SCOTLAND’s top performing state secondary schools have been named in a new league table – with Troon’s Marr College performing best in South Ayrshire.

The Times Scotland’s 2022 high school league table calculates a percentage of the number of pupils that achieved the Scottish

Government’s ‘gold standard’ of five Highers in 2021.

Figures saw the performances of every secondary school in the country scored on the percentage of pupils attaining five Highers.

Both the Scottish Government and most local councils insist schools cannot be ranked on just the number pupils gaining five Highers.

In particular, they claim the league table fails to take into account much of each school’s work over the year - and also fails to take into account each particular school area’s socio-economic issues.

Largs Academy topped the Ayrshire table – slotting in at 40th in the nationwide standings – down from 23rd last year.

Stewarton Academy (190th) was East Ayrshire’s best performing school with St Joseph’s Academy next in at 200th, Loudoun Academy at 201st and Grange Academy at 202nd.

Marr College in Troon fared best in South Ayrshire – although dropped from 35th to 68th place.

Fellow South Ayrshire schools Prestwick Academy, Kyle Academy and Queen Margaret Academy also made the top 100.

But Girvan, while showing some improvement with a leap of 50 uop the rankings, remained bottom of the South Ayrshire list, according to the report.

Irvine Royal Academy, which placed 319th, was the worst Ayrshire secondary, according to the ranking system.

South Ayrshire’s league table was as follows, showing each school’s current Scottish ranking, with last year’s in brackets.

68. (35) Marr College

77. (97) Prestwick Academy

92. (57) Kyle Academy

95. (110) Queen Margaret Academy

108. (100) Belmont Academy

134. (152) Carrick Academy

195. (315) Ayr Academy

244. (294) Girvan Academy