SIMD Detailed Analysis

Mearns Academy Network Area

2013

Contents Mearns Academy Network Area ...... 1 Population ...... 3 Poverty ...... 4 Income Deprivation ...... 4 Employment Deprivation ...... 5 Childhood Poverty...... 5 Education ...... 6 Attitudes to Health ...... 8 Life Expectancy ...... 10 Levels of Crime ...... 11

Mearns Academy Network Area

The Mearns Academy Network Area covers the area highlighted on the map on the next page. It includes 7 schools:

 Auchenblae School  Fettercairn School  Laurencekirk School  Luthermuir School  Marykirk School  Redmyre School  St Cyrus School

Only one datazone in Mearns Academy Network Area is classified as the 15% most deprived datazones across Aberdeenshire. This should be taken into consideration when making comparisons between the most and least deprived areas.

Population

Over the past ten years the population in the Mearns Academy Network Area has increased by 13.7% (962 people) from 2001 to 2011.

There is an increasing and ageing population within the area; from 2001 – 2011 there was an increase from 1211 to 1618 in the pensionable population, this group of people now account for 20.1% of the population, this has increased from 16.8% of the total population in 2001. The levels of those of pensionable age and in the most deprived area has increased sharply over the last 5 years, while the level of those in the least deprived areas is increasing steadily. An increasing aging population provides unique challenges in delivering services, additional housing and the resulting demand in community facilities.

The population of children has been decreasing year on year over the past 10 years, in 2001 children accounted for 23.0% of the population; this has dropped to 19.0% in 2011. The population of children in the most deprived areas has decreased slightly from 22.9% in 2001 to 20.1% in 2001. The population of children in the least deprived areas is also decreasing, but at a greater rate. The falling number of children will have an impact on where priorities should sit over the coming years.

Poverty Income Deprivation The rate of income deprivation in the Mearns Academy Network Area is 6.7%, which is lower than the Aberdeenshire average of 7%, and the Scottish average of 13%. The rate of income deprivation in the 15% most deprived datazones in the Mearns Academy Network Area is higher than the level of that in the other 85% of the population in 2011, and has been for the previous 10 years. The percentage of people income deprived in the 15% most deprived areas is higher than the national average of 13.4% at 14.0% in 2011.

Employment Deprivation The percentage of those in employment deprivation in the Mearns Academy Network area is 5.4%, this is lower than the Aberdeenshire average of 6%. Between 2002 and 2011 the rate of employment deprivation in the most deprived datazones in the Mearns Academy Network area has generally been around 50% higher than that in the rest of the area.

Childhood Poverty The level of childhood poverty in the Mearns Academy Network area is 8.3%, which is lower than Aberdeenshire average of 8.5%, and the national average of 18.6%. The rate of children in poverty in the 15% most deprived areas in the Mearns Academy Network Area higher than that of those in the remaining 85% of the population.

Education The average attendance rate in the Mearns Academy network area in Primary Schools is 95.7%, this is lower than both the Aberdeenshire (96.2%) and higher than the Scottish (95.2%) average. Attendance rates within secondary schools with the Mearns Academy Network area falling above the Aberdeenshire average of 92.8%, with a 93.3% attendance rate, this is higher than the Scottish average of 91.1%.

Both Primary and Secondary school pupils have a generally higher attendance rate in the 85% least deprived areas, with the differences being greater at secondary school between the 15% most deprived pupils and the 85% least deprived pupils.

The percentage of S4 pupils who gained English and maths at SQF Level 3 or above is 98.6%, which is higher than the Aberdeenshire and Scottish average, 94.5% and 93% respectively. A similar pattern is seen with the percentage of S4 pupils with 5 awards at SCQF level 3 and above, with 94.1% within the Mearns Academy Network area attaining this compared to 93.6% in Aberdeenshire and 92.3% in Scotland.

The percentage of S6 pupils with 3 awards at SCQF level 6 and above is 67.5%, which is lower than the Aberdeenshire average of 69.3% but higher than the Scottish average of 64.6%.

In upper secondary education, pupils in the most deprived areas in the Mearns Academy Network Area perform at a similar level while pupils are in S4. However in S6 the results are more polarised, with the percentage of S6 pupils with 3 awards at SCQF level 6 and above in in the least deprived 85% of the Mearns Academy Network area being significantly higher than that in the most deprived 15%.

