51³Ô¹ÏÃâ·ÑApp and Bute Council remains committed to raising attainment and delivering positive outcomes for all children and young people.
At the latest Policy and Resources Committee meeting, councillors welcomed positive results from recent figures that show continued progress in improving attainment and supporting young people with additional needs.
The committee highlighted the significant progress made toward achieving the Education Service’s stretch aims. These core measures; agreed with the Scottish Government for every local authority, focus on key areas such as literacy, numeracy, school attendance, and pupil health and wellbeing.
Key progress achievements:
- 95.3% of 16-19-year-olds in 51³Ô¹ÏÃâ·ÑApp and Bute are in education, training, or employment—higher than the national average, ranking the council 10th out of 32 local authorities.
- 88.82% of school leavers achieved at least one pass at SCQF Level 5.
- 68.5% of school leavers attained at least one pass at SCQF Level 6.
- Achievement of Curriculum for Excellence levels for children in P1/4/7 combined were 68.4% for Literacy and 75% for Numeracy for session 2022/23, exceeding stretch aims in both measures.
- Collaborating with Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) and schools has increased work placement opportunities, equipping more young people with skills for life and work.
- Partnerships with Community Learning, UHI 51³Ô¹ÏÃâ·ÑApp, and third-sector agencies have increased wider achievement opportunities, with 362 pupils engaged in 13 accredited courses and 449 pupils taking part in eight non-accredited courses.
- Personalised Flexible Learning Plans (FLPs) are helping a number of young people across the area to develop life and work skills, increasing their chances of securing positive post-school destinations.
- The opening of two new Learning Centres in Campbeltown and Islay has allowed more children to access enhanced learning provision without leaving 51³Ô¹ÏÃâ·ÑApp and Bute. A new Learning Centre in Helensburgh is set to open in 2025, and a Learning Centre will open in the current Tobermory Campus in August 2025.
Councillor Audrey Forrest, Policy Lead for Education, said:
“We are fully dedicated to improving educational attainment, achievement, and outcomes for all young people in 51³Ô¹ÏÃâ·ÑApp and Bute, whether through traditional SQA exams or a variety of other awards and accreditations.
Our goal is for every young person to succeed. We’ve developed a broad curriculum that provides multiple pathways to ensure students transition from school into positive futures, whether in further education, training, or employment.
All staff in schools are working hard to drive these positive results and it’s encouraging to see year-on-year improvements to help support our children and young people build the future they want.â€