by Democrat reporter
With just a few months now before exam time, secondary students will be hitting the books to make sure they move onto the next step of their lives with as many qualifications as possible.
The list, which has often been criticised as not being a true reflection of the quality of education across the board, was compiled towards the end of last year by the The Times and Sunday Times. Based on the percentage of pupils achieving two or more advanced Highers, five or more Highers (A-C), and five or more National 5 courses.
Jordanhill is unique in Scotland as it receives 100% of its funding from the Scottish Government. Mearns Castle High School in East Renfrewshire was the highest ranked school that is funded by the local authority. East Renfrewshire and East Dunbartonshire, which include affluent suburbs of Glasgow, dominate the top end of the list but 26 of Scotland’s 32 local authorities are represented.
West Dunbartonshire comes nowhere in this table which is an indication of how standards have falled dramatically under a Labour local authority and an SNP government.
There are around 360 state secondary schools in Scotland. Check the full top 100 below.
Secondary schools in Scotland
- Jordanhill, Glasgow
- Mearns Castle High, East Renfrewshire
- Woodfarm High, East Renfrewshire
- St Ninian’s High, East Renfrewshire
- Douglas Academy, East Dunbartonshire
- Bearsden Academy, East Dunbartonshire
- Williamwood High, East Renfrewshire
- Aberdeen Grammar, Aberdeen
- Boclair Academy, East Dunbartonshire
- Boroughmuir High, Edinburgh
- Cults Academy, Aberdeen
- James Gillespie High, Edinburgh (joint 11th)
- North Berwick High, East Lothian
- Bishopbriggs Academy, East Dunbartonshire
- Lenzie Academy, East Dunbartonshire
- Dunblane High, Stirling
- Linlithgow Academy, West Lothian
- Glasgow Gaelic School, Glasgow
- Eastwood High, East Renfrewshire
- Gryffe High, Renfrewshire (joint 19th)
- Hyndland Secondary, Glasgow (joint 21st)
- St Thomas of Aquin’s High, Edinburgh (joint 21st)
- Turnbull High, East Dunbartonshire (joint 21st)
- Plockton High, Highlands
- Strathaven High, South Lanarkshire
- Craigmount High, Edinburgh
- St Margaret’s Academy, West Lothian (joint 26th)
- Moffat Academy, Dumfries and Galloway
- Banchory Academy, Aberdeenshire
- Balfron High, Stirling
- The Royal High School Edinburgh, Edinburgh
- Hillhead High School, Glasgow
- Westhill Academy, Aberdeenshire (joint 32nd)
- Notre Dame High School, Glasgow
- Broughton High School, Edinburgh
- Currie Community High School, Edinburgh
- Dunfermline High School, Fife (joint 36th)
- St Andrew’s and St Bride’s High School, South Lanarkshire (joint 36th)
- St Ninian’s High School, East Dunbartonshire (joint 36th)
- Whitburn Academy, West Lothian
- Peebles High School, Borders
- West Calder High School, West Lothian (joint 41st)
- Largs Academy, North Ayrshire
- Firhill High, Edinburgh
- Larbert High, Falkirk (joint 44th)
- St Kentigern’s Academy, West Lothian (joint 44th)
- Dumfries High, Dumfries and Galloway
- Wallace Hall Academy, Dumfries and Galloway (joint 47th)
- Dalziel High, North Lanarkshire
- The Community School of Auchterarder, Perth and Kinross (joint 49th)
- Paisley Grammar, Renfrewshire
- Balerno High, Edinburgh
- Braes High, Falkirk (joint 52nd)
- Queensferry Community High, Edinburgh (joint 52nd)
- St Mungo’s High, Falkirk (joint 52nd)
- Old Machar Academy, Aberdeen
- Armadale Academy, West Lothian
- Barrhead High, East Renfrewshire (joint 57th)
- Our Lady’s High, North Lanarkshire (joint 57th)
- Holy Cross High, South Lanarkshire
- Kemnay Academy, Aberdeenshire (joint 60th)
- McLaren High, Stirling (joint 60th)
- Aboyne Academy, Aberdeenshire
- Grove Academy, Dundee (joint 63rd)
- Clydeview Academy, Inverclyde
- Kirkcudbright Academy, Dumfries and Galloway
- Kyle Academy, South Ayrshire (joint 65th)
- Shawlands Academy, Glasgow (joint 65th)
- The James Young High School, West Lothian (joint 65th)
- Earlston High, Borders
- Arran High, North Ayrshire
- St Thomas of Aquin’s RC High, Edinburgh (joint 71st)
- Park Mains High, Renfrewshire
- Belmont Academy, South Ayrshire
- St Joseph’s Academy, East Ayrshire (joint 74th)
- St Luke’s High, East Renfrewshire (joint 74th)
- Bathgate Academy, West Lothian
- Kinross High, Perth and Kinross (joint 77th)
- Stewarton Academy, East Ayrshire (joint 77th)
- Trinity Academy, Edinburgh (joint 77th)
- Lasswade High, Midlothian
- Mallaig High, Highlands (joint 81st)
- The Waid Academy, Fife
- Portobello High, Edinburgh
- Hamilton Grammar, South Lanarkshire
- Duncanrig Secondary, South Lanarkshire
- Hermitage Academy, Argyll and Bute (joint 86th)
- Inverurie Academy, Aberdeenshire
- Mackie Academy, Aberdeenshire (joint 88th)
- Millburn Academy, Highlands (joint 88th)
- Monifieth High, Angus (joint 88th)
- Meldrum Academy, Aberdeenshire
- St Ambrose High, North Lanarkshire (joint 92nd)
- St Joseph’s College, Dumfries and Galloway (joint 92nd)
- Marr Collage, South Ayrshire
- Prestwick Academy, South Ayrshire
- Broxburn Academy, West Lothian
- Dunbar Grammar, East Lothian
- Fortrose Academy, Highlands (joint 98th)
- Mearns Academy, Aberdeenshire (joint 98th)
- St John Ogilvie High, South Lanarkshire (joint 98th)
The WDC results are across the board are very poor with the Vale of Leven Academy in the bottom 12%.
So what is it that makes West Dunbartonshire Council area so poor. Is it something in the water, or poor teaching, lack of inspiration, lack of intelligence or even something that is caught.
Its a good question because the WDC area also fares very badly on the percentage of adults with national level 4 or above tertiary education.
Its a shocking state of affairs and one has to ask do people really not care. .
Without education a society has little.
But education has to be wanted, has to be desired, has to be worked for. And that at the end of the day is ultimately a lifestyle choice.
So what are we missing?