The Impact of Deprivation on Educational Achievement
The 2023-24 Scottish Higher exam results, published summer 2025, reveal an educational landscape where socioeconomic deprivation continues to significantly impact pupil achievement. Analysis of secondary schools’ results across Scotland demonstrates that the level of deprivation remains one of the strongest predictors of academic success, with profound implications for educational equity and social mobility.
In order to analyse the impact of deprivation schools were selected one the basis of published data indicating the percentages of pupils in each SIMD quintile for individual schools. Many schools have a broad pupil intake spanning all SIMD quintiles in almost equal numbers. These these were removed from the analysis since their data does not reflect any particular SIMD quintile. Approximately one third of all schools (127) were selected for analysis on the basis that over 50% of their cohort came from a single SIMD quintile. See Figure 3 for a summary of the distribution across local authorities.
On This Page:
- Impact of Deprivation on Pupil Exam Performance
- Performance Across Local Authorities
- Conclusions and Implications
See Also on This Website:
Impact of Deprivation on Pupil Exam Performance
The data reveals a noticeable correlation between deprivation levels and academic achievement, measured both by the percentage of pupils achieving five or more Higher passes and overall school rankings. In Scotland deprivation is assessed by the Scottish Government every four to five years and published in a set of reports collectively called the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD). The Education Department provides demographic data for each school in the form of SIMD quintiles – i.e. it assigns a SIMD ranking of 1 to 5 equally sized groups with SIMD Q1 being the most deprived and SIMD Q5 the least deprived.
Most Deprived Regions: SIMD Q1
Schools serving the most deprived communities consistently underperform compared to their counterparts in affluent areas. Among the 43 schools where over 50% of pupils come from the most deprived quintile:
- The majority of SIMD Q1 schools cluster in the bottom third of national rankings, with a median pass rate (i.e. achieving five or more highers) of 27% and a mean rank of 275.
- Only three schools in SIMD Q1 achieved over 40% of pupils gaining five or more Highers: St Thomas Aquinas Secondary School (49%, rank 63), Lourdes Secondary School (40%, rank 135), and St Andrew’s Secondary School (40%, rank 130). See Figure 1 and Figure 2 below.
Least Deprived Regions: SIMD Q5
In stark contrast, schools serving the least deprived communities dominate the top rankings the top 20 schools are predominantly from SIMD Q5 areas, with an average pass rates of 62% and a mean rank of 54.
Regions with Mid-Range Deprivation: SIMD Q2 – Q4:
The middle quintiles (Q2-Q4) show more varied performance, suggesting that while extreme deprivation is strongly associated with poor outcomes. Nevertheless, schools in moderately deprived or mixed socioeconomic areas can still achieve reasonable results with appropriate support and resources.
The disparity is statistically significant (ANOVA) between quintiles ( p < 0.05) and a strong correlation between SIMD quintile and achievement. While the highest-performing schools in affluent areas achieve median pass rates of 68%, comparable schools in deprived areas (SIMD Q2, SIMD Q2 and SIMD Q4 ) rarely exceed 50% and with medians of 29%, 33% and 41% and median ranks of 266, 201 and 123. This represents an achievement gap that fundamentally affects life opportunities for thousands of young Scots.
Figure 1: Percent of Pupils Achieving 5 or More Highers
Fig 1a: Scatter chart showing points representing individual schools
Fig 1b Box plot showing quartile range, median, upper and lower fence
Figure 2: Effect of Deprivation on School Rank
Fig 2a: Scatter chart showing points representing individual schools
Fig 2b Box plot showing quartile range, median, upper and lower fence
Performance Across Local Authorities
Local authority performance patterns reflect broader socioeconomic geography and resource distribution across Scotland, with urban-rural dynamics playing a significant role alongside deprivation levels.
Urban Challenges: Glasgow City’s Struggle
Glasgow City presents the most concerning picture among urban authorities. Despite having 18 schools in the dataset, the vast majority serve highly deprived populations and perform poorly:
- Systematic underperformance: Schools like Drumchapel High School (85% SIMD Q1, 14% pass rate, rank 334), Springburn Academy (85% SIMD Q1, 15%, rank 333), and Govan High School (85% SIMD Q1, 19%, rank 321) exemplify the challenges facing urban schools in deprived areas.
- Notable exceptions: St Thomas Aquinas Secondary School stands out as Glasgow’s highest performer in the SIMD Q1 cohort (65% SIMD Q1, 49% pass rate, rank 63), demonstrating that excellence is possible even in challenging circumstances.
