School Exam Performance 2011
The annual exam pass rates for all of Scotland's schools have been published by the Scottish Government as part of its service for parents.
It chooses not to rank schools in league tables, believing that to use limited criteria is unfair. We have ranked the top 50 schools by the "gold standard" of percentage of pupils attaining five higher passes of more at bands A-C, but have also reflected the percentage of pupils who take free school meals, which is regarded as a good measure of social background.
To access results for every school, go to www.ltscotland.org.uk/scottishschoolsonline
| SCHOOL | COUNCIL | % 5+ HIGHERS | % FREE SCHOOL MEALS |
| St Ninian's High School | East Renfrewshire | 47 | 6.9 |
| Mearns Castle High School | East Renfrewshire | 45 | 6.7 |
| Jordanhill School | Glasgow* | 45 | 1.9 |
| Boroughmuir High School | Edinburgh | 37 | 5.6 |
| Williamwood High School | East Renfrewshire | 37 | 3.8 |
| Cults Academy | Aberdeen | 36 | 2.1 |
| Glasgow Gaelic School | Glasgow | 35 | 7.5 |
| Banchory Academy | Aberdeenshire | 35 | 3.7 |
| Sir E Scott School | Western Isles | 33 | 9.4 |
| Dornoch Academy | Highland | 31 | 11.4 |
| Aberdeen Grammar School | Aberdeen | 31 | 4.1 |
| Fortrose Academy | Highland | 30 | 5.4 |
| Linlithgow Academy | West Lothian | 30 | 4.7 |
| Dunblane High School | Stirling | 30 | 2.6 |
| James Gillespie?s High School | Edinburgh | 29 | 10.9 |
| Balfron High School | Stirling | 29 | 4.1 |
| Woodfarm High School | East Renfrewshire | 28 | 12.1 |
| Douglas Academy | East Dunbartonshire | 28 | 11.3 |
| Grove Academy | Dundee | 28 | 4.7 |
| St Thomas of Aquin?s High School | Edinburgh | 27 | 11.4 |
| Boclair Academy | East Dunbartonshire | 27 | 7.1 |
| North Berwick High School | East Lothian | 26 | 5.9 |
| Kinross High School | Perth & Kinross | 26 | 5.1 |
| Bearsden Academy | East Dunbartonshire | 26 | 4.7 |
| Largs Academy | North Ayrshire | 25 | 7.3 |
| Turnbull High School | East Dunbartonshire | 25 | 5.9 |
| Bishopbriggs Academy | East Dunbartonshire | 24 | 7.1 |
| Gryffe High School | Renfrewshire | 24 | 3 |
| Belmont Academy | South Ayrshire | 23 | 15.4 |
| Lenzie Academy | East Dunbartonshire | 23 | 6.4 |
| Stirling High School | Stirling | 21 | 15.8 |
| Marr College | South Ayrshire | 21 | 13.3 |
| Eastwood High School | East Renfrewshire | 21 | 11.9 |
| Madras College | Fife | 21 | 10.1 |
| Larbert High School | Falkirk | 21 | 9 |
| Tarbert Academy | Argyll & Bute | 21 | 8.5 |
| Wallace Hall Academy | Dumfries & Galloway | 21 | 7.7 |
| Lochgilphead High School | Argyll & Bute | 21 | 7.1 |
| St Andrew's and St Bride's High | South Lanarkshire | 20 | 9.8 |
| Dalziel High School | North Lanarkshire | 20 | 9.2 |
| Kirkcudbright Academy | Dumfries & Galloway | 20 | 8.9 |
| Firrhill High School | Edinburgh | 20 | 8.3 |
| Mackie Academy | Aberdeenshire | 20 | 3.7 |
| Westhill Academy | Aberdeenshire | 20 | 0.9 |
| Millburn Academy | Highland | 19 | 9 |
| Knox Academy | East Lothian | 19 | 7.7 |
| Peebles High School | Scottish Borders | 19 | 6.6 |
| Perth High School | Perth & Kinross | 19 | 5.1 |
| Notre Dame High School | Glasgow | 18 | 29.6 |
| Hyndland Secondary School | Glasgow | 18 | 13.1 |
| Scotland | 12 | 15.2 |
*Not in council control
| COUNCIL AREA | 5+ HIGHERS% | % PUPILS ON FREE SCHOOL MEALS |
| East Renfrewshire | 33 | 9.7 |
| East Dunbartonshire | 23 | 8.4 |
| Stirling | 19 | 12.2 |
| South Ayrshire | 15 | 16.4 |
| Edinburgh | 14 | 15.6 |
| Perth & Kinross | 14 | 6.9 |
| Argyll & Bute | 13 | 11.8 |
| Highland | 13 | 10.8 |
| Aberdeen | 13 | 9.2 |
| Orkney Islands | 13 | 7.3 |
| Aberdeenshire | 13 | 5.9 |
| Inverclyde | 12 | 20.6 |
| Western Isles | 12 | 10.2 |
| Scottish Borders | 12 | 9.6 |
| East Lothian | 12 | 9.5 |
| West Lothian | 11 | 16.5 |
| South Lanarkshire | 11 | 16.4 |
| Renfrewshire | 11 | 15.2 |
| Shetland Islands | 11 | 5.3 |
| Fife | 10 | 17.5 |
| Angus | 10 | 13 |
| Dumfries & Galloway | 10 | 9.8 |
| Moray | 10 | 8.6 |
| Dundee | 9 | 20.5 |
| North Ayrshire | 9 | 19.3 |
| North Lanarkshire | 9 | 16.5 |
| Falkirk | 9 | 14.6 |
| Midlothian | 9 | 14.5 |
| West Dunbartonshire | 8 | 23.5 |
| Clackmannanshire | 8 | 19.3 |
| East Ayrshire | 8 | 18.5 |
| Glasgow | 7 | 29.3 |
| SCHOOL | LOCATION | 5+ HIGHERS % |
| St Mary's Music School | Edinburgh | 89 |
| Dollar Academy | Clack'shire | 84 |
| The High School of Glasgow | Glasgow | 81 |
| St Columba's School | Renfrewshire | 73 |
| George Heriot's School | Edinburgh | 72 |
| Robert Gordon's College | Aberdeen | 70 |
| Hutchesons' Grammar School | Glasgow | 69 |
| St Aloysius College | Glasgow | 69 |
| High School of Dundee | Dundee | 64 |
| The Glasgow Academy | Glasgow | 61 |
| St Margaret's School for Girls | Aberdeen | 60 |
| Craigholme School | Glasgow | 53 |
| George Watson's College | Edinburgh | 52 |
| Morrison's Academy | Perth & Kinross | 50 |
| Fernhill School | Glasgow | 48 |
| Lomond School | Dunbartonshire | 48 |
| Kilgraston School | Perth & Kinross | 46 |
| Kelvinside Academy | Glasgow | 45 |
| Albyn School | Aberdeen | 41 |
| Hamilton College | Lanarkshire | 40 |
| Wellington School | Midlothian | 39 |
| Belmont House School | East Renfrewshire | 21 |
| Queen Victoria School | Perth & Kinross | 20 |
| Beaconhurst School | Stirling | 19 |
| Edinburgh Academy * | Edinburgh | no data |
| Stewart's Melville College * | Edinburgh | no data |
| St George's School for Girls * | Edinburgh | no data |
| The Mary Erskine School * | Edinburgh | no data |
* Schools that offer a mix of Highers and A-levels did not submit data. Schools that offer only A-levels are not included.