Follow Up Leavers Destinations and SQA Results 2023

There has been a general increase in the number of school leavers in positive follow-up destinations over the last five years, councillors heard.

The Children, Families and Communities Committee looked at interim results from this year’s SQA exam results and a follow up on school leavers destinations.

This report highlighted that 91.6% of school leavers have continued into education, work, or training, in 2021/22.

It examined summary statistics for Follow-Leaver Destinations by looking at leavers who left publicly funded mainstream school in session 2021/22 and their outcomes approximately nine months after the end of the school year.

Leavers are classified as being in a positive destination if they are in higher or further education, employment, training, voluntary work, or personal skills development.

Children, Families and Communities Convener Stewart Hunter said: “It is great to see the number of pupils in the city go on to positive destinations after school increase.

“As the report to Committee highlights, the ‘Youth Participation Rates’ is developing an ambitious improvement plan to progress the agreed priority to further improve Dundee’s participation measure.

“There are so many great opportunities out there for young people, whether that be higher education, training, or work and I know the council works incredibly hard to support our young people into these positive destinations.

Elsewhere, the report gave the first glimpse at this year’s SQA results for Dundee, before any appeals have taken place.

The report noted that overall, in Scotland, results in 2023 are between 2019, the last exam year before the pandemic, and 2022.

The pass rate at grades A-C for National 5s in Dundee has declined, which mirrors the situation across Scotland. However, this pass rate is higher than the pre-pandemic pass rate in 2019.

This is the third year that Dundee has shown a better pass rate than the Scottish average at National 5 A-C pass rate, which was not the case pre-pandemic.

In line with the Scotland average, the pass rate at grades A-C for Higher declined. However, the pass rate is higher than the pre-pandemic pass rate in 2019.

Dundee pupils have bucked the national trend as the pass rate for Advanced Highers has increased from 75.6% to 77.2%.

Councillors heard that unlike the Scotland average, at Advanced Higher, Dundee’s pass rate at grades A-C increased in 2023.

This Advanced Higher A-C pass rate of 77.2% is better than the Scottish average which declined to 75.9%.

Dundee’s Advanced Higher Pass Rate at Grade A also increased from 28% in 2022 to 29.6% in 2023. Out of the nine original SAC ‘Challenge Authorities’ Dundee’s pass rate at grade A is the highest.

Councillor Hunter continued: “While there are some real positives with this year’s interim exam results, I would urge some caution when examining them with previous years, given the alterative awarding arrangements in place in 2020 and 2021 and the generous approach applied in 2022.

“This report shows that there is still work to be done, but there is no doubt that the commitment, dedication and enthusiasm is there to make that happen.

I look forward to seeing a full report on the attainment and achievement of our young people in the Senior Phase later this year following the Insight update later this term”.

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