Two Highland secondary schools make top 3 of ‘most improved’ in Scotland according to The Times 2025 Scottish High School league table
Two Highland secondary schools were among the most improved in ranking across Scotland, according to a list published by the Times today.
Plockton High School skyrocketed from the 224th position in 2024 to 26 in 2025 — becoming the overall highest-ranking secondary school in the region, and the second most improved in the country.
This is based on the on the percentage of pupils leaving the school with the Scottish government’s “gold standard” of five highers or equivalents, which in plockton went up from 30 per cent to 62 per cent.
Thurso High School also saw a massive upward boost, going from 356th to 201st and a gold standard achievement of 33 per cent (up from zero per cent).
The vast majority of top-performing schools located in affluent areas in the central belt, with the top spot overall taken for the ninth year in a row by Jordanhill School in Glasgow (94 per cent).
Only six schools from the Highlands made the top 100, with Plockton followed by Mallaig High School (37th, 56 per cent), Glen Urquhart High School (80th, 45 per cent), Gairloch High School (91st, 44 per cent), Millburn Academy in Inverness (93rd, 44 per cent) and Fortrose Academy (97th, 43 per cent).
The worst performing schools according to the league tables, on a total of 359 schools across Scotland, were Kinlochbervie High School (354th), Kilchuimen Academy (343rd) and Kinlochleven High School (342nd).
The first two are located in rural areas, with a school roll of under 50 pupils and a deprivation percentage equalling to zero, whereas Kinlochleven’s school roll is of 122, and has - 3.3 per cent of which considered to be deprived.
The full searchable table of participating schools is available here.
