SQA: Scottish education exam results 2018

Scottish exam results are in - and more than 2/3rds of indepdent school pupils sitting exams achieved a Higher grade A in foreign languages, including Mandarin. How did Scottish students fare in the other exams?

Scottish independent school students playing cricket

Fettes College

Relocate Editorial

7 August 2018

Thousands of Scottish pupils find out their SQA exam results

Although the number of entries for Highers and the proportion of students who received a pass mark has fallen slightly, data from the Scottish Council of Independent Schools (SCIS) reveals that 68% of pupils studying foreign languages have achieved a Higher grade A.The data, collected from SCIS’s 74 member schools, shows that 72% of students achieved a Higher grade A in Mandarin, while 72% of those studying German, 69% of those studying French and 63% studying Spanish also achieved an A.Scotland’s independent schools saw an improvement on 2017 results across the board, achieving 96% of National 5, 95% of Higher and 93% of Advanced Higher A-C passes across all subjects.Commenting on the results, John Edward, Director of SCIS, said: “Congratulations to all students receiving their SQA results today. I am thrilled to see Scotland’s independent schools achieve such outstanding results that have topped last year’s yet again.“It is particularly encouraging to see so many pupils flourish in languages. Languages provide young people with enhanced communication and adaptability skills, a deeper cultural awareness, as well as opening up a world of job opportunities which means that providing children with the opportunity to learn a new language from a younger age is paramount.”

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Other Higher results for students across Scotland’s independent schools include:

56% achieved a grade A in English; 95% achieved an A-C pass
61% achieved a grade A in Maths; 93% achieved an A-C pass
52% achieved a grade A in Physics; 92% achieved an A-C pass
56% achieved a grade A in Chemistry; 93% achieved an A-C pass
56% achieved a grade A in Biology; 93% achieved an A-C pass

Edward concluded: “Independent schools in Scotland have a track record of academic excellence and this is reflected once again in this year’s results. Smaller pupil/teacher ratios and significant investment in teaching facilities attracts some of the best teachers from across Scotland and beyond and this is reflected in the pupils’ outstanding exam performance.“Despite challenging circumstances, Scotland’s independent sector continues to demonstrate dedication, energy and expertise in providing choice, diversity and excellence for Scotland’s young people.”
The Scottish Council of Independent Schools (SCIS) is an educational charity representing over 70-member schools, which educate more than 30,000 children of mixed abilities and diverse backgrounds across Scotland.