DOI: 10.5255/ukda-sn-9447-1
title: Growing Up in Scotland: Cohort 1: Sweep 11, 2021-2023, Attainment Data: Secure Access
title: Growing Up in Scotland, 2005-: Secure Access
title: GUS; SQA

description: &lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;p class="x_x_MsoNormal"&gt;The Growing Up in Scotland (GUS) study is a large-scale longitudinal social survey which follows the lives of several groups of Scottish children from infancy through childhood and adolescence, and aims to provide important new information on children and their families in Scotland. The study forms a central part of the Scottish Government's strategy for the long-term monitoring and evaluation of its policies for children, with a specific focus on the early years. Unlike other similar cohort studies, this survey has a specifically Scottish focus. A key objective of GUS is to address a significant gap in the evidence base for early years policy monitoring and evaluation. The study seeks both to describe the characteristics, circumstances and experiences of children in their early years (and their parents) in Scotland and, through its longitudinal design, to generate a better understanding of how children's start in life can shape their longer term prospects and development.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Since 2005, study design and data collection have been undertaken by ScotCen Social Research with collaborations with the Centre for Research on Families and Relationships, based at the University of Edinburgh and the MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit over certain periods of the project. The survey design consisted of recruiting an initial total of 8,000 parents in 2005, comprising two cohorts of children (5,000 from birth, 3,000 from age two years and ten months), and then interviewing parents annually until their child reached age five years ten months. Further fieldwork was undertaken with the birth cohort when the children were around eight, ten, twelve and fourteen years old.  A boost sample of 500 children from predominantly high deprivation areas was added to the cohort as part of the age 12 fieldwork.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;For sweeps 1 to 9 data were collected via an in-home, face-to-face interview with self-complete sections. Fieldwork for sweeps 10 and 11 were disrupted due to the COVID pandemic. As a result, portions of the data were collected via web and telephone questionnaires whilst others involved face-to-face interviews where they were permitted. The study user guides provide further details.&lt;br&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;br&gt;Special Licence data:&lt;br&gt;&lt;/i&gt;The main survey data are available under Special Licence:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul type="disc"&gt;&lt;li class="x_x_MsoNormal"&gt;SNs 9373-9383 and 9386-9387 - Growing Up in Scotland: Cohort 1&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li class="x_x_MsoNormal"&gt;SN 7432 - Growing Up in Scotland: Cohort 2&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li class="x_x_MsoNormal"&gt;SN 8366 - Growing Up in Scotland: Cohort 1, Primary 6 Teacher Survey&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p class="x_x_MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Secure Access Geographic Data:&lt;br&gt;&lt;/i&gt;Geographic data are available under Secure Access and are separated by cohort, sweep and  type of geographic variable. Information is available on the GUS &lt;a href="https://beta.ukdataservice.ac.uk/datacatalogue/series/series?id=200020#!/access-data" target="_blank"&gt;Access Data&lt;/a&gt; web page. Users must also include the main &lt;i&gt;Growing Up in Scotland Special Licence&lt;/i&gt; data in the Accredited Researcher Proposal form and add it to their projects (please note there is no need for Secure Access users to complete a separate Special Licence application).&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;Secure Access Early Learning and Childcare Administrative Data:&lt;br&gt;&lt;/span&gt;Care Inspectorate quality information on the settings which provided children in Birth Cohort 1 and Birth Cohort  2 with their state-funded early learning and childcare (pre-school) entitlement when they were aged between 3 and 5 years old is available under SN 8543 (Birth Cohort 1) and SN 8544 (Birth Cohort 2).&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;Secure Access Linked Administrative Data&lt;/span&gt;:&lt;br&gt;A data matching exercise was was undertaken using the Scottish Government Pupil Census at Birth Cohort 1 Sweep 11 and participants were linked with their Scottish Candidate Number (SCN). The SCNs were then supplied to the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA), who were able to provide the attainment records for participants (available under SN 9447).  The SCNs were then supplied to Skills Development Scotland (SDS), who were able to provide the school leaver destinations record for participants (available under SN 9448).&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;SN 9447 - Growing Up in Scotland: Cohort 1: Sweep 11, 2021-2023, Attainment Data: Secure Access&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br&gt;Using GUS participants date of birth, postcode and school SEED code, a data matching exercise was undertaken using the Scottish Government Pupil Census. Using these identifiers, participants were linked with their Scottish Candidate Number (SCN). SCNs are allocated to pupils at school and in further-education colleges who undertake Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) courses. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Once the matching exercise was complete, over 90% of Sweep 11 GUS participants were matched with their SCN. The pupil census only includes pupils at Local Authority funded schools in Scotland. Therefore, of those that could not be matched, the majority are most likely pupils at independent or private schools. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;The SCNs were then supplied to the SQA, who were able to provide the attainment record for participants. SCNs have since been removed from the dataset, and replaced with GUSID. Researchers can use this GUSID to link attainment data with GUS survey responses.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;div&gt;When researchers are approved/accredited to access this study, the GUS Cohort 1, Sweep 11 study (SN 9383) will be automatically provided alongside.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;