Exam Results 2024
Kilgraston is proud to announce its outstanding exam results for this academic year, showcasing the exceptional achievements of our pupils, the dedication of our staff and the value in a girls’ only education at examination level.
Pupils at the Bridge of Earn school achieved a remarkable 96% pass rate (A-C) at National 5 level, with an impressive 73% attaining an A grade – a seven percent increase on the school’s 2023 National 5 results. Over a third of pupils obtained eight or more straight As at this level.
The Higher level results are equally commendable, with a 89% of pupils achieving a pass at Grade A to C, and 71% of them obtaining a Grade A – B. At Advanced Higher, the top level of SQA examinations, 86% of pupils obtained a pass at Grade A to C, with 75% achieving a Grade A-B, an eight percent increase on the 2023 results.
Headteacher, Mrs Tanya Davie, said: “These results are a reflection of the hard work and dedication of our pupils and staff. At Kilgraston, we strive to provide a nurturing but challenging academic environment, and these outstanding results are a testament to the success of our approach.
“We are particularly proud of the exceptional results in Modern Foreign Languages and Classics. At National 5, pupils achieved a 100% A pass rate in both Modern Foreign Languages and Latin and Classics. These strong results are replicated at Higher level with 90% of pupils achieving a Grade A in Modern Foreign Languages. These results show our commitment to fostering a deep understanding and appreciation of diverse cultures and languages.”
Alongside the stellar performances in languages, Kilgraston pupils amassed strong examination results across a a wide range of subjects. At National 5 level, in the core subjects, 88% achieved a Grade A in English while 79% achieved a Grade A in Maths. Over three quarters of pupils sitting examinations in Expressive Arts obtained a Grade A too.
At Higher level, results in the STEM subjects were particularly strong with over three quarters of pupils obtaining a Grade A-B in this field.
In the Advanced Higher Examinations, 50% of Kilgraston pupils achieved at least one A Grade.
Kilgraston Headteacher, Mrs Davie said: “We are incredibly proud of our pupils’ achievements and look forward to continuing to support their academic and personal growth.”
Exam success 2023 for Kilgraston pupils
Kilgraston pupils are celebrating the continuation of the school’s strong academic achievements with the release of the 2023 Scottish Exam results. These see Kilgraston’s results once again well above national averages.
At Higher level, 51% of Kilgraston pupils achieved a Grade A, against a national average of 32.8% at the same level. Even more impressive is the high numbers of Kilgraston pupils who obtained five or more straight As in their Highers with almost a fifth achieving this. This success is mirrored at National 5 level with 66% of Kilgraston pupils achieving Grade As against a national average of 38.6% at the same level. Furthermore, almost a quarter of pupils sitting National 5s obtained 8 or more straight As and over half achieved at least five As at National 5 level.
Kilgraston’s Headteacher, Mrs Tanya Davie, said: “I am incredibly proud of these results. Kilgraston has a long history of strong results, and this year our pupils continue this tradition in a number of robust ways. Indeed, this year, more of our pupils sitting Highers achieved A Grades than in 2022. Across the board, I know the hard work which has gone into these results so I would like to extend my congratulations to every one of our pupils and to the Kilgraston staff who support them.”
Kilgraston pupils showed their strengths across a wide variety of subjects. In the core subject of English, Kilgraston pupils achieved incredible results with 100% achieving a Grade A/B at National 5 level. As a girls-only school, Kilgraston pupils continue to smash gender stereotypes with 100% achieving a Grade A in Advanced Higher Physics. In addition, 100% of pupils achieved a Grade A in Computing at National 5 level and Advanced Higher level.
In languages too, 100% of pupils obtained an A grade in Latin at both Higher and National 5 levels. In Higher German, 100% achieved a Grade A and in Higher Spanish 100% achieved Grade A/B.
Music is a cornerstone of life at Kilgraston, and these latest results show just how important this subject is with an impressive 100% getting a A Grade at National 5 level and 100% achieving Grade A/B at Higher level. Kilgraston’s sporting prowess is well known, and this continues in Advanced Higher PE with 100% achieving Grade A.
Mrs Davie concludes: “Our pupils perform well across many subjects and in particular in those subjects where boys traditionally excel, for example, such as physics. However, the richness and diversity of our results proves the benefits of a girls only education. It gives our pupils an opportunity to focus without distractions and without fear of conforming and they do this in abundance.
“We encourage our pupils to seize every opportunity here, to work hard and to reap the rewards of a Kilgraston education. As a school, my team and I are focused on offering the best education now and in the future and to raise the next generation of strong, fearless young people and these results are proof of this and collectively, it gives me so much joy and happiness to see this progress.”
