Education Performance Data Analysis 2024-25
Argyll and Bute Council · 11 December 2025
Back to Community Services Committee — 11 December 2025 and its agenda
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ARGYLL AND BUTE COUNCIL COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE EDUCATION 11 DECEMBER 2025 EDUCATION PERFORMANCE DATA ANALYSIS 2024-25 1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1.1 This report aims to give an overview of essential performance data and outcomes for all students in Argyll and Bute's ten secondary schools for the 2024-2025 academic session. It utilises local authority attainment data along with information provided by the Scottish Government's Insight tool. 1.2 The Insight tool is designed to allow fair comparison of a group of pupils in Argyll and Bute with larger groups of pupils with similar backgrounds (gender, additional support needs, stage, and SIMD band) taken from the remaining 31 local authorities. It should be noted that the current Virtual Comparator methodology does not incorporate any measure of rurality. The Virtual Comparator (VC) is a key feature of Insight and allows for both school and authority level comparison. Insight also allows for the comparison of attainment in Argyll and Bute with national performance. 1.3 As well as presenting performance data relating to presentations for certificated subject awards in schools, the report also highlights the broad range of Wider Achievement awards gained by pupils across the authority, both in schools and through work with partners. 1.4 It should be noted that a further update of Insight will occur in February 2026. Included in this update will be all post-appeal results, further wider achievement attainment and specific information on the attainment of young people who left school in 2024-2025. A paper outlining key content of the update will be presented to committee thereafter. 1.5 It is recommended that the Community Services Committee: a) Considers the information contained in this report. b) Commends the hard work and commitment of pupils and staff in securing these levels of attainment and achievement and recognises the crucial role in such success played by parents and carers in partnership with our schools.
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c) Notes the SQA directive that, because of the different assessment arrangements in place each year over the period 2020-2023, meaningful comparison is limited between current results and performance in recent previous sessions. d) Notes that a further report will come to a future meeting of the Committee once final Insight data for session 2024-2025 is made available in the February 2026 Insight update.
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ARGYLL AND BUTE COUNCIL COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE EDUCATION 11 DECEMBER 2025 EDUCATION PERFORMANCE DATA ANALYSIS 2024-2025 2.0 INTRODUCTION 2.1 In August 2025, the Council received notification of SQA awards for all pupils in Argyll and Bute entered for National Qualifications in session 2024/25. 2.2 The 2024/25 academic session was the fourth successive year in which pupil attainment has been determined through a diet of examinations. In 2020 and 2021, examinations were cancelled because of Covid-19, and attainment was determined through the submission of provisional results to the SQA, based on teacher professional judgement which considered a wide range of candidate assessment evidence. 2.3 The 2022 SQA examination diet was characterised by Covid-related modifications. The arrangement whereby internal and external assessment elements of some courses were reduced was continued into the 2023 diet. However, unlike 2022, the 2023 diet did not include SQA advice to candidates on the range of topics to be assessed in examinations for some courses, to support their studying and revision activities. 2.4 The 2024 diet saw a return to established awarding procedures for most courses, which was again repeated in 2025. As a result of these modifications, the SQA has advised that comparison to 2019, the last pre- pandemic diet, is most appropriate for comparative purposes. The SQA has advised that caution should be applied in comparing 2024 and 2025 attainment data to results produced between 2020 and 2023. 3.0 RECOMMENDATIONS 3.1 It is recommended that the Community Services Committee: a) Considers the information contained in this report.
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b) Commends the hard work and commitment of pupils and staff in securing these levels of attainment and achievement and recognises the crucial role in such success played by parents and carers in partnership with our schools. e) Notes the SQA directive that, because of the different assessment arrangements in place each year over the period 2020-2023, meaningful comparison between results in 2024 and 2025 and the other years in this period, specifically 2020 and 2021, is limited. c) Notes that a further report will come to a future meeting of the Committee once final Insight data for session 2024-2025 is made available in the February 2026 Insight update. This update will provide an overview of the 2025 leavers cohort. 4.0 PRESENTATIONS AND PASSES 4.1 Presentation rates measure the average volume of presentations per pupil across award types and stages. This is important contextualising information for pass rates and necessary to holistically assess performance. For example, pass rates could increase at the expense of presentations if we deterred pupils who were estimated to get a D grade. On the other hand, if the average presentation per pupil rate increases then a fall in pass rates may not necessarily be a negative thing if the number of awards per pupil increases. Presentation rates by stage and commonly presented award types are provided below. 4.2 The table below shows the number of S4 pupils who were presented for National 5 qualifications in each of the last 5 sessions: Table 1 – S4 and National 5 Presentations S4 Presentations Year Number of pupils presented Number of Nat 5 Presentations Nat 5 Presentations per pupil 2021 738 3229 4.38 2022 783 3614 4.62 2023 771 3449 4.47 2024 830 3595 4.33 2025 814 3817 4.69 • The Nat 5 presentations per pupil rate has increased meaningfully against 2024 and is the highest in the last five sessions. The final session prior to the pandemic, 2018/19, saw a S4 Nat 5 presentation rate of 4.01.
