Best ever Higher results for pupils

Candidates S5 and S6 topped previous results with an impressive grade tally.

The percentage of those in S5 who gained one or more award rose from 46.5 per cent to 48 per cent this year.

Likewise, those with three awards or more went from 25 per cent to 27 per cent, while 11 per cent gained five or more awards, up from 10 per cent the year before

In S6 the picture is similar with one or more awards up from 53 per cent to 57 per cent; three or more awards from 34.5 per cent to 37 per cent; and five or more from 23.6 per cent to 24 per cent.

Furthermore, the introduction of the National Qualifications, which replace Standard Grades, appears to have gone smoothly.

The ‘nationals’ are part of the senior phase being rolled out as part of Curriculum for Excellence and North Lanarkshire youngsters have performed well against the Scottish averages.

The results show that 89 per cent of candidates were successful in attaining a National 3 award at SCQF Level 3; 92 per cent gained a National 4 award at SCQF Level 4; and 79 per cent of candidates attained a National 5 award at SCQF Level 5.

The national figures were 90 per cent, 93 per cent and 81 per cent, respectively.

Andrew Sutherland, the council’s executive director of learning and leisure services, said: “Our young people once again improved their Higher performance across all measures and I am very pleased to see S4 students achieving extremely encouraging results in their new examinations.

“We are now reviewing the detailed results for all schools, along with head teachers and senior staff and will be in a position to make a fuller analysis in a few weeks’ time.”