Arran High among best in Scotland
Arran High School has been named among the top 50 state schools in Scotland.
The percentage of pupils who sat five or more Highers was 52 per cent, the benchmark is 36 per cent, putting it 31st in the league table, compiled annually by The Herald newspaper
Arran High finished one place higher than its North Ayrshire neighbour Largs Academy and performed better than other well known Ayrshire schools including Marr College and Kyle Academy.
Head teacher Barry Smith said: ‘We are committed to the highest standards of achievement for each and every young person in our care and it is always pleasing to receive recognition for work well done. We are cautious in reading too much into a single year of statistics and we would look to the improving trend in attainment in Arran High School over the past four years as confirmation of the improvements we have made.
‘Our staff, students, par-
ents, cluster primary schools and our wider community all work in partnership to make the school such a special place.
‘Our school is so much more than our examination statistics, although these are a very important part of who we are and what we do, as they ‘lay the foundations’ for our young people’s next steps in life. Our approaches to improvement have focused upon creating leadership opportunities and skills for both young people and staff, as well as improving Health and Wellbeing for all. We have made significant progress in recent years and I believe there is still much we can do to improve even further.
‘I feel very grateful to lead such a caring, committed and motivated group of staff and young people, and to work in partnership with such a supportive community. Our collective drive, energy, enthusiasm and positive attitude will continue to take our school forward in the coming years and ensure that our young people have access to all of the opportunities they need to make a successful transition into further learning, university, apprenticeships or employment.’
Eight of the top 10 secondaries based on their performance in Higher exams are from Glasgow and surrounding council regions. Jordanhill School, in the city’s west end, recorded the highest proportion of pupils achieving five or more Highers by the time they left school with 81 per cent achieving the benchmark.