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• In relation to the 2023/24 cohort, the 2024/25 S4 cohort had 16 pupils fewer present for national qualifications yet presented for 222 extra National 5 awards. 4.3 The table below shows the number of S5 pupils who were presented for National 5 and Higher qualifications in each of the last 5 sessions: Table 2 – S5 and National 5/Higher Presentations S5 Presentations Year Number of pupils presented Number of Nat 5 Presentations Number of Higher Presentations Nat 5 Presentations per pupil Higher Presentations per pupil 2021 659 532 1847 0.81 2.80 2022 563 523 1639 0.93 2.91 2023 593 478 1747 0.81 2.95 2024 588 550 1573 0.94 2.68 2025 634 518 1779 0.82 2.81 • The Nat 5 presentations per pupil rate has decreased against the 2024 rate but remains in line with 2023 and 2021. • The Higher presentation rate has risen to 2.81 from 2.68 in 2024. • The overall presentation rate (combining both Nat 5 and Higher presentations) is in line with 2024. However, there has been a small swing away from Nat 5 presentations towards Higher presentations. 4.4 The table below shows the number of S6 pupils who were presented for Higher and Advanced Higher qualifications in each of the last 5 sessions: Table 3 – S6 and Higher/Advanced Higher Presentations S6 Presentations Year Number of pupils presented Number of Higher Presentations Number of Adv Higher Presentations Higher presentations per pupil Adv Higher presentations per pupil 2021 448 713 316 1.59 0.71 2022 431 604 339 1.40 0.79 2023 391 556 281 1.42 0.72 2024 410 565 314 1.38 0.77 2025 413 621 248 1.50 0.60 • The Higher presentations per pupil rate has increased against 2025 and is the highest it has been since 2020/21. • The Advanced Higher presentation rate has decreased against the figure of 2023 and remains in line with 19/20 figures.
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4.5 Pupils in each of the ten secondary schools in Argyll and Bute were presented for a range of SQA external examination qualifications in April, May and June of 2025. Following the release of results, Education Services conducted an initial analysis of the attainment data to support the preparation of a summary report for presentation to and consideration by Elected Members at Committee in August 2025. This can be accessed via the following link: August 2025 Community Services Committee - SQA Update Additionally, all secondary schools have engaged in analysis of their own SQA attainment, and will present data and conclusions, following the February 2026 Insight update, at the relevant Area Committees. An initial overview will be presented in January/February during Elected Members’ visits to schools. 4.6 The pre-appeal A-C SQA attainment results for pupils in academic year 2024- 2025 are outlined in the following table: Table 4 – A-C Awards 2025 – A&B/National – National 4, National 5, Higher, Advanced Higher 2024 - 2025 A&B Attainment A-C % (pre-appeal) National Attainment A-C % LA Schools only (pre-appeal) Difference A&B 23/24 to National A-C (pre-appeal) Nat 5 77.2% 77.4% -0.2pp Higher 73.4% 74.8% -1.5pp Adv H 74.5% 73.8% +0.7pp To maintain the integrity of comparison with the national data, the following analysis reflects on pre-appeal data, as national post-appeal data has not yet been released. • National 5 results are below the national pass rate by 0.2% points. • Higher results are below the national pass rate by 1.5% points. • Advanced Higher results are above the national pass rate by 0.7% points.
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4.7 The pre-appeal A-D SQA attainment results for pupils in academic year 2024- 2025 are outlined in the following table: Table 5 – A-D Awards 2025 – A&B/National – National 5, Higher, Advanced Higher • National 5 results are above the national pass rate by 0.7% points. • Higher results are above the national pass rate by 0.4% points. • Advanced Higher results are below the national pass rate by 0.6% points. 4.8 The following graphs illustrate A-C and A-D presentation pass rates at school level across our secondary schools in 2025. Figures for Argyll and Bute and Scotland are also provided. Figure 1: A-C Pass Rates by School, Argyll and Bute and Scotland * It should be noted that, because of low presentation numbers, statistical variance at Advanced Higher level must be carefully interpreted. For example, 100% pass rate can be because of a single pupil presentation resulting in a pass. 2024 - 2025 A&B Attainment A-D % (pre- appeal) National Attainment A-D % LA schools only (pre- appeal) Difference A&B 23/24 to National A-D (pre-appeal) Nat 5 89.9% 89.2% +0.7pp Higher 89.9% 89.5% +0.4pp Adv H 88.2% 88.9% -0.7pp
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A-C by School Analysis: • Three of our secondary schools were equal to or above the 2025 A-C national average for National 5 (77.4%). • Six schools improved their National 5 A-C pass rates against 2024. • Five of our secondary schools were above the 2025 A-C national average for Higher (74.8%). • Six schools improved their Higher A-C pass rates against 2024. • Seven of our secondary schools were above the 2025 A-C national average for Advanced Higher (73.8%). • Four schools improved their Advanced Higher A-C pass rate against 2024, with 1 school matching their figure from 2024 and another having 100% against no presentations last session. Figure 2 - A-D Pass Rates by School, Argyll and Bute and Scotland * It should be noted that, because of low presentation numbers, statistical variance at Advanced Higher level must be carefully interpreted. For example, 100% pass rate can be because of a single pupil presentation resulting in a pass. A-D by School Analysis • Five of our secondary schools were equal to or above the 2025 A-D national average for National 5 (89.2%). • Six schools improved their National 5 A-D pass rates against 2024.
