WIREDGOV

Positive destinations second highest on record.

The proportion of young people leaving school with five or more passes at National Courses and Highers, as well as their equivalent vocational and technical qualifications, has increased over the past year.

A record high of 68.6% of young people left school with five or more qualifications at SCQF Level  5 (National 5 equivalent), according to the School Leaver Attainment and Initial Destination statistics 2024-25 published today. Those leaving with five or more passes at SCQF level 6 (Higher equivalent) rose to 40.8%. The gap between those from the most and least deprived areas leaving with five or more qualifications narrowed at Level 5.

Nine out of ten young people (95.7%) were in positive destinations – such as work, training, college or university – three months after leaving school. This is the same level as 2023-24 and the second highest on record.

There has also been a fall in the number of young people leaving school at S4, down by 544 pupils to 7,540, and in S5 (down 370), with more pupils (732) staying on until S6. This starts to reverse the trend seen in the immediate post-COVID period.

Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said:

“An increasing number of young people are leaving school with five qualifications or more at SCQF Level 5 or better, including National 5s and Highers. This underlines the strong recovery we are seeing in education, following the pandemic and the importance of the breadth of choice schools offer to young people in the senior phase.

“It shows the hard work of learners, teachers and parents and carers and comes after we saw record levels of literacy and numeracy in Scotland’s schools in the recent ACEL statistics  

“The Scottish Government has invested £1.75 billion in the Scottish Attainment Challenge over the past decade helping improve outcomes for children and young people impacted by poverty – and, while this latest data shows there is more to do, we remain determined to address this.

“The proportion of Scotland’s young people in positive destinations remains at a near record high. The welcome increase among those going on to Higher  Education underlines the importance of our commitment to free tuition, ensuring in Scotland education is based on the ability to learn, not pay. The recently passed Tertiary Education and Training Bill will also put apprenticeships on a statutory footing for the first time, creating parity with other post-school routes to provide more choices for young people.” 

Background

destinations and attainment of 2024-25 leavers

Literacy and numeracy standards reach record high – gov.scot

The ‘All SCQF’ measure recognises the attainment in National Courses and Highers as well as the increasing attainment in vocational & technical qualifications and awards.