Primary school pupils in Helensburgh and Lomond are outperforming both the regional and national averages in literacy and numeracy, a report has revealed.
Figures as high as 96% have been recorded in assessments of pupils in primaries one, four and seven for reading, writing, talking & listening and numeracy.
However, the same document also shows that only three of the 12 primary schools in the area have seen an increase in pupil numbers since 2019/20.
The details are revealed in a report which will go before Argyll and Bute Council’s Helensburgh and Lomond area committee on Tuesday.
Data relating to Achievement of Curriculum for Excellence Levels shows a score of 95% for P7 pupils in listening and talking in the 2022/23 session.
The same age group also recorded scores of 85% for reading, 84% for writing and 89% for numeracy.
At P4 level, the score for listening and talking was even higher at 96%. Pupils at that stage recorded further scores of 88% for reading, 83% for writing, and 87% for numeracy.
Meanwhile, P1 pupils recorded 91% for listening and talking, 86% for reading, 82% for writing and 87% for numeracy.
All 12 of those figures were either above or equal to the numbers for Scotland, and for Argyll and Bute as a whole.
In relation to the ‘Talk for Writing’ approach, the report said: “Since August, two schools have been implementing the Talk for Writing approach across the whole school, the approach aims to improve children’s ability to articulate their ideas for writing and support them to ensure that they can then transfer these ideas onto paper.
“An additional school is implementing this at early level with a clear plan for whole school implementation in August 2024. Clear aims have been set for each class, the achievement of which will be measured following the next tracking and monitoring period.”
However, the report also shows that 200 fewer pupils are currently attending Helensburgh and Lomond’s 12 council-run primary schools than five years ago.
Particularly sharp percentage decreases have been seen at Arrochar Primary School (40% – 65 to 39) and John Logie Baird Primary School (32% – 135 to 92).
Colgrain Primary School also has nearly 60 fewer pupils than it did in 2019/20, going from 314 to 256.
Parklands School has seen its primary pupil numbers treble over the same period, going from 10 to 30, while Luss and Cardross Primary Schools have also seen small increases to their rolls.
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