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• Seven of our secondary schools were above the 2025 A-D national average for Higher (89.5%). • Six schools improved their Higher A-C pass rates against 2024. • Six of our secondary schools were above the 2025 A-D national average for Advanced Higher (88.9%). It should be noted that statistical variance at Advanced Higher level must be carefully interpreted. For example, 100% pass rate can be because of a single pupil presentation resulting in a pass. • Four schools improved their Advanced Higher A-D pass rate against 2024, with 1 school matching their figure from 2024 and another having 100% against no presentations last session. 4.9 The following graphs detail 2025 attainment for the whole of Argyll and Bute across National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher against national figures. There are separate charts for attainment at grades A-C and attainment at Grades A-D. For comparison, data from previous years have also been supplied: this includes 2019 as the final ‘pre-pandemic session’ and 2022 and 2023 as ‘post-pandemic’ sessions. In 2020 and 2021, there were no examinations due to COVID-19, rendering comparisons with these years invalid. Figure 3 - National 5 Pass Rates Trend • At National 5 level, Argyll and Bute attainment followed the national trend at both A-C and A-D grades, with both increasing against 2024.
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• Argyll and Bute performance for A-C is slightly below the national average, while A-D performance is slightly above the national average. • Argyll and Bute performance at A-C is the highest it has been in the last three sessions. Figure 4 – Higher Pass Rates Trend • At Higher level, Argyll and Bute attainment followed the national trend at both A-C and A-D grades, with both increasing against 2024. • Argyll and Bute performance for A-C is below the national average, while A-D performance is slightly above the national average. • Argyll and Bute performance at A-C is in line with pre-pandemic performance. • Argyll and Bute A-D pass rates have exceeded the national figure in five consecutive sessions.
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Figure 5 - Advanced Higher Pass Rate Trend • At Advanced Higher level, Argyll and Bute attainment went against the national trend at both A-C and A-D grades. Nationally, pass rates at both levels increased, whilst in Argyll and Bute pass rates decreased. It should be noted that there are a relatively small number of Advanced Higher presentations compared to National 5 and Higher awards. This means variation in pass rates is more likely to occur. • Argyll and Bute performance for A-C is above the national average for the fourth session in a row. • Argyll and Bute performance at A-D is ahead of pre-pandemic performance, but has fallen behind the national figure for the first time in five sessions. 5.0 Insight Analysis 5.0.1 The Scottish Government’s Insight tool provides valuable analysis of attainment from a multitude of perspectives. Below, attainment analysis is provided from three such perspectives: 1. attainment in Literacy and Numeracy – a key element of the Scottish Government’s National Improvement Framework; 2. average attainment of young people in the context of the top 20%, middle 60%, and the lowest 20% of attainers within each cohort;
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3. attainment in the context of the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD). In line with the Scottish Government’s conditions on the use of Insight, data presented here is being used both to inform members of key aspects of attainment in Argyll and Bute and as part of the Education Service’s self-evaluation and professional reflection. As mentioned above, the Virtual Comparator is a key feature of Insight which allows comparison of Argyll and Bute pupils with a larger group of pupils with similar backgrounds (gender, additional support needs, stage, and SIMD band) taken from all the other 31 local authorities. Nevertheless, rurality of pupil is not included in the virtual comparator methodology and may have a limiting impact on the comparison. 5.1 Attainment in Literacy and Numeracy 5.1.1. SCQF levels 4 and 5 Literacy and Numeracy are achieved via the passing of National 4 or 5 English or Maths, or through the completion of separate Literacy and Numeracy units at levels 4 and 5 which do not require an examination. It should be noted that attainment is only included in the S4-S6 senior phase. Any attainment achieved in S3 is not included in these figures, so a pupil who ends their Numeracy attainment with a National 5 in S3 will be presented as not having any numeracy attainment in senior phase. The same occurs with English/Gàidhlig attainment, which has an impact on Literacy figures. 5.1.2. To assess performance in Literacy and Numeracy, two different measures have been used. The first measure below (Figure 6) looks at the performance of S4 cohorts in Literacy and Numeracy. Performance at the end of S4 is a marker of early senior phase performance. Measures at the end of S4 reflect the entirety of a cohort as no pupil can have left before this point. The second measure below (Figure 7), looks at performance of S6 cohorts as a percentage of S6 pupils. This measure reflects attainment of those pupils who have accumulated achievement over three years of senior phase. 5.1.3 Previous board reports had reported on S6 performance as a percentage of S4 cohort rolls. The limitation of this measure is that performance is impacted by early leaving (S4 and S5 leavers) as opposed to attainment in English, Gaelic and Maths. An increase in S4 and S5 leaving rates has occurred within Argyll and Bute and nationally. This directly impacts S6 performance as a percentage of S4 original roll as the cohort overall has had relatively less time to accumulate awards. Measuring S6 by S6 allows us to compare performance of cohorts who have each had 3 complete years of senior phase attainment.
