High school leavers recorded their “best-ever performance”, Scottish Borders Council (SBC) reported as hundreds of pupils received their exam results on Tuesday.
The council announced that 34% of young people were leaving school with five or more Highers – an increase of 4% from 2014. SBC also revealed a rise in the number of pupils obtaining Advanced Highers, with more achieving qualifications compared to last year. Significantly, there has been a 9% increase in the number of pupils achieving A Grade passes and a continued overall pass rate at grades A-D of 90%.
“All key performance measures have improved for sixth-year pupils in 2015 compared to 2014,” a spokesperson added.
They added: “The number of pupils receiving A Grade passes at Higher level rose by 4% to 39%, compared to 35% in 2014, while 88% of pupils received an overall pass rate at A-D level. The percentage of young people obtaining five or more National 5 qualifications increased by more than 1%, while the National 5 pass rate was maintained at 90% overall.
“The current fifth year is the first year through the new curriculum and they have provided the Scottish Borders with a best-ever performance in Highers in S5. This demonstrates that the new curriculum structures are making a positive difference to pupils’ performance.
“The three key performance measures at Higher for fifth-year pupils have improved across the board in 2015 compared to 2014. More fifth-year pupils are attaining Highers than ever before.”
Councillor Sandy Aitchison, executive member for education, said: “These results paint a highly-positive picture for the young people of the Scottish Borders and are a strong testament to the commitment, dedication and hard work that has been shown over the past year by pupils, teachers, parents and carers alike.”
Support is available through the Skills Development Scotland helpline on 0808 100 8000, open weekdays 9am-5pm until August12. Advisers can provide access to information on UCAS course vacancies at college and universities across the UK, Confirmation and Clearing, advice about Modern Apprenticeships and employment and training.