A league table for 339 state secondary schools in Scotland shows NO Ayrshire schools in the top 50, writes Edwin Lawrence

But there are three in the bottom 50, with Ayr Academy lowest, at number 327.

The league table is based on the percentage of pupils gaining five Highers or more.

It appears to confirm that pupils from affluent areas perform better than those from deprived areas.

In exam terms, Ayrshire schools are being outperformed by those in East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, West Lothian, Stirling and Aberdeenshire.

Jordanhill School in Glasgow is top of the form, with 83 per cent of its pupils gaining the equivalent of five Highers or more.

Dunblane High School (76%) and Mearns Castle High School (75%) are second and third.

You have to go all the way down to numbers 60, 62 and 64 to find the top Ayrshire schools - Largs Academy (46%) in North Ayrshire; Kyle Academy (46%) in South Ayrshire; and Stewarton Academy (45%) in East Ayrshire.

Prestwick Academy (41%) in South Ayrshire creeps into the top 100 at number 97.

But Belmont Academy (39%) and Marr College (39%) are outside it at numbers 115 and 116. Queen Margaret Academy (38%) isn’t too far behind at number 122.

Other Ayrshire Schools placed between 100 and 200 are: Grange Academy, East (37%) 127; Kilwinning Academy, North (33%) 171; Loudoun Academy, East (32%); Garnock Community Campus, North (31%); 193; St Matthew’s Academy, North (31%) 194.

Next come St Joseph’s Academy in Kilmarnock, East (30%) at 204; and Greenwood Academy, North (30%) at 208.

Auchenharvie Academy, North (28%) is at 228. Then comes Auchinleck Academy, East (26%) 243; and Carrick Academy, South (26%) at 250. Doon Academy, East also scores 26%.

Cumnock Academy, East (24%) is at 264, just ahead of Kilmarnock Academy, East (24%) at 265 and Irvine Royal Academy, North (24%) at 267.

Girvan Academy, South (22%) limps in at number 292 in the league.

Worst performing Ayrshire schools are Ardrossan Academy, North (17%) and Ayr Academy, South (15%).

Douglas Hutchison, South Ayrshire Council’s Director - People, said: “The so-called league tables are based purely on the number of young people achieving five Highers. Young people’s success can’t be measured by looking at one part of the picture. Taking how many young people got the grades to go on to university, which we all know isn’t for everyone, as a measure of how well schools are performing is a very narrow and exclusive approach.

“It is one that is more commonly associated with an English approach to education, but it is not how the education system in Scotland works.

“Our approach is about so much more and is based on achieving positive destinations for all our learners, in line with their own ambitions and what we can support them to achieve.

“That focus means we get a much more rounded picture of the difference our schools are making for our young people whether they aim to go to university, college, training or the world of work.”