Local schools leading the way in attainment


At the recent education committee, councillors heard reports on SQA results and school leaver destinations which not only compared performance with national figures but looked at how the attainment gap is being addressed.
Analysis of East Dunbartonshire’s best ever SQA results showed pupils performing significantly above the national average and faring very favourably against the area’s ‘virtual comparator’.
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Hide AdThe comparator is a data set where local pupils are matched with similar pupils from elsewhere in Scotland.
Convener of Education, Councillor Jim Goodall, said: “This is an encouraging picture and shows the very real level of commitment across our schools to ensure that all pupils, regardless of their background, have the opportunity to fulfil their potential.
“It is also the result of the hard work put in by the young people themselves and the support they receive at home and in their communities.”
A look at School leavers’ initial destinations 2017-18 showed East Dunbartonshire remaining the top performing local authority in Scotland for senior pupils going onto positive destinations such as further education and employment.
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Hide AdThe national figure was 94% while in East Dunbartonshire it reached 98.85% with the majority (65%) going onto Higher Education.
Figures revealed that a higher percentage of East Dunbartonshire leavers from the most deprived areas took this path than was the average in Scotland.
Councillor Goodall welcomed these figures and said: “The statistics around what our young people do when they leave school are an effective demonstration of the success of schools in helping to prepare them for moving on to a genuine positive destination.
“This was recognised in a recent report by Skills Development Scotland which highlighted the positive working relationship between our schools and their team in East Dunbartonshire, ultimately benefitting local young people as they prepare for life after school.”