Summary Statistics for Attainment and Initial Leaver Destinations, No. 8: 2026 edition

Section 5. School leaver attainment in National Qualifications

The statistics in Section 5 relate to attainment in the National Qualifications provided by SQA. These are National Courses (e.g. National 5, Higher, Advanced Higher) and Skills for Work. There is more information on this attainment measure in Section 1.3. They refer to all school leavers from mainstream schools, including S3, S4, S5, S6 and ‘other’ stages.

As described in Section 1.4, the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) led to changes in how National Qualifications were assessed and graded in the years 2020 to 2023. This should be kept in mind when comparing between years. A dashed line break in the series between 2018-19 and 2019-20 is shown to highlight where the changes in assessment happened.

Section 5.1 School leaver attainment in National Qualifications

In 2024-25, 2.9 per cent of school leavers had a highest qualification level of SCQF Level 3, 10.7 per cent had their highest qualification at SCQF Level 4 and 25.7 per cent at SCQF Level 5.

38.6 per cent of 2024-25 school leavers had a highest qualification level of SCQF Level 6 and 19.8 per cent of school leavers had their highest qualification at SCQF Level 7.

A small proportion (2.3 per cent) of school leavers attained no passes in National Qualifications at SCQF Level 3 or better in 2024-25. This has decreased slightly as a proportion from 2023-24 (2.4 per cent). Some of these school leavers have attainment either in courses at SCQF Levels 1 or 2, or in courses/units not covered in these statistics (such as National Progression Awards, National Certificates and Awards). Details can be found in Supplementary Table PC4.

A full time series of the highest SCQF Level achieved by school leavers in National Qualifications since 2009-10 can be found in Supplementary Table 9. A timeseries since 2014-15 of the highest SCQF Level achieved by school leavers broken down by stage of leaving can be found in Supplementary Tables PC3a and PC3b.

Chart 11: The proportion of school leavers who attained their highest qualification at SCQF Level 6 or 7 has increased since last year

Percentage of school leavers by highest SCQF Level achieved under the National Qualifications measure, 2018-19 to 2024-25

National Qualifications measure - one or more passes at each SCQF Level

In 2024-25, 94.8 per cent of school leavers left with one or more passes at SCQF Level 4 or better under the National Qualifications measure. This proportion has decreased compared to both 2023-24 (95.2 per cent) and 2018-19 (95.9 per cent).

The proportion of school leavers who left with one or more passes at SCQF Level 5 or better in 2024-25 was 84.1 per cent. This is an increase compared to 2023-24 (83.5 per cent) but a decrease compared to 2018-19 (85.1 per cent).

The proportion of school leavers who left with one or more passes at SCQF Level 6 or better in 2024-25 was 58.4 per cent. This is an increase compared to 2023-24 (57.4 per cent) but a decrease compared to 2018-19 (60.5 per cent).

A time series from 2009-10 to 2024-25 is presented in Table 10 and 10a in the supplementary tables.

Table 5: Total leaver attainment under the National Qualifications measure, percentage of leavers, 2024-25

[low] = value less than 0.05 per cent but greater than zero. See the ‘Glossary and symbols used’ Section for a list of all symbols used in the tables.

Section 5.2 School leaver attainment in National Qualifications, by deprivation

As outlined in Section 3.3, the National Improvement Framework monitors the poverty-related attainment gap based on a basket of key measures. Three of these measures are based on school leaver attainment in National Qualifications by deprivation, namely:

• Percentage of leavers achieving one or more passes in National Qualifications at SCQF Level 4 or better
• Percentage of leavers achieving one or more passes in National Qualifications at SCQF Level 5 or better
• Percentage of leavers achieving one or more passes in National Qualifications at SCQF Level 6 or better

As described in Section 1.4, there were changes in the way in which many qualifications were assessed and graded in the years 2020 to 2023, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, care should be taken when making comparisons. Any increase or decrease should not be interpreted as indicating improving or worsening performance without further evidence.

