These are the best performing state high schools in South Lanarkshire, 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 2023 – based on data published by the Scottish Government on its own website.
The top performing school in South Lanarkshire this year in terms of academic attainment was Strathaven Academy - which was ranked as the 26th best performing high school in Scotland. St Andrew's and St Bride's High School in East Kilbride was the other high school in South Lanarkshire which ranked within the top 50 best performing schools in the country.
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 South Lanarkshire 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 and North Lanarkshire.
5. Holy Cross High School
Holy Cross High School is the fifth best performing school in South Lanarkshire, it ranks 101st nationally. Overall, 42% of pupils gain at least five Highers. | Google Maps
6. Hamilton Grammar School
Hamilton Grammar School sees 42% of pupils gain a minimum of five Higher qualifications. It ranks 102nd in Scotland and 6th in South Lanarkshire. | Google Maps
7. Duncanrig Secondary School
Duncanrig Secondary School rank as the seventh best performing secondary school in South Lanarkshire and 110th in Scotland. 41% of their pupils achieved at least five Highers. | Google Maps
8. Biggar High School
Biggar High School saw 41% of their pupils achieve at least five Higher qualifications. It ranks 8th in South Lanarkshire and 111th in Scotland. | Google Maps