Headteacher quotes
Susan Oliver, Jedburgh Grammar Campus
We are very proud of our young people and staff who have worked tirelessly throughout the year, making the most of additional lunch, after-school, Easter holiday, and 1-1 tutorial sessions. These cumulative efforts have resulted in positive attainment across all year groups, with pass rates in S4, S5, and S6 increasing for all years with major improvements in S4 and S5. We are particularly delighted with the signs of increased high attainment in S4 with the overall performance the best in the past four years. We would also like to congratulate our S5s who have raised the bar significantly, setting a new record for the number of young people achieving five Highers. Thank you to our young people, parents/carers and staff for their hard work and support and best wishes to all our leavers as they embark on the next stage of their journey.
We are also celebrating some superb individual success stories, including from young people who have faced significant personal challenges throughout the year. Our heartfelt congratulations to them and to the team of professionals who have provided unwavering support during this time.
As always, the pride in our young people covers their wide range of achievements, which are not fully captured by the formal examination system. These achievements range from personal successes to regional and national accomplishments. The development of skills for life, learning and work among our children and young people, along with securing positive destinations for our school leavers, continue to be JGC priorities and areas of strength.
Jamie Bryson – Selkirk High School
Achievement takes many forms at Selkirk High School, and we are very proud of our students today. Behind so many individual results lies a story of resilience, determination and tremendous effort and we pay tribute to all our wonderful students, whatever their results, and to all those who support them both at home and at school. 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 impressive positive destinations for our leavers. Well done!
Robin Chapman – Eyemouth High School
A great deal of hard work has gone into another pleasing set of results at Eyemouth High School. I continue to be impressed by the diligence of our students and the ongoing quality of teaching and learning which is leading to positive outcomes. Alongside all of their wider achievements our students can be rightly proud of what they are accomplishing during their time with us. I wish all of those well who are moving on this Summer to new challenges and horizons. I’d like to thank all of the support and teaching staff that make these results possible each year.
Emma Dickson – Berwickshire High School
Well done to our senior students receiving their results today – every year, we ask you to ‘aim for best’ and these results are testament to that very aim from each and every one of you. You should all be very proud of what you have achieved. Enjoy the day and reach out to us if there is anything you need. To those of you leaving school this year, we can’t wait to see the impact you make on the wider world; our school is all the richer for you having been in it.
Finally, thanks to all the staff at BHS and folks at home for their support in getting you across the finish line – what a great community of people you have had behind you.
We look forward to welcoming all of our returning students back for another great year.
Pauline Anderson, Galashiels Academy
Once again, we are extremely proud of all our students and their achievements this session, and many are achieving success due to our increased offer of NPA courses in our diverse curriculum. I would like to take this opportunity to thank and congratulate all our students for their success, and thank staff, parents and carers and all partners for their hard work and support.
Our S4 cohort have maintained the outstanding 5 at Level 4 and 5 at Level 5 standard from last year and have improved on last year’s results for 6 National 5 awards. An increasing number of these S4 students are enhancing their National 5 awards with up to 3 more Level 5 qualifications.
At point of exit, our S6 cohort have left Galashiels Academy with the best results in the last 5 year in 1 at Level 6, 3 at Level 6 and 5 at Level 6. Furthermore, more students are leaving us with 5 Higher qualifications than before. Our S5 cohort have made a good start with their bundle of qualifications to maintaining this record next session.
Of course, most importantly almost all our leavers have secured positive destinations which is testament to our strong partnership working. Thank you and well done to all of Galashiels Academy community.
Kevin Ryalls, Peebles High School
We are very proud of what we achieved as a school community last session. Our exam results are a very important part of our One Peebles vision where we all belong, grow and achieve.
Behind each result lies a story of hard work, strong relationships and students, staff and families working together. So much goes into exam success and there are so many inspiring stories of students showing ambition and resilience. 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.
These results are led by a highly motivated staff team who continue to innovate to support and challenge our students. Alongside many examples of very strong individual and cohort results, we are pleased to have seen success across an ever-increasing range of courses provided by our whole staff team. This includes our highly valued partners who do very valuable work in securing positive outcomes and destinations for our fantastic young people. We are also pleased to be able to work closely with our parents and carers who are committed to working together and who do so much to support their children and the school. This is very much a team effort. Our young people, families and staff team make up our One Peebles community. This is how we achieve success and how we will continue to do our very best for all our young people.
Alex Johnson, Earlston High School
This year’s examination results at Earlston High School reflect the strength of our school community and the ambition that drives everything we do. Our young people have demonstrated determination, resilience, and a strong commitment to achieving their very best. These successes are the result of their hard work, the dedication of our staff, and the support of families working in partnership with the school. We are proud of every learner’s progress and continue to set high aspirations for the future, ensuring that all pupils are inspired and supported to reach their full potential.
Lisa Scott, Hawick High School
At Hawick High School, we are exceptionally proud of all our young people receiving their SQA results today. The overall results for 2025 show improved performance across all year groups, with increases in attainment at S4, S5 and S6 based on 2024 outcomes. The strong performance at National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher levels also adds to the very strong positive destination figure we continue to achieve at Hawick High School. This is testament to the strong partnerships we have with our local employers, parents and the wider Hawick community. These outcomes reflect the hard work and resilience of our learners and the dedication of our staff, supported by families and partners. Our results continue to show year-on-year improvement, and we are delighted to see more young people achieving the qualifications they need for their next steps. To those celebrating—well done. For anyone disappointed, please be assured that support and guidance are in place, and there are many routes to success. Thank you to everyone who continues to support our learners.
Jill Lothian, Kelso High School
Kelso High School is proud to announce the significant achievements of its young people during the 2024-2025 academic session.
We are delighted to celebrate the achievements of our young people, whose commitment and hard work over the past year have been truly commendable. Their success reflects not only their own determination, but also the consistent encouragement provided by our dedicated staff and their supportive families. This collective effort has enabled our learners to reach their personal goals and aspirations.
As ever, we take great pride in the diverse achievements of our young people, many of which go far beyond what formal examinations can capture. From individual milestones to regional and national accomplishments, their successes highlight a wide range of talents and efforts.
At Kelso High School, we remain strongly committed to developing essential skills for life, learning, and work, and to supporting our learners in securing positive post-school destinations. These continue to be key priorities and enduring strengths of our school