KYLE Academy in Ayr appears to be the best secondary school in South Ayrshire with 50 per cent of pupils gaining five or more highers before they leave school.

A table, which shows the top schools for Scotland in 2018, places Kyle 32 of 279 when it came to results and closing the attainment gap. 

Some 15 per cent of pupils at the school were from what researchers are calling ‘deprived areas’. Kyle beat their overall benchmark of 37 per cent of pupils attaining five highers.

When it came to the other five secondary schools across South Ayrshire, Marr College was 40 in the league table, Prestwick Academy, 50, Belmont Academy 71, Queen Margaret Academy, 110, Carrick Academy 141 Girvan Academy, 151 and Ayr Academy 271 with only 12 per cent of pupils awarded five highers last year.

Some 49 per cent at Marr College, 47 per cent at Prestwick, 43 percent at Belmont, 37 per cent at Queen Margaret, 32 per cent at Carrick and 31 per cent at Girvan Academy were awarded at least five highers at the end of the educational year. 

Douglas Hutchison, Director of People, said: “There are differences between our schools but overall, Higher results have continued to improve over the last 5 years. The number of young people achieving 5 Highers has increased by 54 per cent since 2013. 

“We have the highest expectations for all our learners so that they achieve their potential regardless of their circumstances. It is our ambition to close the attainment gap while constantly stretching and challenging young people who are attaining at the highest levels.”

Jordanhill School was top in the study and Castlebrae High, Edinburgh came bottom.