Highland Authority
Highland presents a fascinating dichotomy, with some of Scotland’s highest-performing small schools alongside others facing significant challenges:
- Small school success: Plockton High School achieves remarkable results (65% SIMD Q3, 62% pass rate, rank 26), alongside other strong performers like Mallaig High School (65% SIMD Q3, 56%, rank 38) and Gairloch High School (44%, rank 86).
- Geographic disadvantage: However, Inverness High School’s poor performance (65% SIMD Q1, 9%, rank 338) suggests that even large urban schools in less deprived areas can struggle without adequate resources and support.
Island Communities
The Western Isles (Na h-Eileanan Siar) schools demonstrate that geographic isolation need not determine educational outcomes:
- Strong performance: Sir E Scott School (95% SIMD Q3, 41% pass rate, rank 128) and The Nicolson Institute (85% SIMD Q3, 39%, rank 146) achieve results that many urban schools would envy.
- Community cohesion: These results likely reflect strong community support, smaller class sizes, and dedicated teaching staff committed to their local communities.
East Renfrewshire and East Dunbartonshire
These authorities consistently produce high-achieving schools, reflecting their affluent demographic profiles:
- Sustained excellence: Schools like Woodfarm High School, Mearns Castle High School, St Ninian’s High School, Williamwood High School (East Renfrewshire), Douglas Academy, Bearsden Academy and Boclair Academy (East Dunbartonshire) all feature in the top 10 nationally.
- Resource advantages: These areas benefit from higher household incomes, greater parental engagement, and often better-resourced schools.
Conclusions and Implications
The 2023-24 Scottish Higher results data presents an uncomfortable truth about educational inequality in Scotland. The strong correlation between SIMD quintiles and academic achievement suggests that postcode continues to be a powerful predictor of educational success. While exceptional schools exist across all socioeconomic contexts, they remain the exception rather than the rule.
The geographic patterns revealed—from Glasgow’s urban challenges to Highland’s rural successes and failures—demonstrate that solutions must be tailored to local contexts rather than applied uniformly. The success of some schools in challenging circumstances proves that transformation is possible, but requires sustained investment, innovative approaches, and recognition that educational inequality reflects broader societal inequalities.
Research suggests that rurality is known to be associated with a number of weaker educational outcomes [1], from lower attainment through to lower social mobility, though the Highland and Island school results in this dataset suggest that rural schools can excel when properly supported and when serving cohesive communities.
For policymakers, these results underscore the need for continued focus on closing the attainment gap, with particular attention to supporting schools serving the most deprived communities. The data suggests that while progress may be slow, targeted interventions and resource allocation can make a meaningful difference in young people’s life chances.
Most importantly, behind every statistic lies a young person whose future opportunities are being shaped by circumstances largely beyond their control. The educational system’s challenge is to ensure that talent and potential can flourish regardless of socioeconomic background—a goal that remains frustratingly elusive but critically important for Scotland’s future prosperity and social cohesion.
Sources and Methods
In order to analyse the impact of deprivation schools were selected one the basis of published data indicating the percentages of pupils in each SIMD quintile for individual schools. Many schools have a broad pupil intake spanning all SIMD quintiles in almost equal numbers. These these were removed from the analysis since their data does not reflect any particular SIMD quintile.. Approximately one third of all schools (127) were selected for analysis on the basis that over 50% of their cohort came from a single SIMD quintile.
Figure 3: Distribution of Schools in the Analysis Across Local Authorities and SIMD Quintiles
Schools – Breadth and Depth of Qualifications
https://statistics.gov.scot/data/breadth-and-depth
This data can also be obtained (for one school at a time) from:
https://scotland.shinyapps.io/sg-secondary_school_information_dashboard/
School Roll Data
https://data.gov.uk/dataset/9a6f9d86-9698-4a5d-a2c8-89f3b212c52c/scottish-school-roll-and-locations
School Attainment Data and Pupil Profile Data
This data which included the percentage of pupils from each SIMD Quintile was obtained following a Freedom of Information Request from the Scottish Government.
Scottish Secondary School Catchment Areas
https://data.spatialhub.scot/dataset/school_catchments-is/resource/82cc374f-4f76-45f5-a705-f5b9b0dee5cd
Includes material derived from OS under Open Government Licence
OS data © Crown copyright 2020
Ranking
Using the Breadth and Depth of Qualifications data for 2020-21 schools were ranked according to percentage of pupils attaining five or more higher passes. Where schools had the same percentage at that level, the number of pupils obtaining six or more passes was used to differentiate between schools (and seven or more passes where necessary).
References
1. https://www.strath.ac.uk/media/1newwebsite/departmentsubject/economics/research/researchdiscussionpapers/22-07_Rurality_social_economic_disadvntage.pdf