School leaver attainment appears to be falling in Scotland

26th February 2025

Statistics have been released today on the destinations and attainment of 2023-24 leavers from Scotland's publicly funded schools.

Initial destinations
95.7 per cent of 2023-24 school leavers were in a positive destination three months after the end of the school year. This is a small decrease from 2022-23 (95.9 per cent) and is the second highest figure (alongside 2021-22) since consistent records began in 2009-10.

Positive destinations include higher education, further education, employment, training, personal skills development and voluntary work.

Attainment in National Qualifications

National Qualifications include the National Courses (National 3, National 4, National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher), and Skills for Work.

83.5 per cent of school leavers left with 1 pass or more at SCQF Level 5 or better in National Qualifications in 2023-24. This is a decrease from 2022-23 (84.8 per cent).

57.4 per cent of school leavers left with 1 pass or more at SCQF Level 6 or better in National Qualifications in 2023-24. This is a decrease from 2022-23 (57.9 per cent)

National Improvement Framework Key Measures

The gap between the proportion of school leavers in positive destinations from the most and least deprived areas is 4.3 percentage points, an increase from the previous year (3.7 percentage points).

The gap between the proportion of school leavers from the most and least deprived areas attaining 1 pass or more at SCQF Level 4 or better was 7.3 percentage points. This is wider than in 2022-23 when it was 5.9 percentage points.

The gap between the proportion of school leavers from the most and least deprived areas attaining 1 pass or more at SCQF Level 5 or better was 22.7 percentage points. This is wider than in 2022-23 when it was 20.2 percentage points.

The gap between the proportion of school leavers from the most and least deprived areas attaining 1 pass or more at SCQF Level 6 or better was 38.4 percentage points. This is wider than in 2022-23 when it was 36.9 percentage points.

Attainment in All Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (All SCQF) qualifications

All SCQF qualifications includes the SQA National Qualifications, other qualifications provided by the SQA and qualifications and learning programmes from other providers (for example the Open University).

In 2023-24, 87.4 per cent of school leavers left with 1 pass or more at level 5 or better in all SCQF qualifications. This proportion has decreased compared to 2022-23 (87.9 per cent) and 2018-19 (87.9 per cent).

The proportion of school leavers who left with 1 pass or more at level 6 or better in all SCQF qualifications in 2023-24 was 66.5 per cent. This is an increase compared to both 2022-23 (65.6 per cent) and 2018-19 (66.2 per cent).