THREE super Selkirk High School students are celebrating scoring five straight As in their Highers exams.
Sixteen-year-olds Alex Carroll, Megan Brass and Ali Borhan-Azad all discovered that they had achieved the top mark available in every exam they sat. Pupils at the the nine secondary schools in the Borders had been anxiously waiting their results.
Headteacher Wilma Burgon expects the school to match last year’s performance, when 97 per cent of fourth-year children sitting Standard Grades achieved five or more passes, and 38 per cent of fifth years managed three or more Highers.
She told TheSouthern: “The students have done really well. We are very pleased with the results and there were some really strong individual performances. I think we will do as well as last year. The students who achieved good marks in 2011 have gone on to further success this year. To get five As is absolutely fantastic.”
Stepping up to Highers this session are fourth year pupils Emily Newlands, John McLean and Ellie Clarkson, all 16 years of age. Emily and John have earned five top grades, while Ellie scored the highest possible mark in seven of her nine courses.
Ellie said: “I played hockey and went horse riding so never opened my results until 5pm. I was really nervous but delighted when I found out.”
Emily said: “I got my results by text message at 8am. I was still half asleep so it wasn’t until later I properly realised how I had done.”
This coming session is the last for Standard Grades, which will be replaced with the Curriculum for Excellence in 2013/14.
Mrs Burgon added: “We’ll make sure the children do not suffer as a consequence of the changes.