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 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.
