Education Executive saw evidence that local pupils are achieving above national performance in all 20 national measures, a rise from 19 out of 20 in 2017/18. West Lothian is ranked third out of 32 councils in Scotland for Combined Primary 1, 4 and 7 Numeracy and fourth for Combined Primary 1, 4 and 7 Literacy. Attainment has improved in all areas compared to 2017/18, with a significant improvement of 8% in literacy by the end of Primary 1.
The attainment gap, which measures the difference in performance of students from the most and least affluent backgrounds, has not changed significantly in West Lothian. This is attributed to a similar rise in performance by local pupils of all backgrounds. In some local authorities who are reporting their attainment gap is closing, this has been attributed to a drop in performance from pupils from more affluent backgrounds.
Executive councillor for education David Dodds said: "The performance of West Lothian pupils is outstanding, recording above the national average in every key area. "Well done to all the pupils, parent/carers, teachers and support staff who have played a vital role in West Lothian achieving top four in Scotland for both numeracy and literacy.
"To put this into context, West Lothian would be around 17th in Scotland if we performed as expected by demographics, so this is an incredible accomplishment. "Our dedicated school staff will continue to work to support pupils of all levels, regardless of background or ability, to achieve their full potential, giving them the best possible opportunities for future success."
