Orkney isles are the best in Scotland for bringing up children
ORKNEY has been named as the best place to bring up children in Scotland thanks to its schools and low population.
Orkney has been named as the best place to bring up children in Scotland
The islands have topped the Bank of Scotland Children's Quality of Life Survey, which assess a number of factors including primary school class size, high school spending per pupil, low population density and traffic.
One of the greatest benefits for children living in Orkney is the amount that is spent on education, with an average of £9,281 per pupil - over twice the British average of £4,623.
In addition, the average primary school class is 18.1 - well below a typical 26.9 - and the pupil-teacher ratio in secondary schools is 14, compared to 20.9 across the UK as a whole.
These factors appear to help high school children achieve excellent exam results, with 91.7 per cent of pupils getting five awards at Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) 4 or better.
One of the greatest benefits for children living in Orkney is the amount that is spent on education
Orkney also has one of the lowest population densities in Britain with just 22 people per square kilometre - compared to the national average of 276..
That means children can walk about in relative freedom with just 142 vehicles per square kilometre, compared to 9,587 in Britain as a whole.
Orkney also has one of the lowest population densities in Britain
Shetland and Western Isles round off the top three for the second year running.
Nitesh Patel, economist at Bank of Scotland said: "Children in these areas benefit from low primary school class sizes, low pupil to teacher ratio in secondary schools, excellent exam results and some of the highest school spend per pupil."