Kilgraston Class of 2023 has much to celebrate with every Upper Sixth pupil achieving the results required to get their firm or insurance University offer. This means almost four fifths of pupils will now go to their first choice of university. This year’s cohort are predominantly moving on to courses in Humanities and the Arts and courses include Liberal Arts, Social Anthropology, Rural Land Management, Event Management, and English.
However, as always, Kilgraston represents strongly in the STEM subjects with pupils seeking courses in Chemistry and Physics as well as Sport and Exercise Science. Over a third of Upper Sixth pupils will progress to prestigious Russel Group Universities and there was 100% success rate for girls wishing to study at St Andrew’s with all being made unconditional offers.
Find out more about our academic success.
Kilgraston exam results 2022
Pupils at Kilgraston are celebrating their successes today with the release of the Scottish exam results 2022.
At National 5 level, an impressive 70% of Kilgraston pupils achieved a Grade A, against a national average of 40.3% at the same level. There was even more to celebrate with 59% of pupils in this year group obtaining five A’s or above at this level and a quarter of this group achieving nine A’s or more.
In Higher and Advanced Highers from Modern Languages and Music to STEM subjects, pupils performed exceptionally well, showing the breadth of subjects on offer and the robust academic results this can lead to at the Bridge of Earn school.
Kilgraston Headteacher, Mrs Tanya Davie, said: “I am immensely proud of all of our pupils for their hard work and dedication. As a teacher and a Headteacher, I completely understand that the past two years has made for a challenging academic environment for pupils all over Scotland. I am delighted for our pupils and their outstanding results across such an enormous variety of subjects, it is really impressive. I would also like to congratulate all school pupils around Scotland today on their exam results and I hope they are reaping the rewards of their hard work.”
What does the breakdown look like? Compared to a national average of 80.8% achieving Grades A to C at National 5 level, Kilgraston pupils obtained a pass rate of 93% with an impressive 70% achieving Grade As at this level.
In Higher and Advanced Higher levels, over three quarters of pupils achieved a Grade A or B and the results show Kilgraston’s broad breadth of subject strength. In Modern Languages, 100% achieved a Grade A in Advanced Higher French, Advanced Higher Spanish and Higher German. In the Expressive Art subjects, 100% of Higher Music pupils achieved a Grade A, 100% of Higher Drama pupils achieved a Grade A or B and 100% of Advanced Higher pupils achieved a Grade A or B in Art.
It is not only in the humanities subjects Kilgraston pupils wowed, with STEM subjects mirroring these strong results. In Higher Computing, for example, 100% of pupils achieved a Grade A. Across the science subjects of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, Kilgraston pupils are smashing gender stereotypes. In physics, a subject in which traditionally girls underperform, 100% of pupils achieved a Grade A or B at Advanced Higher level with 84% achieving Grade A or B at Higher level. Additionally, 80% of pupils achieved a Grade A at Advanced Higher level Chemistry and 81% obtained a Grade A or B in Higher Biology.
Kilgraston Headteacher, Mrs Davie continues: “For some pupils, this year was the first time they sat national exams in a traditional setting, at Higher and Advanced Higher level. We need to understand the impact of COVID and the anxiety for some pupils around exams. At Kilgraston we pride ourselves on our combination of strong pastoral support for our pupils as well as the academic provision we offer and I really am thrilled for our pupils and our staff.”
For Kilgraston Sixth Form leavers, the results mean 96% will be going to their first or second choice of university with over half going on to study STEM subjects including 7% of Kilgraston leavers studying medicine.
Almost half of the leavers are going to prestigious Russell Group universities with 11% going to St Andrews, crowned the top university in the UK by the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2022.
Kilgraston Headteacher debates mobile phone bans in The Spectator magazine
Compulsory school mobile phone bans are currently the subject of fierce parliamentary debate.
Dorothy MacGinty, Headteacher of Kilgraston - the first UK school to make the move - writes in the current edition of The Spectator magazine, arguing that, while imposition has been a good move, it needs to come from individual schools, not the Government: “Pupils must learn for themselves that there is life beyond their mobile phone. A heavy hand from above is not the way to do this.”
Since introducing on-campus mobile restrictions, in August 2018, Kilgraston has witnessed a sharp improvement in pupils’ attention-span, general concentration, peer interaction and body language: “I would love to be able to present solid evidence that the removal of mobiles directly correlated with improved exam results, but that’s a tricky one to quantify,” comments MacGinty, “As any head teacher will tell you,” she continues, “results ebb and flow. But what we did notice was that subversive screen-checks became increasingly passé, similar to the historical puff behind the bike shed.”
