What is the Scottish Government's 'gold standard'? How high and secondary school performance is ranked

• The Scottish Government publishes performance data for state-funded schools each year.
• Secondary school rankings hinge on how their students did in their Higher exams.
• They are ranked based on what is known as the Government’s ‘gold standard’.
• If schools have done equally well, there are two official tie-breakers available.

How well school leavers have done on their Highers can have a big impact on which universities they can land a place at.

But regardless of whether university is the next step for them or not, the qualifications and grades they leave high school with can open or even close doors for them going forward. That is why making sure they go to a school that supports them to perform to the best of their abilities is so important - and why so many parents turn to school league tables to help.

Scotland’s state primary schools are ranked using ACEL (or Achievement of Curriculum for Excellence Levels) data. This is a set of official statistics that show the percentage of pupils across a range of different year groups who have achieved the expected levels in important schools skills; literacy, numeracy, and speaking and listening.

But its state-funded secondary and high schools (you can check out the top 25 here) are ranked based on what the Scottish Government calls its ‘gold standard’. But what exactly is this, and how is it used to measure school performance? Here’s what you need to know:

How are Scotland’s secondary schools ranked?

The Scottish Government publishes annual league tables rating the performance of the country’s state primary and secondary schools each year, usually around April or May. These are based on the previous academic year’s performance data - so the figures published this year, for example, are based on the 2022/23 school year’s results.

Just like their counterparts across the UK, Scottish secondary school pupils will sit two main sets of qualifications during their time there, their National 5 exams - or ‘Nationals’ - and their Highers. The Government bases its ratings on Higher exam results.

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Highers, roughly equivalent to the A Levels sat by students in England, Wales, and Northern Irelands, are typically taken by students aged 16 to 18. According to UCAS - the UK’s University and Colleges Admissions Service - students normally study between four and six different subjects at this level, and their results can play a part in students getting a place at a university, or other tertiary institution.

When ranking secondary schools by performance, the official league table uses what it calls the ‘gold standard’ - set by Scottish Government’s education department. This is defined as the percentage of a school’s students who sat their Highers that year, who passed five or more of them.

Schools are then ranked by this percentage. If two are equal, the number of pupils who obtained six or more passes is used to differentiate between schools. This can even go up to seven or more passes where necessary, government information says.

It is worth noting that if you also compare schools based on other league tables besides the official Scottish Government performance rankings, they may take other things into account too. You should always check what they say about the metric they use, so that you fully understand how schools are being ranked.

What do you think about how the Scottish Government measures secondary school performance? Have your say and make your voice heard by leaving a comment below.