Almost 96% of West Lothian’s School leavers went on to positive destinations this year, councillors on the Education PDSP heard.
Linlithgow Councillor Pauline Orr said the council should be proud that the improvements were seen throughout the county’s 12 high schools
Beverley Akinlami, CLD Youth Services Manager told the meeting “Overall performance is improving.”
A paper presented to the last meeting before the summer recess revealed that a total of 95.8 per cent of last year’s West Lothian’s school leavers went into a positive destination, a 1.7 per cent improvement from 2022/23.
Among black and minority ethnic young people, the figure was even higher, with 99.4 per cent going into a positive destination, a 4.1 per cent increase, and the highest levels achieved in the past five years.
Ms Akinlami’s report to the PDSP said: “Those who engaged in higher education, further education, training, voluntary work, employment, or skills development are classified as having a ‘positive destination’.
“Other initial destinations include school leavers who are unemployed, not seeking employment or training, those who are unemployed and seeking employment or training, and individuals whose initial destination is unknown.
“The initial destinations data provides information on the outcomes for young people as recorded on Monday, 7th October 2024, approximately three months after leaving school. Insight will be updated with the follow-up destinations in late June 2025.”
A breakdown shows:-
– 23.4 per cent of young people moved into employment, consistent with the previous year.
– 25.8 per cent of young people entered Further Education, a drop of 1.6 per cent from 2022/23.
– 39.2 per cent of young people entered Higher Education, a 0.6 per cent increase from last year.
Councillor Orr said: “It’s been a really good report. I particularly liked appendix one. I think there can be perception across the county that some schools are better than others. I think the report shows overall there’s really not much difference between all of our high schools. That’s something West Lothian should be proud of.”
The SNP councillor asked if it would be possible to see a comparison with the results from other local authorities “as a way of measuring” success.
Siobhan McGarty, Head of Secondary Education, said the council had been working with other authorities for the last 18 months and had taken “quite a bit of learning from them, especially around partnerships.”
She added that she would be happy to bring back a report to councillors on the work with other councils.
Councillor Pauline Stafford, a Bathgate councillor and SNP group depute leader asked if any specific gaps in skills had been discovered in the work with local employers.
Ms Akinlami said a lot of work had been done with employers to look at improving the curriculum in high schools to help meet where gas in skills were being identified. Partnership work with employers also meant more opportunities for work experience.
The education department has also developed a programme working to provide skills for work in west Lothian’s burgeoning Third Sector. Sixth years at Armadale Academy took part in community volunteering programmes in the last school year and the project will be rolled out to other high schools in the new term.
Chairing the meeting Councillor Andrew McGuire said: “This is very encouraging. I know our refreshed approach has been hard fought we really m are starting to see the fruit borne.”
By Stuart Sommerville, Local Democracy Reporter
