§ Mr. Ernie Rossasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish in the Official Report the following for each participating school in the assisted places scheme and for an aggregate Scottish total: (a) the total number of places made available and (b) the number of places made available to pupils already attending a fee-paying school and the corresponding percentage of the total number of places.
§ Mr. Allan Stewart[pursuant to his reply, 26 October 1983, c. 139]: The information requested is now available. The figures are shown in the table following. At the beginning of the current school session there were 1,781 pupils in assisted places. Additional pupils will be admitted to assisted places throughout the 1983–84 school session.
Of the 1,781 pupils now in the scheme 1,048–59 per cent.—attended a fee-paying school prior to taking up an assisted place. The corresponding proportion for the new intake of pupils joining the scheme at the beginning of the current session was 49 per cent. compared with 64 per cent. for the new intake in autumn 1982. The increasing number of pupils joining the scheme from education authority schools confirms the wider opportunities for parental choice which the scheme is offering.
The scheme continues to concentrate assistance on lower income families. In 1983–84 908 pupils—51 per cent. of those in the scheme—will be receiving full fee remission because they have a family income of £5,622 or less. This compares with 49 per cent. in 1982–83. A further 182 pupils—10 per cent.—have family incomes between £5,623 and £6,500 per annum, and 216–12 per cent.—between £6,501 and £7,500.
129W
Total number of pupils in the scheme in session 1983–84 Pupils in Col. (1) attending a fee-paying school before entry to the scheme Col. (2) as percentage of Col. (1) (1) (2) (3) Albyn School for Girls, Aberdeen 7 7 100 Belmont House School, Newton Mearns 2 — — Craigholme School for Girls, Glasgow 26 25 96 Convent of the Sacred Heart School, Kilgraston, Perthshire 26 12 46 Daniel Stewart's and Melville College, Edinburgh 368 259 70 Mary Erskine School, Edinburgh George Watson's College, Edinburgh Dollar Academy 34 20 59 Edinburgh Academy 19 13 68 Fernhill School, Rutherglen 22 3 14 Fettes College, Edinburgh 20 10 50 Fort Augustus, Abbey School 23 6 26 George Heriot's School Edinburgh 138 75 54 Glasgow Academy 33 23 70 Gordonstoun School, Morayshire 9 3 33 The High School of Dundee 126 74 59 The High School of Glasgow 30 8 27 Hutcheson's Grammar School, Glasgow 117 78 67 Keil School, Dumbarton 37 10 27 Kelvinside Academy, Glasgow 32 26 81 Kilquhanity House School, Castle Douglas 11 2 18 Laurel Bank School, Glasgow 47 20 43 Lomond School, Helensburgh 17 8 47 Loretto School, Musselburgh 19 13 68 Merchiston Castle School, Edinburgh 23 7 30 Morrison's Academy, Crieff 115 62 54 The Park School, Glasgow 44 21 48 Rannoch School, Perthshire 16 6 38 Robert Gordon's College, Aberdeen 38 18 47 Rudolf Steiner School of Edinburgh 36 26 72 St. Aloysius' College, Glasgow 117 89 76 St. Columba's School, Kilmacolm, Renfrewshire 32 24 75 St. Denis and Cranley School, Edinburgh 11 6 55 St. George's School for Girls, Edinburgh 5 3 60 St. Leonard's School, St. Andrews 13 10 77 St. Margaret's Convent School, Edinburgh 10 5 50 St. Margaret's School for Girls, Aberdeen 8 4 50 St. Margaret's School for Girls, Edinburgh 40 26 65 Strathallan School, Forgandenny, Perthshire 11 7 64 Glenalmond College, Perthshire 17 5 29 Wellington School, Ayr 15 8 53 Westbourne School for Girls, Glasgow 67 26 39 Total 1,781 1,048 59 Note
St. Hilary's school which participated in the assisted places scheme in the first two years amalgamated with St. Margaret's School, Edinburgh, at the beginning of the 1983–84 school session and the figures above for St. Margaret's include pupils previously in assisted places at St. Hilary's.