Caithness pupils perform well in exams as results improve across the Highlands
Pupils in Wick and Thurso high schools have performed very well in their exam results which were released on Tuesday.
Thirty-one S4 pupils at Wick High achieved seven National 5 passes with 14 students getting five Higher passes.
In Thurso,12 pupils achieved five As in their Highers while 15 achieved all As at National 5 level.
More than 4500 young people across the Highlands had improved attainment in several key areas.
Councillor John Finlayson, the chairman of Highland Council's education committee, said: "This year candidates returned to normality by sitting traditional exams for the first time since 2019, as the past two years were cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic. Therefore, students have been awarded grades based on their exam results and related submitted course work.
"The positive SQA results come on the back of yet another challenging year for pupils, parents and staff and they confirm the hard work and dedication of all to maintain and improve attainment and I would like to congratulate all pupils and other key stakeholders for the positive results that have been achieved across Highland."
Fourth-year pupils have helped achieve the highest pass rate in the last three years for those attaining five or more National 5 qualifications, an increase of 4.9 per cent from 2019.
Results in maths at the same level have seen significant improvement from 2019 with entries increased by 5 per cent, with 93 per cent of pupils achieving overall pass marks.
At Higher level for S5 learners, there was an increase in those achieving one or more Higher awards. Nineteen per cent of pupils gained at least one Advanced Higher, an increase of 1.8 per cent from 2019 and an increase of 6 per cent in grade A passes.
Executive chief officer for education and learning Nicky Grant said: "This is fantastic news. This signals a real shift in the levels of exam results coming through in the Highlands. I am particularly pleased that an important key subject such as maths has dramatically improved as it demonstrates that the range of targeted actions and improvement has really paid off. These results mean that many young people will be able to follow their dreams and ambitions.
She added: "For pupils who perhaps did not receive the results they were hoping for, I would encourage you to contact your school or the national Skills Development Scotland and/or SQA helpline as they can provide valuable advice to support you in the next steps for your future."
