HERMITAGE ACADEMY beat the Argyll and Bute average pass rate at all four exam levels in 2024, a report has revealed.

Pupils taking Advanced Higher exams at the Helensburgh school beat the national A-C rate by five per cent with a rate of 80.3 per cent, while National 5 was also superior to the national average at 77.5 per cent.

The A-C Higher pass rate at Hermitage was 72.2 per cent, which beat the Argyll and Bute average by 0.2 per cent.

But this was 2.7 per cent below the national average and down eight per cent on last year.

At Higher level the Academy's A-C pass rate was lower than Dunoon Grammar (78.7 per cent), Islay High School (82.9 per cent), Oban High (75.5 per cent), and Tarbert Academy (74.2 per cent).

At National 5 level, the A-C pass rate at Hermitage, which fell slightly from a figure of 78.8 per cent in 2023, exceeded that of Campbeltown Grammar, Lochgilphead Joint Campus, Rothesay Academy, Tarbert Academy and Tobermory High.

All 10 council-run secondary schools in Argyll and Bute achieved a 100 per cent pass rate at National 4 level for at least the fourth year in a row when exams took place.

Argyll and Bute as a whole exceeded the national pass rate for National 4 and Advanced Higher, but was lower at National 5 and Higher levels. National 4 exams are simply graded ‘pass’ or ‘fail’.

The figures are laid out in a report which will go before the council’s community services committee on Thursday, August 22.

All grades awarded are pending appeals by students to the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA).

Council executive director Douglas Hendry said: “In 2022, following the return of exams, SQA adopted a generous approach to grading.

“This meant, where required, significant adjustments were made to grade boundaries compared to in a normal year.

“Setting standards and grading in 2023 continued to be sensitive to the extent of the ongoing impact of the pandemic.

“In 2024 full course assessment, including learners completing of coursework across a range of courses, often for the first time, returned to SQA assessments.

“Marking and grade boundaries also returned to pre-pandemic standards and were less sensitive than 2022 and 2023.

“As a result, there have been significant different approaches to course content, coursework and awarding in each year since 2019.

“This means that comparisons of attainment between years should be treated with significant caution and do not allow for conclusions to be drawn on changes in education performance during this time.

“Overall, percentage pass rate data should be interpreted very carefully as schools have positive presentation policies that are designed to encourage pupils to achieve success at the highest level of qualification that they can.

“In some instances, and for some pupils, this may mean that they receive a D grade within a qualification level, which is a recognised award.

“It is also the policy in Argyll and Bute, as with other local authorities, that full discussion and consideration of both pupil and parent views are reflected in the final decision to continue with a course and to sit the external examination.

“This policy may result in circumstances where pupils are given the opportunity to attempt a level that they may find challenging, as it may be their last opportunity to do so, for example in S6.

“Schools will offer these pupils the opportunity to sit the exam to improve their positive destination chances, such as access to higher or further education.”