TWO thirds of Glasgow schools are meeting their benchmarks - up from fewer than half last year.

Education Scotland has released performance data for the country's schools and today the Evening Times prints league tables for city secondaries.

These show that 21 out of 30 secondaries met or did better than their "virtual comparator".

Last year 16 out of Glasgow's 30 secondaries did not match or exceed the government's benchmark.

The Scottish Government provides exam attainment data for every school in Scotland on its Education Scotland website.

Information is given for "school leavers" rather than for the previously used fifth year pupils.

This means schools where more pupils stay on for sixth year tend to perform higher than those where pupils leave sooner.

Education bosses have made a priority of persuading pupils to stay on at school and figures show this is working.

Our tables show how many pupils leaving school have earned three or more Highers.

They also show the "virtual comparator" for each secondary. This is a number generated by Education Scotland to show how a school should be performing, given the socio-economic background of pupils.

We show the number of pupils gaining three or more Highers and compare this to the virtual comparator.

The tables also show the percentage of pupils who are from the most impoverished backgrounds.

This is shown by the percentage of youngsters in the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) Level 1.

Level 1 is the 20 per cent most deprived postcodes. Where a school has five or fewer children in SIMD Level 1 it is marked with an asterisk.

Glasgow Gaelic School has topped the league table for the third year running.

In fact, the top three schools have not shifted from last year: Glasgow Gaelic School first on the list, followed by Hyndland Secondary and then Notre Dame High School.

While the Gaelic School has a number of SIMD Level 1 pupils that is too low to record, Notre Dame High School has a relatively high level at 48 per cent.

Lochend Community High has lifted itself from the bottom of the league table, where it sat last year, and instead Drumchapel High and St Margaret Mary's Secondary come joint last.

One of the best achievers is Govan High School, which has this year seen 33 per cent of leavers gaining three or more Highers - up from 18 per cent last year.

The school was second bottom of the league table last year but is now on a par with Rosshall Academy, John Paul Academy and Knightswood Secondary.

Headteacher of Govan High School, Nancy Belford, said: "The main thrust of what we have been doing here is to improve the ethos of the school and raising aspirations for every young person - we now have much higher expectations for every young person in the school.

"That's coming from staff but it's also coming from the young people having high expectations of themselves."

Govan High School works with Glasgow Intergenerational Mentoring Network from Strathclyde University to give pupils a mentor to guide them.

It also works with outside agencies to secure work experience and apprenticeships for pupils.

Ms Belford, who has been at Govan High for two years, said an important part of the school's success is encouraging pupils to stay on at school for longer.

The school now encourages more pupils to go forward for Highers and makes sure there are clear paths of progression for all young people, no matter what they hope to go on to do.

Across the city, education bosses credit pupils staying on at school for rising attainment.

Liz Cameron, Executive Member for Children, Young People & Lifelong Learning, said: “Over the last 10 years more and more young people are choosing to stay on at school.

“As a result they leave with more qualifications and skills and on to positive destinations.

“The increase in our staying on rates for S5/S6 has risen from 45 per cent in 2006 to almost 70 per cent of pupils and it’s clearly reaping the benefits for Glasgow’s young people.”

Performance data tables

Column 1 - percentage of pupils in the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) Level 1.

