Headteacher quotes
Steven Raeburn, Galashiels Academy
“We are incredibly proud of all our young people at Galashiels Academy and congratulate every learner receiving their Qualifications Scotland results today. These achievements reflect the hard work and commitment of our pupils, supported every step of the way by our dedicated staff, parents, carers and partners.
“We are delighted with this year's strong set of results across all levels, demonstrating the breadth of opportunities and pathways available to our learners. Every achievement matters and today we celebrate the success of all our young people.
“We wish our leavers all the very best as they move on to the next stage of their journey and look forward to welcoming our returning pupils back to Galashiels Academy for another year of learning and achievement.”
Robin Chapman, Eyemouth High School
“Another year of success in our vibrant coastal community! Across an increasingly wide range of subject areas, young people are achieving significant success, both in their SQA qualifications, and through the many varied and rich experiences they are involved in both in school and in our community.
“We are proud that every student will find their way to employment, training or further or higher education. This is a testament to the whole school staff, and their diligence and dedication. We wish all of our leavers well - in the words of our school motto - full speed ahead!”
Alex Johnson, Earlston High School
"We are pleased to announce another strong set of examination results for Earlston High School, with improvements seen across our S4, S5 and S6 year groups. These outcomes reflect the sustained commitment of our young people, the expertise and dedication of our staff, and the continued support of parents and carers.
"Our values of Ambition, Kindness and Respect are central to our approach as a school. We believe that high expectations, strong relationships and a culture where everyone feels valued enable young people to achieve their best. The improvements across all three senior year groups are a reflection of that shared commitment and the collective efforts of our entire school community.
"While we are proud of these positive outcomes, we remain focused on continuous improvement and on ensuring every learner is supported to achieve success in a way that reflects their individual strengths and aspirations.
"We warmly congratulate all of our learners on their achievements and thank our staff, families and partners for the role they have played in supporting our young people."
Jill Lothian, Kelso High School
"As Head Teacher of Kelso High School, I am incredibly proud of everything our young people have achieved this year. Today’s Qualifications Scotland results reflect not only their academic success but also the determination and commitment they have shown throughout the year.
"While we celebrate these results, I am equally proud of the kindness, leadership, perseverance and positive contribution our young people make to our school and wider community. These qualities are every bit as important as the qualifications they receive today.
"My thanks go to our dedicated staff and families for the encouragement and support they have provided throughout the year. Today's achievements are a reflection of the collective effort of everyone involved."
Congratulations to all our young people receiving their results today. Whether your next step is university, college, an apprenticeship, employment or another exciting opportunity, I wish you every success. To those returning to Kelso High School, I look forward to welcoming you back for another successful year.
Lisa Scott, Hawick High School
“We are incredibly proud of the positive results achieved by our young people at Hawick High School. These outcomes reflect not only success in formal qualifications, but also the breadth of achievement across our diverse and inclusive school community.
“We are committed to ensuring that every young person is supported to achieve and succeed. Behind every result is an individual story of hard work, resilience, progress and determination, and we are proud of each and every one of our students.
These achievements are the result of a genuine community effort. I would like to thank our parents and carers, dedicated staff, partners, local employers and the wider Hawick community for their continued encouragement and support. Our young people, families and staff make up our Hawick Community.
“We look forward to celebrating the positive destinations our young people will now undertake, whether continuing at school, progressing to college or university, entering employment or training, or taking another important next step. This is a measurement of our success and how we will continue to do our very best to support all of our learners.”
Jamie Bryson, Selkirk High School
“We are extremely proud of our senior students today. Achievement takes many forms at Selkirk High School and, alongside fantastic individual results, it’s great to see the breadth of achievement with more and more students achieving qualifications and awards in a range of new courses in rural, health and digital contexts as well as in the more traditional academic subjects- and to see how this is leading to really impressive positive destinations for our leavers.
“We know that behind so many individual results lie stories of resilience, determination and tremendous effort and we pay tribute to all our students, whatever their results, and to all those who support them both at home and at school. Well done!”
Kevin Ryalls, Peebles High School
“Our One Peebles vision means that our purpose is for all our young people to belong, grow and achieve. Exam results are an important part of this vision and the rich experiences our young people enjoy in and out of school. We are very proud of our results in the 2026 Qualifications Scotland exam diet and the way our young people contribute so much to our communities to develop wider skills.
“Our culture is underpinned by strong relationships between students, staff and families. This is very much a team effort. Behind every result lies a story of learning, hard work and determination. Our exam results are led by a highly motivated staff team who continue to innovate to support and challenge our students.
“Our young people inspire us every day and we congratulate them on their achievements so far in PHS and wish our leavers the very best in the future. We know that they will go on to add value to their places of work and study. Well done everyone!”
Emma Dickson, Berwickshire High School
“Well done, Berwickshire, on another fantastic set of results which underline everything we know you are - kind, hardworking and focused. You should all be very proud of what you've achieved and who you are.
“Thanks, of course, must go to all of the people who helped you to get here, including Mrs Weston who led the school while I was on maternity, our fantastic staff, your parents and our wider school community.
“For our returning students, we can't wait to celebrate with you on your return. For our students who are heading out into the wider world, we wish you the very best as you make your first steps into adult life with a great set of results behind you.”