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Figure 6 - 2025 Attainment in Literacy and Numeracy at the end of S4 • In 2025, Literacy attainment at SCQF Level 4 decreased by 1.6% points to 83.2%, and the gap with the virtual comparator has also grown from 6.2% points to 9.0% points. • Literacy attainment at SCQF Level 5 increased by 2.1% points against 2024 to 69.6%. The gap with the virtual comparator has remained at 8.5%. • In 2025, Numeracy attainment at SCQF Level 4 increased by 2.5% points to 85.7%, and the gap with the virtual comparator has decreased to 4.4% points from 5.0% points. • Numeracy attainment at SCQF Level 5 significantly increased by 6.3% points against 2024 to 63.2%. The gap with the virtual comparator has decreased from 8.2% points to 5.4% points • Of these four measures, attainment of our latest S4 cohort improved in three. Furthermore, Level 4 and 5 Numeracy figures were the highest they have been in the last 5 sessions. • As part of Attainment Meetings with individual secondary Head Teachers, key steps are being discussed to improve Literacy and Numeracy attainment in
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all secondary schools. Principal considerations relate to four key principles of raising attainment: o a culture of high expectations underpinning aspirational presentation policies within schools; o rigorous tracking and monitoring of pupils’ attainment in Literacy and Numeracy at frequent, regular intervals; o frameworks of supportive intervention for pupils achieving below their potential in Literacy and Numeracy; o and high-quality, learner-centred learning, teaching and assessment experiences in literacy across the curriculum continuing into the Senior Phase. Figure 7 2025 Attainment in Numeracy (cumulative attainment by the end of S6, based on S6 roll) • In 2025, Literacy attainment at SCQF Level 4 increased by 0.2% points to 96.4%, and the gap with the virtual comparator has decreased from 1.8% points to 1.3% points. • Literacy attainment at SCQF Level 5 increased by 1.1% points against 2024 to 93.6%. The gap with the virtual comparator has decreased from 3.4% points to 1.8% points.
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• In 2025, Numeracy attainment at SCQF Level 4 increased by 2.5% points to 95.6%, and the gap with the virtual comparator has decreased from 3.9% points to 1.4% points. • Numeracy attainment at SCQF Level 5 increased by 2.0% points against 2024 to 86.0%. The gap with the virtual comparator has decreased from 5.9% points to 3.7% points. • Of these four measures, attainment of our latest S6 cohort improved in all areas. Furthermore, gaps to the virtual comparator closed in each measure. 5.2 Improving Attainment for All 5.2.1 This measure details the average attainment of pupils in three attainment cohorts – the highest 20% of attainers, the middle 60% of attainers and the lowest 20% of attainers – using as the key measure tariff points gained for the passing of courses at different levels. As mentioned in the Literacy and Numeracy section above, any attainment achieved in S3 is discounted from these figures, which has a small detrimental impact on Argyll and Bute figures. The two tables below demonstrate performance over the last 5 years and provides comparison to the Virtual Comparator and National figures. 5.2.2 As in the Literacy and Numeracy analysis above, the Improving Attainment for All data below has been split into two; 1) attainment at the end of S4 as a marker of early senior phase performance and 2) attainment at the end of S6 for those who completed three years of senior phase. 5.2.3 The Insight tool measures attainment in tariff points using two separate methods. Total tariff points measure all possible attainment achieved by pupils. Complementary tariff points measure the best 120 SCQF credit points of each pupil. This, for most pupils, equates to five National 5 or Higher awards and prioritises the highest tariff point awarding courses. Total Tariff Points measures the quantity of achievement a pupil accumulates with an emphasis on breadth, whilst Complementary Tariff Points measures the quality of achievement and prioritises depth. In the tables below, Complementary Tariff Points are used to emphasise our prioritisation of quality over quantity. 5.2.4 Caution should be applied to data in the 2021 and 2022 sessions as these were achieved under irregular assessment models. This is especially important in Table 7 which looks at S6 attainment cumulatively. Some of these cohorts had multiple sessions of attainment under alternative models which makes their data incomparable with the latest cohort. For example, S6 pupils in 2022 had accumulated attainment from two years (2020 as S4 pupils and 2021 as S5 pupils) with alternative assessment models.
