Exam Results Show "Positive Year" For City Schools

Submitted by edg on Tue, 5 Aug '14 12.50pm

Thousands of pupils across Edinburgh will have received their exam results through the post today and by text.

Councillor Paul Godzik, Education Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, says figures from Audit Scotland show Edinburgh is outperforming similar city and neighbouring local authorities. He said, "early indications from the SQA exam results show that 2014 has been another really positive year for our pupils, with performance rising yet again."

"This year’s provisional results are very encouraging with 100% of pupils achieving an English qualification by the end of S5. By the end of S6, an impressive 61% achieved one or more Highers which is a 13 percentage point improvement since 2009," said Godzik.

A total of 42,780 resulted awards were certificated for 8,402 candidates.

Highlights include:

  • By the end of S6 61% of all pupils achieved one or more Highers – a four percentage point improvement on last year and a 13 percentage point improvement since 2009.
  • By the end of S5 54% of all pupils achieved one or more Highers – a two percentage point improvement on last year and a 12 percentage point improvement since 2009.
  • Overall for S4 pupils who sat the new qualifications for the first time, 13,585 awards were certificated at the new National 5 level, 8,342 awards were certificated at the new National 4 level and 1,846 awards were certificated at the new National 3 level.

Results by end of S4

This year saw schools present the new national qualifications as part of Curriculum for Excellence for the first time.

These are very different Qualifications from the previous Standard Grade, with National 4 qualifications being internally assessed by schools, and the externally assessed National 5 covering new course work.

Comparisons with previous Standard Grade courses are therefore not available as these are new courses.

Overall for S4 pupils within the City of Edinburgh:

  • 1,846 awards were certificated at SCQF level 3.
  • 8,342 awards were certificated at SCQF level 4
  • 13,585 awards were certificated at SCQF level 5

The new Senior Phase Benchmarking Tool called ‘Insight’ will replace STACS (Standard Tables and Charts) to provide a wider range of measures against which schools will be benchmarked. These will include positive destinations as well as attainment and will take into account the socio-economic backgrounds of pupils and the performance of schools against comparator schools.

Results by end of S5*

  • 100% of pupils gained at least one award in English at level 3 or better (two percentage points up on the previous year and a five percentage point improvement since 2009).
  • 99% of pupils gained at least one award in Mathematics at level 3 or better (one percentage points up on the previous year: a four percentage point improvement since 2009).
  • English and Mathematics at level 3 or better - 97% (one percentage point up on the previous year and a five percentage point improvement since 2009).
  • 5+ awards at level 3 or better - 95% (one percentage point more than the previous year: a six percentage point improvement since 2009).
  • 5+ awards at level 4 or better - 84% (one percentage point more than the previous year: a six percentage point improvement since 2009).
  • 5+ awards at level 5 or better - 57% (one percentage point more than the previous year and continues a five-year improving trend and an eight percentage point improvement since 2009).
  • 1+ award at level 6 or better - 54% (two percentage points more than the previous year and continues a five year improving trend and a 12 percentage point improvement since 2009).
  • 3+ awards at level 6 or better - 33% (one percentage point more than the previous year and six percentage point improvement since 2009).
  • 5+ awards at level 6 or better - 16% (maintaining last year’s good results and an improvement of three percentage points since 2009).

Please note that this is pre-appeal and does not include attainment gained by partnership activity.

Results by end of S6*

  • 1+ award at level 6 or better - 61 % (four percentage points more than the previous year and a thirteen percentage point improvement since 2009).
  • 3+ awards at level 6 or better - 43% (one percentage point more than the previous year, a five year improving trend and an eight percentage point improvement since 2009).
  • 5+ awards at level 6 or better - 30 % (maintaining the previous year’s good results and a six percentage point improvement since 2009).
  • Advanced Highers at 1 award at level 7 - 22 % (one percentage point more than the previous year, and a four percentage point improvement since 2009).

*based on the percentage of S4 pupil roll.