These are the best performing state high schools in South Lanarkshire, according to the latest data available.
Each school has been measured on the percentage of pupils who received the Scottish Government’s educational “gold standard” of five Highers, or their equivalent, in 2023 – based on data published by the Scottish Government on its own website.
The top performing school in South Lanarkshire this year in terms of academic attainment was Strathaven Academy - which was ranked as the 26th best performing high school in Scotland. St Andrew's and St Bride's High School in East Kilbride was the other high school in South Lanarkshire which ranked within the top 50 best performing schools in the country.
These Higher result tables do not reflect schools or rank them in terms of ‘best to worst’ as that would fail to take into account factors such as the support offered to children with complex needs, the effort and quality of the teaching staff, working conditions for said staff, quality of the student experience, the funding the school receives from South Lanarkshire Council, or whether or not the school is serving an underprivileged and disadvantaged area within the local authority.
Throughout our coverage, we use ‘Highers’ as a term to mean both Highers and equivalent qualifications at SCQF level 6 and above, such as Skills for Work Higher awards.
You can find the full list of Glasgow secondary school rankings here and North Lanarkshire.
1. Strathaven Academy
Strathaven Academy tops the list in South Lanarkshire with 59% of pupils achieving at least five Highers. They rank as the 26th top performing secondary school in Scotland.
2. St Andrew’s and St Bride’s High School
The first entry on the list from East Kilbride is St Andrew’s and St Bride’s High School with 55% of pupils leaving school with five or more Highers. The school is ranked as Scotland's 36th best performing school.
3. Cathkin High School
Cathkin High School completes the top three best performing schools in South Lanarkshire as 46% of pupils gained at leave five Highers or more in 2023. Overall, Cathkin High ranks as the 76th best performing school in the country.
4. Trinity High School
Trinity High School in Rutherglen has a success rate of 44% of pupils gaining five or more Higher qualifications. Trinity was the 85th best performing high school in Scotland.