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Table 7 - Average complementary tariff points by the end of S4, against Virtual Comparator and Scotland Lowest 20% Middle 60% Highest 20% Argyll and Bute Virtual Comparator Scotland Argyll and Bute Virtual Comparator Scotland Argyll and Bute Virtual Comparator Scotland 2021 106 119 105 331 338 330 430 432 429 2022 105 118 106 325 331 324 429 426 426 2023 99 118 105 310 327 321 429 426 426 2024 62 96 89 295 324 318 437 426 426 2025 66 108 99 313 328 326 428 428 428 The table above shows that in 2025: a. Argyll and Bute pupils in the lowest 20% of attainment performed slightly better than the previous year’s cohort but remains behind the Virtual Comparator and National figures. b. Argyll and Bute pupils in the Middle 60% of attainment performed better than the cohort in 2024 and 2023. Argyll and Bute pupils in the Middle 60% remain slightly behind the Virtual Comparator and National figures. c. Argyll and Bute pupils in the Highest 20% of attainment performed marginally below the previous year’s cohort but remain in line with Virtual Comparator and National performance. d. Longer term declines, as seen in the lowest 20% and middle 60%, have been seen nationally and in the Virtual Comparator. This likely reflects the alternative assessment models used in 2021 and 2022. Table 8 - Average cumulative complementary tariff points by the end of S6 (by S6 cohort), against Virtual Comparator and Scotland Lowest 20% Middle 60% Highest 20% Argyll and Bute Virtual Comparator Scotland Argyll and Bute Virtual Comparator Scotland Argyll and Bute Virtual Comparator Scotland 2021 305 377 380 903 937 936 1397 1429 1431 2022 305 341 353 879 910 917 1395 1395 1404 2023 277 364 354 840 897 906 1349 1389 1402 2024 302 370 352 854 908 900 1347 1385 1383 2025 271 349 360 769 884 895 1306 1373 1387 The table above shows that in 2025: a. Argyll and Bute pupils in the lowest 20% had a slightly lower average tariff point score than the previous year’s cohort and performance remains behind the Virtual Comparator and National figures. Performance amongst the Virtual Comparator also fell against 2024.
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b. Argyll and Bute pupils in the Middle 60% had a lower average tariff point score than the previous year’s cohort and performance remain behind the Virtual Comparator and National figures. Performance amongst the Virtual Comparator and National also fell against 2024. c. Argyll and Bute pupils in the Highest 20% had a slightly lower average tariff point score than the previous year’s cohort and performance remain behind the Virtual Comparator and National figures. d. Longer term decline seen in all attainment cohorts have been seen nationally and in the Virtual Comparator. This reflects the alternative assessment models used in 2021 and 2022. • As well as implementing the clear strategies to raise attainment referenced in 5.1 above, Head Teachers in all secondary schools are being challenged and supported to continually examine their curriculum structures and options frameworks to ensure that they allow all young people to attain and achieve to their maximum potential. This includes planning future learning and attainment pathways with pupils and their families at the earliest opportunity, to ensure that, as well as the required breadth of the S1-S3 Broad General Education, there is also the focus on depth of learning, specialisation and coherent progression in S1-S3 which reflects each young person’s aspirations and interests and prepares them for high levels of Senior Phase attainment. • Secondary Head Teachers are also being challenged and supported to ensure their Senior Phase curricula are wide and dynamic. Head Teachers are also ensuring that the curriculum offer in their schools meets the needs, interests and aspirations of all pupils. The range of accredited wider achievement opportunities for young people is expanding, supported by partnership with UHI Argyll and Community Learning. This will ensure that there are meaningful attainment and achievement opportunities for all young people – not only in the traditional academic context, but also in terms of vocational and skill-focused courses and certification. In line with national policy, schools are also working to develop the culture where there is parity of esteem between academic and vocational attainment, and all young people have access to relevant, stimulating courses which take them towards their preferred post-school positive destinations. • Schools are also implementing personalised curriculum arrangements for individual young people – particularly those who are disengaged – which involve an element of work-based vocational learning through regular placement with employers. These Flexible Learning Plans (FLPs) are supporting not only attainment and achievement, but also engagement with school, the development of key skills for life and work, and emotional health and wellbeing in young people. • By ensuring such wide, accessible and equitable senior-phase curricula are in place in our schools, the attainment and achievement of all young people