In the Mearns Academy Network area 96.7% of school leavers go onto a positive destination, this is higher than the Aberdeenshire average of 91.3%, and the Scottish average of 88.8%.

In 2010/11 97.9% of school leavers in the least deprived areas in the Mearns Academy Network area went into positive destinations (Employment, Further Education, Higher Education or Training) this is higher than the Scottish average of

88.8%. The number of school leavers going onto positive destinations in the 15% most deprived areas, is below the national average at 87.5% in 2010/11.

Of the school leavers who did go on to positive destinations, the 15% most deprived areas of the Mearns Academy Network Area saw a higher proportion of pupils going into further education (50.0% in 2010/11 compared with 26.6% in the remaining area). In the less deprived areas a much higher proportion went into higher education (39.8% in 2010/11 compared to 12.5% in the most deprived). Poorer qualifications are likely to be a major factor in why a much lower proportion of school leavers in the most deprived areas went onto higher education. Other factors include, poor transport links and lack of income to support full time higher education.

School leavers from the least deprived areas were more likely to go into higher education and employment, than those in the 15% most deprived.

Attitudes to Health The percentage of women smoking at maternity booking appointment in the Mearns Academy network area is 15.2% this is above the Aberdeenshire average of 14.7% but below the national average of 17.1%. The proportion of women smoking at their maternity booking appointment is notably higher in the 15% most deprived areas compared with the rest of the area. The level has fluctuated over the three year period. The difference between the most and least deprived is around two times higher in the 15% most deprived areas.

In the Mearns Academy network area the rate of Low weight live singleton birth percentage of live singleton births is 0.2%, this is well below the Aberdeenshire average of 1.27% and the national average of 2.04%.

As can be seen in the graph, all low birth weight babies have been born in the least deprived areas within the last 3 years. However as the figures are so small it is assessed it is difficult to make any real inferences.

The level of breastfeeding at the 6-8 week review of babies is 52.7% In the Mearns Academy Network area this is higher than the Aberdeenshire average of 45.3% and the national average of 36.7%.

The proportion of children, in the 15% most deprived areas, who are breastfed at 6-8 weeks was between 22% and 57% in between 2010 and 2012, this compares with a range of 56% - 65% for the rest of the area. As can be seen in the graph the level acorss the area as a whole dropped towards the end of the period, whith the largest drop being in the 15% most deprived areas.

The level of breastfeeding at the 6-8 week review of babies is 52.7% In the Mearns Academy Network area this is higher than the Aberdeenshire average of 45.3% and the national average of 36.7%.

The proportion of children, in the 15% most deprived areas, who are breastfed at 6-8 weeks was between 22% and 57% in between 2010 and 2012, this compares with a range of 56% - 65% for the rest of the area. As can be seen in the graph the level acorss the area as a whole dropped towards the end of the period, with the largest drop being in the 15% most deprived areas.

Life Expectancy The life expectancy of Aberdeenshire between 2006 and 2010 was higher than that of the Scottish average for both males and females. Males were expected to live until 77.9 in Aberdeenshire, and 75.3 in Scotland, whereas females in Aberdeenshire were expected to live until 81.5 in Aberdeenshire and 80.1 in Scotland.

The average life expectancy for men in the 15% most deprived areas in Aberdeenshire between 2006 and 2010 was 72.5, below the Aberdeenshire and national average. Males in the least deprived areas were expected to live above the Aberdeenshire average, living until 78.9 years.

A similar pattern is observed in females, to a lesser extent. Female life expectancy in the 15% most deprived areas was 78.9, 3 years less than the least deprived areas and the Aberdeenshire average.

Levels of Crime The SIMD crime domain rate is based on five indicators of broad crime types: crimes of violence; domestic house breaking; vandalism; drug offence and minor assault and is referred to as ‘SIMD crime’ rather that total crime, as it does not include all recorded crimes.

The average rate of SIMD crimes in the Mearns Academy Network area rose between 2007/2008 and 2011. In 2011, there was an average of 169 SIMD crimes per 10,000 population. This is lower than the average of 208 in Aberdeenshire and the Scottish average of 453. Crime in the most deprived area of the academy network is consistently higher than the rest of the area. Crime in the least deprived areas has declined consistently since 2004. The rise in the overall average is influenced by the one deprived datazone.