Aberdonian parents of primary school-aged children can rest easy knowing that the city is home to scores of high-achieving state schools.
There are many factors that go into making a primary school an excellent place for pupils just starting their educational journey. But while grades and performance aren’t the only thing that matter, they can be a strong indicator that a school is supporting its students to excel and helping them to build a solid educational foundation.
Using education statistics, Scotland’s Data on a Map publishes annual league tables for council areas across the country, rating how well the country’s state primary schools have performed each year. Schools are ranked using ACEL (or Achievement of Curriculum for Excellence Levels) data. This shows the percentage of pupils across a range of different year groups who have achieved the expected levels in important school skills; literacy, numeracy, and speaking and listening.
The Scotland-wide average was a score of 80.5%, and 21 of the granite city’s 48 state primary schools exceeded it. This landed them a spot in performance band 1, which marks the country’s best performing schools.
Here are Aberdeen’s 21 super schools, which came out on top of the league table:
17. Loirston School
Loirston is another school in the Cove Bay area, south of the city. In the 2022/23 school year, it also had an average of 85% of its pupils meet the target levels. | Google
18. Scotstown School
Scotstown is another primary school in the Bridge of Don, to the north of the city. In the 2022/23 school year, an average of 85% of its pupils met the target levels. | Google
19. Abbotswell School
Abbotswell is a primary school in Kincorth, south of the city. In the 2022/23 school year, an average of 82.5% of its pupils met the target levels. | Google
20. Greenbrae School
Greenbrae is a primary school in the Denmore area, in the Bridge of Don - north of the city. In the 2022/23 school year, it also had an average of 82.5% of its pupils meet the target levels. | Google