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will increase, regardless of their academic ability or to which percentage of attainers they belong. 5.3 Attainment in Context of the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) 5.3.1 In interpreting the graphs below, it is helpful for members to acknowledge that the mechanism nationally for defining the SIMD status of young people from decile 1 (the most disadvantaged) to decile 10 (the least disadvantaged), based as it is on post codes, is not always helpful in categorising families in this way. In a predominantly rural area region such as Argyll and Bute, such a mechanism may not be effective in defining the actual level of poverty experienced by a young person, as the rural environment and large areas covered by a single post code can lead to many different levels of advantage and disadvantage existing side by side. Schools in Argyll and Bute ensure they know every young person’s situation individually, regardless of SIMD level ascribed by post code, and work to meet their individual needs on that basis. 5.3.2 One limitation of exploring attainment via SIMD data is that the SIMD profile of Argyll and Bute is skewed to the middle deciles. For example, last year’s secondary census found that 10% of all pupils were living in SIMD Quintile 1 (20% most deprived), and a further 6% from Quintile 5 (20% least deprived). Therefore, 84% of all pupils came from SIMD Quintiles 2-4. The use of SIMD to report attainment gap statistics frequently uses Quintile 1 (20% most deprived) versus Quintile 5 (20% least deprived). Whilst this undoubtedly has statistical value at a national level, for Argyll and Bute this essentially compares the performance of one small group (Quintile 1), with an even smaller group (Quintile 5). Small sample sizes are open to natural variation as the under/overperformance of a small number of pupils can skew significantly the performance of the entire group. 5.3.3 To overcome the limitation detailed above, the visual below looks at Argyll and Bute performance using an alternate SIMD grouping split. To better capture the relationship between SIMD and attainment, the data has been split into three groups; 1) 30% most deprived, 2) 40% middle and 3) 30% least deprived. Whereas Quintile 1 and 5 covered only 16% of last year’s secondary population, comparing the least and most deprived 30% covers 34% of all pupils. This limits the impact of year-on-year natural variation through increasing the size of each sample group. 5.3.4 Tariff point averages are used in this measure of performance. Tariff points are accumulated through gaining attainment at difference levels and across subjects. Wider achievement awards which operate out with the SQA national awards also contribute tariff points. As in the two previous measures, it should be noted that any attainment achieved in S3 is not included in these figures. Therefore, a pupil with 5 National 5 passes at Grade A in S3 will be missing 420 tariff points from their Insight profile.
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Understandably this can have a significant impact on those schools who present at S3 and a smaller impact for the local authority overall. 5.3.5 As in the previous Insight measures, two data points are presented below. Figure 8 highlights attainment versus deprivation at the end of S4 when all possibly pupils are included. Figure 9 highlights attainment versus deprivation at the end of S6. We should be cautious about the data provided at the end of S6 as pupils, especially from Quintile 1, have left after S4 or S5 making the sample size even smaller. Figure 8 – Average Complementary Tariff Points (at the end of S4) trend and comparison to Scotland and Virtual Comparator The data in Figure 8 shows: • The average complementary tariff points of S4 pupils in the 30% Most Deprived SIMD zones increased by 16 points from 231 to 247. • The gap to the National figure for SIMD 30% Most Deprived pupils closed from 17 points to 10 points. • The gap to the Virtual Comparator figure for SIMD 30% Most Deprived pupils closed to 30 points to 25. • The gap between the 30% Most Deprived and 30% Least Deprived pupils in Argyll and Bute closed from 93 points to 90 points. Performance in both groups improved, with the increase amongst the 30% Most Deprived slightly greater than that achieved by the 30% Least Deprived.
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• Performance in the 40% Middle also improved against 2024 and was in line with 2023. • Performance in the 30% Least Deprived was the highest it had been in three sessions and only exceeded by 2021 and 2022 which operated under alternative assessment models. Figure 9 – Average Complementary Tariff Points (at the end of S6 as of S6 roll) trend and comparison to Scotland and Virtual Comparator The data in Figure 9 shows: • The average complementary tariff points of S6 pupils in the 30% Most Deprived SIMD zones decreased by 29 points from 657 to 628. The National figure increased by 5 points in 2025. • The gap to the National figure for SIMD 1-3 pupils grew from 86 points to 120 points. • The gap to the Virtual Comparator figure for SIMD 1-3 pupils grew from 103 points to 140 points. • The gap between the 30% Most Deprived and 30% Least Deprived pupils in Argyll and Bute closed from 329 points to 247 points. Performance in both groups declined, with the decrease amongst the 30% Most Deprived less than that achieved by the 30% Least Deprived. • Performance in the 40% Middle also declined against 2024.
