Dear Alastair
Assessment of Achievement of Curriculum for Excellence Levels Statistics
We have completed our assessment of the Achievement of Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) Levels statistics produced by Scottish Government. I am grateful for the positive engagement from your team throughout the assessment process.
The Achievement of CfE Levels statistics provide information on the proportion of publicly funded mainstream school pupils who have achieved the expected CfE Levels in literacy and numeracy. These statistics provide valuable information on national performance in Scotland and are the only source of information on attainment of pupils in primary schools in Scotland.
Since the Achievement of CfE Levels statistics were introduced in 2015/16 we have seen a number of positive developments and in requesting this assessment, the statistics team at Scottish Government has demonstrated its commitment to produce statistics that meet the standards required of accredited official statistics under the Code of Practice for Statistics.
We have identified four areas where the statistics should be strengthened further to increase the overall quality and value of them. The recommendations focus on increasing the level of detail provided on the quality assurance process, strengthening engagement with users, and adding value to the statistics.
We judge that the Achievement of CfE Levels statistics can be confirmed as accredited official statistics (called National Statistics in the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007) once we have confirmed that the requirements set out in the report have been met. Addressing the requirements will demonstrate that your statistics meet the highest standards of trustworthiness, quality, and public value and comply with the Code of Practice for Statistics.
I am copying this letter to Peter Whitehouse, Deputy Director, Head of Education Analytical Services, and to Andrew White, lead statistician of the Performance and Attainment Statistics Team.
Yours sincerely
Ed Humpherson
Director General for Regulation