These are the best performing state high schools in Renfrewshire, according to the latest data available.
Each school has been measured on the percentage of pupils who received the Scottish Government’s educational “gold standard” of five Highers, or their equivalent, in 2024 – based on data published by the Scottish Government on its own website.
The top performing school in Renfrewshire this year in terms of academic attainment was Gryffe High School in Houston - which was ranked as the nineteenth best performing school in Scotland. Three other secondary schools in Renfrewshire completed the top 100 list for the country with Paisley Grammar School, Park Mains High School and Trinity High School all being ranked within the top 100 best schools in Scotland.
These Higher result tables do not reflect schools or rank them in terms of ‘best to worst’ as that would fail to take into account factors such as the support offered to children with complex needs, the effort and quality of the teaching staff, working conditions for said staff, quality of the student experience, the funding the school receives from Renfrewshire Council, or whether or not the school is serving an underprivileged and disadvantaged area within the local authority.
Throughout our coverage, we use ‘Highers’ as a term to mean both Highers and equivalent qualifications at SCQF level 6 and above, such as Skills for Work Higher awards.
You can find the full list of Glasgow secondary school rankings here.
5. St Andrew’s Academy
St Andrew’s Academy in Paisley is the fifth best performing school in Renfrewshire, it ranks 123rd nationally. Overall, 41% of pupils gain at least five Highers. | St Andrew’s Academy
6. St Benedict’s High School
St Benedict’s High School in Linwood sees 40% of pupils gain a minimum of five Higher qualifications. It ranks 137th in Scotland and 6th in Renfrewshire. | Google Maps
7. Renfrew High School
Renfrew High School rank as the seventh best performing secondary school in Renfrewshire and 152nd in Scotland. 38% of their pupils achieved at least five Highers. | Google Maps
8. Gleniffer High School
Gleniffer High School saw 37% of their pupils achieve at least five Higher qualifications. It ranks 8th in Renfrewshire and 163rd in Scotland. | Supplied