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• As part of the annual school improvement planning process, in their Standards and Quality Reports all secondary schools now complete detailed analysis of the impact their Pupil Equity Fund (PEF) allocation has had on identified groups of the least advantaged young people. In their School Improvement Plans, Head Teachers also present detailed planning of how their PEF allocation will be spent in the coming year to reduce inequality and support the wellbeing and progress of pupils from the most deprived backgrounds. In their Standards and Quality Reports, schools have provided numerous examples of PEF funding being used to ensure our most vulnerable young people reach their potential: o PEF-funded Family Liaison Officers (FLOs) support targeted young people’s attendance, with positive recorded impact. High attendance is a fundamental requirement for progress and attainment. o FLOs are also working successfully to reduce late coming and the associated missed learning in targeted groups of young people. o FLOs are establishing positive family-school relationships with the parents of vulnerable young people, enabling better support for learning at home. o FLOs also are supporting learning at home for young people who struggle to attend school regularly or full-time, thus allowing learner progress while they work to re-engage young people with school. Again, significant progress has been recorded. o PEF has been successfully invested in employing trained staff, or to train existing staff, to help young people with dysregulated and disruptive behaviours which are barriers to their own progress. o PEF has funded Principal Teachers of Nurture to support young people with social, emotional and behavioural needs in their engagement with learning, and to improve their wellbeing. o PEF has allowed our schools to successfully employ and resource MCR Pathways Co-ordinators, providing our most vulnerable young people with adult mentors to support and advise them towards successful pathways and destinations. o PEF has facilitated extra in-class support in schools for the young people who most need it. o PEF has allowed schools to run extra learning sessions for young people after school. o Young people and their families have been supported financially through PEF with the cost of the school day, regular meals, school equipment and financing school trips and visits. • Through these and other PEF-funded interventions across our secondary schools, we have been able to support and improve wellbeing, attendance and the quality of learning experiences for identified young people, all three of which are central to attainment and achievement in education. • Additionally, Head Teachers must account for the attainment and achievement of the most disadvantaged pupils in their schools as part of the
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annual Attainment Meeting with the Executive Director, Heads of Service, Education Manager and Education Lead. In 2023, two additional sections were added to the Attainment Meeting template, requiring schools to analyse both S3 attainment in the Broad General Education phase of Curriculum for Excellence, and Senior Phase attainment, in the context of SIMD. This is in line with the Argyll and Bute Council’s Stretch Aims, as required by the Scottish Government, in which the gaps between the lowest and highest SIMD quintiles in achieving one qualification at SCQF levels 5 and 6 are measured. From 2024 we have also added a section on presentation rates, which influence all the Insight measures covered in this report. From 2025 we have added a specific section on Component Marks which asks Head Teachers to reflect on areas of improvement on specific components of subjects from the previous year’s exam diet. • Central to achieving such targets is teachers’ understanding of assessment standards and progression at both Broad General Education and the Senior Phase, which is being addressed through programmes of in-school and cross school moderation of assessment. • Equally important in maximising attainment and achievement is high-quality learning, teaching and assessment, which is a focus on every secondary School Improvement Plan and is supported by Argyll and Bute’s internally developed and Education Scotland accredited Guided Approaches to Pedagogical Enquiry (GAPE) programme. 6 Wider Achievement of Young People in Argyll and Bute • Alongside National Qualifications, Argyll and Bute’s secondary schools offer a wide and ever-increasing range of opportunities for wider achievement. Such opportunities develop skills for life and work, broaden young people’s range of experiences, and are recognised by employers and further and higher education establishments as valuable indicators of young people’s attributes and capabilities. • The report by Professor Ken Muir on the next steps for Scottish education (2022), the associated review of secondary assessment in Scottish education, led by Professor Louise Hayward (2023), and the Independent Review of the skills delivery landscape by James Withers (2023) all emphasise the importance of wider achievement and building skills for young people, and stress the importance of parity of esteem between such qualifications and the more traditionally academic range of qualifications. • The table below summarises Wider Achievement across the authority’s secondary schools in the last two sessions, which is broken down in greater detail by the subsequent graphs.
