The Scottish Qualifications Authority says the last year has been a ‘landmark year’ of achievement for learners, and undoubtedly plenty of Glasgow schools will be celebrating their own pupils’ success too.
This year’s SQA results day has just passed, where secondary school pupils across Scotland finally learned how their exams went, and which Nationals, Highers, and Advanced Highers they managed to earn. Earning a wide range of these important qualifications can be a good way for young people to open doors and give themselves plenty of options once they leave school, and move on to the next stage in their lives.
While pupil success is ultimately down to learners themselves, their school and the kind of learning environment it fosters also play a big part. That’s why we’ve explored the state-funded secondary schools within the Glasgow City Council area (as well as one within the catchment directly funded by the Government) that had particularly high proportions of pupils earning a range of Highers, according to the most up-to-date figures - currently for the 2023/24 school year.
We’ve created a league table based on the Scottish Government’s recently updated breadth and depth of qualifications data, specifically the proportion of each school’s candidates that attained five or more. This is an achievement any pupil should be proud of, as well as just one way of demonstrating a school’s success.
Here were the city’s top 10:
1. Jordanhill School
At the top of the list is this all-through school in the Jordanhill area, which is funded directly by the Scottish government rather than via the local council. As well as being Glasgow’s highest performer, it also held the top spot for Scotland. In the 2023/24 school year, an incredible 94% of its pupils attained five or more Highers, according to official data. | Google
2. Hyndland Secondary School
Next up is this secondary school in the Hyndland area. In the 2023/24 school year, 63% of its pupils attained five or more Highers. | Google
3. Glasgow Gaelic School
This is a school in the central Finnieston area, where children are taught primarily in Scottish Gaelic. In the 2023/24 school year, 60% of its pupils attained five or more Highers. | Google
4. Hillhead High School
This is a secondary school in the Hillhead area, as its name might suggest. In the 2023/24 school year, 56% of its pupils attained five or more Highers. | Google