At SCQF Level 4 or better, the gap between the proportion of school leavers from the most and least deprived areas attaining 1 pass or more in National Qualifications was 8.0 percentage points in 2024-25. This is wider than in 2023-24, when it was 7.3 percentage points. The proportion attaining 1 pass or more in National Qualifications at this level decreased for school leavers from both the most and the least deprived areas between 2023-24 and 2024-25. But it decreased by more for those from the most deprived areas, which has led to the gap between the two groups widening. 

Longer term, the gap has narrowed most years, starting from 11.3 percentage points in 2009-10 and reaching a pre-pandemic low of 5.9 percentage points in 2016-17. In in recent years the gap has widened and in 2024-25 the gap at SCQF Level 4 is at its widest since 2011-12.

At SCQF Level 5 or better, the gap was 21.4 percentage points in 2024-25. This is narrower than in 2023-24 (22.7 percentage points). The proportion attaining 1 pass or more in National Qualifications at this level increased for school leavers from both the most and the least deprived areas between 2023-24 and 2024-25. But it increased by more for those from the most deprived areas, which has led to the gap between the two groups narrowing.

Longer term, the gap has narrowed most years, starting from 33.3 percentage points in 2009-10 and reaching its narrowest pre-pandemic level in 2016-17 (19.3 percentage points).

At SCQF Level 6 or better, the gap was 37.7 percentage points in 2024-25. This is narrower than in 2023-24 (38.4 percentage points). The proportion attaining 1 pass or more in National Qualifications increased for school leavers from both the most and the least deprived areas between 2023-24 and 2024-25. But it increased by more for those from the most deprived areas, which has led to the gap between the two groups narrowing.

Longer term, the gap has narrowed most years, starting from 45.6 percentage points in 2009-10 and reaching its narrowest pre-pandemic level in 2018-19 (35.8 percentage points).

A full time series for attainment at SCQF Level 4 or better, SCQF Level 5 or better and SCQF Level 6 or better since 2009-10 under the National Qualifications measure is available in Table N1.2 in the supplementary tables.

Chart 12: The attainment gap has narrowed at SCQF Levels 5 and 6 compared to last year but widened at SCQF Level 4

Percentage of school leavers by attainment at SCQF Level 4 to 6 or better under the National Qualifications measure, by SIMD quintile, 2018-19 to 2024-25

pp = percentage point difference between most and least deprived quintile.

Section 5.3 School leaver attainment in National Qualifications, by local authority    

A range of factors will affect attainment at local authority level including presentation policies and the context of each authority. Factors such as levels of poverty or deprivation, the stage at which pupils leave school and the structure of the local economy (for example, the relative levels of post school opportunities in the employment sector or the continuing education sectors) may have an impact on the levels of attainment which pupils leave school with. This should be kept in mind when making comparisons between local authorities.

In 2024-25, for one pass or more at SCQF Level 4 or better, attainment across local authorities under the National Qualifications measure ranged from 90.0 per cent to 98.9 per cent, a range of 8.9 percentage points. For one pass or more SCQF Level 5 or better, National Qualifications attainment ranged from 75.6 per cent to 95.9 per cent, a range of 20.3 percentage points. For one pass or more at SCQF Level 6 or better, National Qualifications attainment ranged from 47.6 per cent to 83.4 per cent, a range of 35.7 percentage points.

A full time series for attainment by local authority since 2009-10 under the National Qualifications measure is available in Table 13 of the supplementary tables.

Chart 13: The range in attainment across local authorities widens as the SCQF level increases

Total school leaver attainment under the National Qualifications measure, by local authority, 2024-25 (percentage of leavers)

Further data on attainment by local authority for years 2009-10 to 2024-25 are provided in Supplementary Table N2.1. Supplementary Tables N2.2a and N2.2b also include a breakdown of attainment in National Qualifications in each local authority by deprivation.