Column 2 – % pupils achieved 3+ Highers

Column 3 – Benchmark

Column 4 – Benchmark achieved

GLASGOW

Glasgow Gaelic School........ *..... 72..... 69... Yes

Hyndland Secondary.......... 26..... 67..... 53... Yes

Notre Dame High School..... 43..... 57..... 51... Yes

Hillhead High................... 32..... 54..... 57.... No

St Thomas Aquinas............ 51..... 52..... 44... Yes

St Andrew’s Secondary....... 75..... 49..... 39... Yes

King’s Park Secondary....... 30..... 49..... 41... Yes

Shawlands Academy.......... 29..... 48..... 46... Yes

Holyrood Secondary.......... 40..... 47..... 44... Yes

Bellahouston.................... 38..... 42..... 37... Yes

St Roch’s Secondary......... 83..... 39..... 37... Yes

Bannerman High................ 34..... 38..... 37... Yes

Lourdes Secondary............ 52..... 38..... 38... Yes

All Saints Secondary.......... 88..... 38..... 37... Yes

Cleveden Secondary.......... 72..... 36..... 40.... No

Hillpark Secondary............ 51..... 35..... 32... Yes

Castlemilk High............... N/A..... 35..... 30... Yes

Rosshall Academy............ 49..... 33..... 37.... No

Knightswood Secondary..... 44..... 33..... 39.... No

John Paul Academy........... 77..... 33..... 30... Yes

Govan High..................... 76..... 33..... 23... Yes

Eastbank Academy............ 83..... 28..... 25... Yes

Smithycroft Secondary....... 78..... 28..... 17... Yes

St Paul’s High School........ 81..... 27..... 28.... No

St Mungo’s Academy......... 87..... 26..... 26... Yes

Springburn Academy.......... 93..... 25..... 27.... No

Whitehall Secondary.......... 66..... 23..... 26.... No

Lochend Community High.... 86..... 21..... 32.... No

St Margaret Mary’s Sec....... 88..... 20..... 24.... No

Drumchapel High.............. 85..... 20..... 20... Yes

EAST DUNBARTONSHIRE 

Bearsden Academy.......... N/A..... 75..... 72... Yes

Bishopbriggs Academy...... 12..... 75..... 59... Yes

Douglas Academy.............. 6..... 72..... 66... Yes

Turnbull High.....................*..... 72..... 65... Yes

Lenzie Academy................. 6..... 69..... 63... Yes

Boclair Academy............... 15..... 68..... 56... Yes

St Ninian’s High................ 11..... 63..... 51... Yes

Kirkintilloch High............... 21..... 44..... 42... Yes

WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE 

Our Lady & St Patrick’s....... 30..... 54..... 48... Yes

Dumbarton Academy.......... 16..... 50..... 50... Yes

St Peter the Apostle .......... 50..... 49..... 44... Yes

Clydebank High................ 40..... 45..... 44... Yes

Vale of Leven Academy...... 38..... 40..... 34... Yes

Column 1 - percentage of pupils in the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) Level 1.