The Spectator’s full article can be read here while yourself considering the debate…
2.9.21
Kilgraston celebrates outstanding exam results 2021
In what has been another challenging year due to COVID, Kilgraston pupils have plenty to celebrate with a set of outstanding exam results in 2021 across all levels.
An impressive 100% of girls achieved Grades A to B at Advanced Higher level and an incredible 77% achieved Grade A at Higher Level with 95 % obtaining Grade A to B at the same level.
Kilgraston’s Headmistress, Mrs Dorothy MacGinty, said: “I am so proud and thrilled for all Kilgraston pupils and our fantastic staff who have delivered a set of truly exceptional exam results under challenging circumstances.
“Having 100% of our Advanced Higher pupils achieve Grades A to B, as well as 77% of our Higher pupils obtaining a Grade A is quite remarkable, particularly within the context of COVID, which has meant a second year of intrusions into these pupils’ education. Exam results like this are testament to how much hard work and dedication can pay off, and huge congratulations to all who are celebrating this news today.”
Kilgraston is well-known for its outstanding academic performance, and these results builds on this tradition. As well as 100% of pupils achieving Grades A-B at Advanced Higher level, 87% obtained a Grade A. At Higher level, all pupils passed, with 95% achieving Grade A to B level and 77% achieving a Grade A.
These latest exam results follow the record-breaking results in 2020 when Kilgraston pupils celebrated an impressive new record with 100% of girls achieving Grades A to C at Advanced Higher level and 97.1% achieving Grade A to C at Higher level.
Kilgraston class of 2021 is also set for a bright future with 100% of our leavers accepted into university with 59% going to do STEM subjects and 70% applying to the prestigious Russell Group universities.
Mrs MacGinty said: “We are extremely proud of our 2021 leavers and wish them every success for their futures.”
Scottish exam results
With the release of this year’s Scottish exam results, Kilgraston pupils are celebrating an impressive new record with 100% of girls achieving Grades A to C at Advanced Higher level and 97.1% achieving Grade A to C at Higher level.
Kilgraston’s Headmistress, Mrs Dorothy MacGinty, said: “I am so proud of our pupils who have achieved these outstanding results and indeed the staff who have supported and nurtured them. This is the first time in five years that 100% of our pupils achieved Grade A to C in their Advanced Highers. The pupils and our fantastic staff have shown such dedication and resolve, staying focused and continuing their teaching and learning, particularly given the circumstances in which we have all found ourselves. In many ways, it has been inspiring.”
The cancellation of the 2020 examination diet was a blow to staff and pupils alike who were working determinedly for examinations that were tantalisingly only a few weeks away from taking place and in a radio interview for The Times Radio, Mrs MacGinty discusses the impact of COVID-19 on pupils (listen to this here).
Throughout May staff followed SQA guidelines to provide estimates that comprehensively reflected each individual pupils’ performance and potential, and with the publication of results today Kilgraston, its pupils and its staff have much to celebrate.
Alongside the record-breaking 100% pass rate at Advanced Higher level, 94.4% of pupils scored an impressive A-B Grade at the same level. At Higher level, some 99.4% achieved Grades A to C with 93.6% obtaining Grades A – B. At National 5 level, an outstanding 98.3% of pupils achieved Grades A – C with 92.5% attaining Grades A – B at the same level.
Kilgraston, which is both a day and boarding school, continues its strong results in the STEM subjects but this year also sees remarkable results in Art, Drama, Music, French and Latin and with many pupils gaining straight A’s at all levels.
Yet the school’s outstanding exam results are just one part of the Kilgraston education. Mrs MacGinty continues: “The distinctive Kilgraston experience is to develop young people who have a thirst for life-long, independent learning and a vital commitment to making a real difference to the world around them. These outstanding results are a significant and important step forward into making that dream a reality for our pupils.”
The good news doesn’t stop at exam results because for Kilgraston’s UCAS university applicants, a phenomenal 100% of pupils received their firm choice of university with 55% going to a prestigious Russell Group university.
Mrs MacGinty continues: “We are thrilled for the girls going onto the next stage of their lives and wish them every success in the future.”
Mrs MacGinty discusses exam results on Times Radio
On exam results day, Kilgraston’s Headmistress, Mrs MacGinty, shared her Scottish exam insights on the newly launch Times Radio station.
Mrs MacGinty was invited onto the morning show hosted by Aasmah Mir and Stig Abell, where she discussed the impact of COVID-19 on pupils and how Kilgraston performed in this year’s examinations.
You can listen to her interview via the Times Station website on this link, and Mrs MacGinty’s interview is around the three hour mark.