This dataset presents school leaver average total tariff score: grouped into the lowest 20%, middle 60% and highest 20% of attainers for each school. Attainment is the measurable progress which children and young people make as they advance through and beyond school, and the development of the range of skills, knowledge and attributes needed to succeed in learning, life and work. In this dataset, attainment is measured as the average total tariff score of school leavers. The number and level of qualifications a young person gains by the point they leave school provides a\u00A0[tariff score](https://education.gov.scot/parentzone/my-school/education-glossary/). These figures are brought together to provide an average total tariff score for the school. Only the latest and best awards in each subject are counted in the tariff score. For example if someone has an award at National 4 and National 5 in English, it is only the National 5 award that will count towards this measure. Data is for senior phase (S4-S6) leavers from publicly funded secondary and grant aided secondary schools. This includes a small number of pupils who are on the roll of the school but attend full-time courses or further education outside of the school. Data is not provided for Junior High Schools as these schools generally only take pupils as far as S4, after which they transfer to another centre to continue their education. Virtual comparator values are included to provide context for the data. The virtual comparator is the a standard benchmarking measure provided to schools. The virtual comparator is a sample group of pupils from other parts of Scotland who have similar characteristics to the young people in the school (matched on gender, additional support needs, stage of leaving school (S4, S5 or S6) and the social context in which they live (e.g. [SIMD](http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/SIMD))).\t\t For some data points, a special character is provided instead of a number. These have the meaning: * 'NA' - data not available * '*' - the value has been hidden for disclosure reasons * '#' - data not available because the school is a junior high school with no year S5 or S6
School leaver average total tariff score: grouped into the lowest 20%, middle 60% and highest 20% of attainers for each school
A comprehensive glossary of terms associated with education can be found on the [Parentzone Scotland website](https://education.gov.scot/parentzone/my-school/education-glossary/)
The presentation of school level data here ensures that individual children cannot be identified. Where data is missing from tables in this dataset, it has been omitted to preserve the confidentiality of individuals.
Using data for individual schools as league tables implies that the schools at the top of the table are the best in Scotland and those at the bottom, the worst. This is misleading because schools often operate in very different circumstances, such as different numbers of children with additional support needs, or different job opportunites for school leavers depending on location. The context of a school should be taken into account when considering how well a school is doing. The best way to judge the performance of a school when using this dataset is to compare a school to its 'virtual comparator'. The 'virtu\u200Bal comparator' is a sample group of pupils from other parts of Scotland who have the same characteristics as the young people in the corresponding school. This is fairer than comparing one school directly with another.
Data file for Schools - Attainment for All