School pupils in Argyll and Bute are celebrating exam success today − with 100% of National 3 and 4 students passing and more Higher and Advanced Higher pupils achieving pass marks than last year.
A snapshot of the results for Argyll and Bute, announced by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) this morning, shows that every child who sat National 3 and 4 exams in 2018 passed, while 81.9% of pupils sitting Advanced Highers achieved a pass, up 4.92% on 2017 results. National 5 pass results decreased slightly by 1.24%, to 79.86%. However, there was a rise in the number of Higher pupils passing their exams − 78.79%, up 2.9% on last year.
And figures from the SQA also show that Argyll and Bute’s 2018 pass rate is better than the national average for National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher exams. For comparison, the national pass rates are 77.40% for National 5; 76.80% for Higher; and 80.50% for Advanced Higher.
The figures overall show that attainment in Argyll and Bute is on the rise and councillors are congratulating pupils and teachers on their success, while reminding those that didn’t get the results they hoped for that there is support in place to help them explore various options.
The council’s Policy Lead for Education, Councillor Yvonne McNeilly, said: “Pupils and teachers can be proud of their efforts, with their success reflected in the results. I would like to pass on my congratulations to them all and to thank them for all of their hard work.
“We are determined to do everything we can to ensure that our young people are given every chance to achieve success in their lives. Supporting them to get the best possible outcomes is a priority for the council. As well as the efforts of the pupils and teachers, I want to highlight the support and encouragement given by parents and guardians and to thank all school staff for making our schools great places to learn.
“For those pupils who maybe didn’t get the exam results they hoped for, it’s important to remember that help is on hand. They should contact their school who will arrange support and advice.”