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Table 10: Summary of Wider Achievement Awards 2023-2024 and 2024-25 SCQF Level Awards 23/24 Awards 24/25 Level 4 285 300 Level 5 645 725 Level 6 377 328 Level 7 8 44 All Awards 1251 1397 Summary: • At SCQF Level 4, 300 Wider Achievement awards were gained in 2025 – an increase of 15 (5%) on 2024. • At SCQF Level 5, 725 Wider Achievement awards were gained in 2025 – an increase of 75 (12%) on 2024. • At SCQF Level 6, 328 Wider Achievement awards were gained in 2025 – a decrease of 49 (-13%) on 2024. • At SCQF Level 7, 44 Wider Achievement awards were gained in 2025 – a decrease of 36 (450%) on 2024. • Young people across Argyll and Bute gained a total of 1397 awards, up from 1251 in 2024 and 1167 Wider Achievement Awards in 2023. This marks an increase of 11.6% in the last session and 19.7% over two years The types of Wider Achievement awards gained by SCQF level are illustrated below. These are split into SQA and non-SQA based Wider Achievement:
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6.1 Non-SQA Wider Achievement: SCQF Level Provider and Course 5 6 7 Grand Total Open University (OU) 6 6 Engineering: origins, methods, context 1 1 English for academic purposes online 1 1 Law making in Scotland 2 2 Making your learning count 1 1 Spanish Studies 1 (intermediate) 1 1 Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland (REHIS) 16 16 Elementary Food Hygiene Course (SCQF 5) 16 16 Sports Leaders UK (SLUK) 31 31 Qualification in Community Sports Leadership 31 31 Young Enterprise Scotland (YES) 20 20 Unit 1 – Setting Up A Company 6 6 Unit 2 - Developing a Business Idea and Launching the Company 6 6 Unit 3 – Running the Company 5 5 Unit 4 - Winding Up The Company 3 3 Grand Total 47 20 6 73 • Wider Achievement Awards were achieved from four separate providers. • Eleven different awards were achieved from these providers, with the majority (64%) being offered at the SCQF Level 5.
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6.2 SQA Wider Achievement SCQF Level 4 • Young people achieved 300 awards from 21 separate courses, with the Employability Award being the most popular SCQF Level 4 wider achievement.
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6.3 SQA SCQF Level 5 Awards • Young people achieved 678 awards from 40 separate courses, with the Mental Health and Wellbeing Award being the most popular SCQF Level 5 wider achievement.
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6.4 SQA SCQF Level 6 Awards • Young people achieved 308 awards from 25 separate courses, with the Leadership Award being the most popular SCQF Level 6 wider achievement.
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6.5 SCQF Level 7 Awards • Young people achieved 38 awards from 3 separate courses, with the Scottish FA: Referring award being the most popular SCQF Level 7 wider achievement. 7.0 CONCLUSION 7.1 This report presents an overview of the key attainment performance data, and details outcomes for all pupils across the ten secondary schools for session 2024-2025, incorporating the authority’s perspective on both data received from SQA in August 2025, and data from the Scottish Government’s Insight tool. The Education Service will continue to take forward its programme of challenge and support with schools across the authority to secure further improvement in attainment and achievement outcomes for young people. 7.2 Heads of Service, the Education Manager and the Education Lead are taking forward a programme of challenge and support with secondary schools across the authority involving a range of actions and measures to support schools to secure further improvement in examination outcomes and Wider Achievement for young people. These include formal School Reviews and detailed analysis and evaluation on attainment and achievement at Secondary Attainment Meetings. Increasing attainment and achievement and ensuring that all young people achieve to their potential, regardless of location, circumstance or potential barriers, is at the heart of the work of the Education Service.
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7.3 Heads of Service and Area Managers continue to meet regularly with Head Teachers to ensure appropriate levels of both scrutiny and collaboration are in place in relation to performance and securing positive outcomes for young people. This work is reinforced and enhanced by Central Team staff through their involvement with national performance networks which allows them to share best practice with wider Local Authority colleagues. 7.4 Additionally, as referred to above, the Education Service has overhauled the process for analysis and evaluation of attainment data. Attainment Meetings with individual secondary Head Teachers take place in November/December, at which all aspects of attainment from S1-S6 are analysed and key improvement strategies to raise attainment are discussed and agreed. 7.5 Head Teachers will present individual school performance analysis using the data currently available, along with a wider holistic update at Local Area Committees in March 2025. 8.0 IMPLICATIONS 8.1 Policy: This report links directly to Education in the Argyll and Bute Corporate Plan 2023-2027 (Attaining and achieving at all stages). NIF: Priorities 3 and 5 8.2 Financial: None 8.3 Legal: None 8.4 HR: None 8.5 Customer Service: None 8.6 Risk: The performance of Argyll and Bute schools in national examinations can significantly enhance or detract from the Council’s reputation and attractiveness as an area to work and live in. 8.7 Climate Change – None 8.8 Fairer Scotland Duty: None 8.9 Equalities – This report links directly to NIF Priority 3: Closing the attainment gap between the most and least disadvantaged children and young people. 8.10 Consumer Duty – None 8.11 Islands Communities – None
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8.12 Children’s Rights and Wellbeing – This report links to Article 29 (goals of education) Douglas Hendry - Executive Director with responsibility for Education Councillor Kieron Green - Policy Lead for Education Wendy Brownlie - Head of Education – Performance and Improvement Jennifer Crocket - Chief Education Officer/ Head of Education – Wellbeing, Inclusion and Achievement Brendan Docherty - Education Manager – Secondary Performance and Improvement James Bowness - Education Lead – Benchmarking, Data and Performance December 2025