Column 2 – % pupils achieved 3+ Highers

Column 3 – Benchmark

Column 4 – Benchmark achieved

SOUTH LANARKSHIRE

Strathaven Academy............*..... 65..... 59... Yes

Biggar High School............. *..... 61..... 54... Yes

St Andrew’s and St Bride’s.... 2..... 59..... 60.... No

Calderglen High School........ *..... 57..... 52... Yes

Stonelaw High School........ 29..... 52..... 49... Yes

Uddingston Grammar......... 18..... 52..... 58.... No

St John Ogilvie High School 40..... 50..... 49... Yes

Holy Cross High School..... 25..... 50..... 51.... No

Trinity High School............ 36..... 49..... 52.... No

Lanark Grammar School...... 18..... 49..... 51.... No

Hamilton Grammar School... 28..... 48..... 50.... No

Duncanrig Secondary...........*..... 48..... 50.... No

Cathkin High School.......... 38..... 44..... 41... Yes

Carluke High School.......... 12..... 42..... 52.... No

Lesmahagow High School.....*..... 39..... 39... Yes

Larkhall Academy.............. 32..... 38..... 42.... No

Calderside Academy.......... 34..... 35..... 39.... No

NORTH LANARKSHIRE

Our Lady’s Cumbernauld..... 16..... 66..... 53... Yes

Dalziel High School........... 22..... 61..... 54... Yes

St Ambrose High School..... 24..... 59..... 51... Yes

Our Lady’s Motherwell........ 34..... 56..... 50... Yes

Greenfaulds High School...... 8..... 54..... 58.... No

St Maurice’s High School.... 16..... 54..... 54... Yes

Cardinal Newman High ....... 43..... 51..... 47... Yes

Cumbernauld Academy....... 19..... 51..... 48... Yes

Taylor High School............ 21..... 51..... 47... Yes

Chryston High School........ 11..... 49..... 47... Yes

St Aiden’s High School...... 39..... 46..... 48.... No

Airdrie Academy............... 40..... 44..... 43... Yes

Coltness High School........ 27..... 44..... 47.... No

St Andrew’s High School.... 49..... 44..... 40... Yes

St Margaret’s High School... 45..... 44..... 46.... No

Kilsyth Academy................ 5..... 41..... 51.... No

Braidhurst High School....... 42..... 39..... 46.... No

Calderhead High School..... 26..... 38..... 36... Yes

Clydevalley High School..... 45..... 37..... 38.... No

Coatbridge High School..... 45..... 34..... 48.... No

Caldervale High School...... 32..... 33..... 41.... No

Brannock High School........ 26..... 32..... 40.... No

Bellshill Academy............. 44..... 30..... 44.... No

EAST RENFREWSHIRE

St Ninian’s High................. 6..... 85..... 72... Yes

Williamwood......................*..... 84..... 74... Yes

Mearns Castle High.............*..... 82..... 73... Yes

Woodfarm High................ 19..... 68..... 60... Yes

Eastwood High.................. 7..... 65..... 60... Yes

St Luke’s High.................. 35..... 65..... 52... Yes

Barrhead High.................. 32..... 46..... 52.... No

Column 1 - percentage of pupils in the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) Level 1.

Column 2 – % pupils achieved 3+ Highers

Column 3 – Benchmark

Column 4 – Benchmark achieved

RENFREWSHIRE

Gryffe High........................ *..... 78..... 69... Yes

Paisley Grammar............... 38..... 55..... 53... Yes

Renfrew High School........... *..... 52..... 55.... No

Castlehead High............... 40..... 49..... 46... Yes

Glennifer High.................. 29..... 49..... 54.... No

Park Main’s High................. *..... 48..... 61.... No

St Andrew’s Academy........ 37..... 47..... 50.... No

Johnstone High................ 29..... 44..... 48.... No

Trinity High...................... 35..... 41..... 50.... No

St Benedict’s High............. 36..... 39..... 40.... No

Linwood High................... 37..... 28..... 39.... No

EAST AYRSHIRE

Stewarton Academy........... 41..... 53..... 54.... No

James Hamilton Academy... 28..... 52..... 35... Yes

Kilmarnock Academy......... 40..... 51..... 51... Yes

Loudon Academy.............. 20..... 50..... 40... Yes

Grange Academy.............. 23..... 45..... 48.... No

St Joseph’s Academy........ 29..... 39..... 40.... No

Cumnock Academy............ 41..... 38..... 36... Yes

Auchinleck Academy.......... 32..... 37..... 39.... No

Doon Academy................ 74..... 31..... 32.... No

NORTH AYRSHIRE

Arran High..................... N/A..... 69..... 55... Yes

Largs Academy.................. 4..... 69..... 65... Yes

Garnock Academy............. 34..... 46..... 48.... No

St Matthew’s Academy........ 45..... 45..... 45... Yes

Ardrossan Academy........... 43..... 40..... 43.... No

Auchenharvie Acadmey....... 65..... 36..... 35... Yes

Kilwinning Academy.......... 45..... 34..... 39.... No

Greenowood Academy....... 32..... 31..... 45.... No

Irvine Royal Academy......... 60..... 29..... 28... Yes

SOUTH AYRSHIRE 

Marr College...................... *..... 62..... 61... Yes

Kyle Academy.................. 21..... 59..... 55... Yes

Bellmont Academy............ 18..... 58..... 52... Yes

Prestwick Academy............. 5..... 49..... 52.... No

Queen Margaret Academy.....*..... 49..... 47... Yes

Carrick Academy................ 9..... 47..... 42... Yes

Girvan Academy............... 20..... 44..... 45.... No

Ayr Academy....................44......39......36.....Yes