That the Parliament congratulates the pupils and staff of Craigmount High School in Edinburgh on their achievements in National Progression Awards (NPAs); notes that Craigmount pupils achieved more than 4,000 qualifications in the last academic year, including 176 Level 6 NPAs, with NPAs accounting for 7% of all qualifications achieved; recognises the school’s work to make NPAs available across a wide range of subjects, including business and marketing, web design and cyber security, through provision within the school and in partnership with Edinburgh College; welcomes the findings of the David Hume Institute’s recent briefing, The Changing Landscape of Education in Scotland: A New National Progression?, which identifies a substantial growth in NPA attainment across Scotland, from 19,640 awards in 2022 to 44,030 in 2026; notes that NPAs are designed to develop and assess defined skills and knowledge in specialist vocational areas and are linked to National Occupational Standards; recognises the importance of ensuring that young people have different ways to demonstrate their knowledge, skills and attainment, including through regular assessment rather than solely through high-stakes final examinations; further recognises the importance of ensuring that Scotland’s qualifications system is understood by employers as the range of routes available to young people continues to develop, and commends Craigmount High School for demonstrating how a broad senior-phase curriculum can give pupils opportunities to pursue subjects relevant to their interests, future careers and further education.
Supported by: Miles Briggs