South Lanarkshire: 86.1%Dundee City: 85.7%North Ayrshire: 84.9%Dumfries and Galloway: 84.7%Orkney Islands: 84.2%City of Edinburgh: 84.0%Scottish Borders: 83.6%Moray: 83.3%Stirling: 83.0%East Dunbartonshire: 83.0%Midlothian: 82.4%East Lothian: 82.2%Shetland Islands: 81.5%West Lothian: 81.5%North Lanarkshire: 81.1%East Ayrshire: 80.4%Highland: 80.0%Falkirk: 79.7%Renfrewshire: 78.2%South Ayrshire: 77.9%West Dunbartonshire: 77.6%East Renfrewshire: 77.2%Glasgow City: 75.7%Fife: 74.1%Na h-Eileanan Siar: 73.7%Inverclyde: 73.2%72%90%

Teaching posts that are temporary

15.5% · 8th of 32 · 2025

Scotland 13.7%Na h-Eileanan Siar: 24.3%Fife: 22.0%Inverclyde: 21.3%Glasgow City: 18.8%West Dunbartonshire: 18.1%Renfrewshire: 17.7%South Ayrshire: 16.0%Highland: 15.5%East Renfrewshire: 14.6%Shetland Islands: 14.6%East Ayrshire: 14.0%North Lanarkshire: 13.9%Falkirk: 13.9%Midlothian: 13.4%West Lothian: 13.3%Orkney Islands: 13.3%Moray: 13.1%East Lothian: 12.3%Scottish Borders: 12.2%Argyll and Bute: 12.1%North Ayrshire: 12.0%Dumfries and Galloway: 11.3%City of Edinburgh: 11.1%Stirling: 10.8%Dundee City: 9.9%Perth and Kinross: 9.8%South Lanarkshire: 9.7%Aberdeen City: 9.4%East Dunbartonshire: 9.3%Angus: 9.0%Aberdeenshire: 8.9%Clackmannanshire: 8.1%8%26%

Teaching posts held by probationers

4.5% · 13th of 32 · 2025

Scotland 4.7%East Renfrewshire: 8.3%East Dunbartonshire: 7.7%Falkirk: 6.4%Stirling: 6.2%South Ayrshire: 6.1%East Ayrshire: 5.7%Inverclyde: 5.6%Glasgow City: 5.5%East Lothian: 5.5%West Lothian: 5.2%North Lanarkshire: 5.0%City of Edinburgh: 4.9%Highland: 4.5%Dundee City: 4.4%Aberdeen City: 4.4%West Dunbartonshire: 4.3%Clackmannanshire: 4.3%South Lanarkshire: 4.3%Scottish Borders: 4.3%Midlothian: 4.1%Renfrewshire: 4.1%Dumfries and Galloway: 4.1%Shetland Islands: 4.0%Fife: 3.9%Moray: 3.6%Perth and Kinross: 3.6%North Ayrshire: 3.1%Aberdeenshire: 3.1%Angus: 2.8%Orkney Islands: 2.5%Na h-Eileanan Siar: 2.0%Argyll and Bute: 1.8%2%9%

Teachers per 1,000 pupils

78.4 · 11th of 32 · 2025

Scotland 75.8Shetland Islands: 102.3Na h-Eileanan Siar: 100.9Orkney Islands: 90.8Clackmannanshire: 86.9Argyll and Bute: 84.9South Ayrshire: 83.7North Ayrshire: 80.7East Dunbartonshire: 79.4Inverclyde: 79.4Angus: 78.8Highland: 78.4Stirling: 78.2Falkirk: 78.0Glasgow City: 77.9Dumfries and Galloway: 77.4Perth and Kinross: 77.4East Renfrewshire: 76.9North Lanarkshire: 76.8Moray: 76.3Scottish Borders: 75.9West Dunbartonshire: 75.4South Lanarkshire: 75.0East Ayrshire: 74.5Midlothian: 74.4West Lothian: 74.3Fife: 74.3Dundee City: 73.1Aberdeen City: 72.5Aberdeenshire: 72.4Renfrewshire: 72.4East Lothian: 67.9City of Edinburgh: 67.165105

Fingerprint: Permanent posts: 80.0%; Temporary posts: 15.5%; Teachers per 1,000 pupils: 78.4; Teacher FTE since 2015: −2.5%; Pupils since 2015: −4.7%.

03 Staffing

Teachers for every 1,000 pupils

A staffing ratio across all school sectors, not class size. Scotland includes grant-aided schools.

  • Highland
  • Scotland
7274767880201020122014201620182020202220242025

04 FOI evidence FOI

What Highland told us

Figures from the council’s own replies to campaign FOI requests. Each council counts things its own way, so read definitions before comparing.

Contracted teachers who are temporary

% of permanent + temporary

  • All
0%10%20%30%2022202320242025
Definition and sources

Temporary contracts divided by permanent plus temporary contracts, from the same council reply and period. Supply lists are excluded.

temporary ÷ (permanent + temporary) × 100

All reviewed datasets (10)

  • Contracts & job security · harmonisedPermanent by reporting periodpermanent · teaching staff
    1,2902022Reply →
  • Contracts & job security · harmonisedFixed by reporting periodfixed · teaching staff
    5382022Reply →
  • After probation · harmonisedHighland primary probationer probationers bid forprobationers bid for · primary
    442024/25Reply →
  • After probation · harmonisedHighland primary probationer allocatedallocated · primary
    452024/25Reply →
  • After probationHighland primary probationer withdrawn before and after commencementwithdrawn before and after commencement · primary
    32024/25Reply →
  • After probationHighland primary probationer remained for sessionremained for session · primary
    422024/25Reply →
  • After probation · harmonisedHighland secondary probationer probationers bid forprobationers bid for · secondary
    582024/25Reply →
  • After probation · harmonisedHighland secondary probationer allocatedallocated · secondary
    312024/25Reply →
  • After probationHighland secondary probationer withdrawn before and after commencementwithdrawn before and after commencement · secondary
    72024/25Reply →
  • After probationHighland secondary probationer remained for sessionremained for session · secondary
    242024/25Reply →
All 24 FOI requests to Highland
Where do you fit in Highland? →Council evidence pageOpen in the data explorer