Pupils achieve best ever exam results in West Dunbartonshire

West Dunbartonshire pupils have achieved their best ever exam results this year, and there have also been some outstanding achievements by individuals and schools.

In S5, almost every measure is the highest ever recorded, while in S6 there was a remarkable 5% rise in a single year in the percentage of candidates gaining at least one and at least three Higher passes.

The number of S6 students achieving five Higher passes and at least one Advanced Higher are also at their highest ever levels.

In S4, the percentage of pupils achieving five or more Credit level passes stands at 32%, the highest figure ever achieved by West Dunbartonshire schools.

Each of the 5 secondary schools achieved their best ever awards in at least some of the measures. Some examples are:

• Clydebank High School achieved their highest ever pass rate in 6th year for pupils gaining one, three or five Highers. One 5th year pupil gained five Highers at band A.

 

• For the second year in a row every pupil at Dumbarton Academy achieved a Standard Grade in English and 99% achieved a Standard Grade in Maths. The school achieved its best ever results in all measures in S5, with four S5 pupils passing five Highers at band A and two of these pupils gaining band 1 in all five.

 

• Vale of Leven Academy achieved their highest ever pass rate for one or more Highers in S5 and three or more Highers in S6. One pupil gained five A passes at Higher.

 

• At St Peter the Apostle High School the percentage of pupils in 6th year passing one, three or five Highers was their highest on record. Two pupils in 5th year achieved 5 Highers at band A.

 

• Pupils at Our Lady & St Patrick's High School achieved their highest ever pass rate at Standard Grade Credit. Of the 19 pupils in West Dunbartonshire to attain eight band 1 Standard Grades or their equivalent, eight were from Our Lady & St Patrick's. Six pupils gained five Highers at band A and the school's S6 results were its best ever in all measures.

Chloe Allison, 17, from Dumbarton ,was one of the nine Our Lady of St Patrick's pupils to pick up five A highers and was absolutely thrilled: "I was really nervous and couldn't sleep at all the night before. I read the text from the SQA about 8.30am and was just screaming and so happy when I saw I'd got five A's. That's what I'd got in the prelims but that puts a bit of pressure on you to do well."

Fionnuala Boyle, 16, from Old Kilpatrick, was one of two St Peter the Apostle High School pupils to get five A highers and said: "I'm just so shocked and really really happy. My family couldn't believe it and we'll all be going out tonight to celebrate. I thought all the exams had gone well although there were some tricky questions in the English paper.  Now I'm going to stay on another year and then hopefully go and study English and Languages at Glasgow University."

Executive Director of Educational Services, Terry Lanagan, welcomed the figures saying: "Educational Services and all five secondary schools have placed a huge emphasis on raising attainment over recent years and it is very gratifying to see the efforts of pupils and staff beginning to bear fruit.

"With increasing numbers of our young people choosing to stay on at school for a sixth year, it is particularly pleasing to see record numbers of S6 students achieving Higher and Advanced Higher awards.

"I would like to congratulate our young people on their achievements. I can also assure parents and pupils that we will continue to build on these successes and to tackle any areas where we believe we can do better. Raising attainment and achievement for all our young people remains our number one priority."

Convener of Educational Services, Councillor Patrick McGlinchey, added: "This is a fantastic achievement for the young people of West Dunbartonshire and shows that our Raising Attainment Strategy is beginning to impact on results. I would like to congratulate the pupils and the teachers for their achievements. The new Council administration is committed to continuing to support our schools in the key goal of raising attainment levels and the 2012 results will provide a solid base on which to build further improvements."

Michelle Stewart, Depute Convener of Educational Services, said: "This Council is committed to ensuring we support every pupil to achieve the best results that they can. These strong results show that we are moving in the right direction and I'd like to congratulate all the pupils, teachers and other staff who have helped make this happen."