Making the grade: small private schools top exam league tables

Wellington School in Ayr, founded in 1836, and St Columba's School in Kilmacolm, which opened its doors in 1897, achieved Higher pass rates of 99% and 95% respectively.

Dollar Academy, in Clackmannanshire, also performed exceptionally well, with a Higher pass rate of 95%, while George Heriot's in Edinburgh achieved a pass rate of 94%. In Glasgow, St Aloysius and Glasgow High both attained a pass rate of 93%.

Founded by the wife of an Ayr schoolmaster, the original Wellington School provided education for just 12 girls. Last year, there were 43 pupils in S5.

Until 1994 it was a girls' boarding and day school, but has undergone a series of major changes in the past decade, including the end of boarding, a move to co-education and the purchase and development of new buildings and sporting facilities. Kirsty Wark is one of its former pupils.

Mark Parlour, the headmaster, said: "We are full of praise for the hard work of the pupils and the dedication of all our teaching staff.

"Generally, it is gratifying to be in this position, but academic results are only one aspect of success and we offer a full range of experiences and opportunities which prepare our pupils fully for life after school.

"We are a small school and serve our local community and there is very strong relationship between parents and staff which breeds a family atmosphere. Discipline and ethos are also strong."

St Columba's, which had 53 pupils in last year's S5, was also originally established as a school for girls, but it has been co-educational since 1982.

David Girdwood, the school's rector, was delighted with the results, and the fact that one-third of its pupils achieved straight As.

"I'm absolutely delighted with the Higher results, not only because the pass rate is so high, but more importantly because of the quality of the passes," he said.

"I think the secret is something to do with the size of the school. We are a small school. All the pupils are known individually. We have high expectations of the pupils. They have fulfilled them and more.

"They work very hard, but what's also important is they are not just working on their exams. We are trying to develop well-rounded pupils."

Head boy Christopher Johnstone, 16, was one of 17 pupils who achieved five A grades in their Higher results at St Columba's.

He said: "The teachers here encourage hard work, but they aren't too strict and because the year groups are so small it's more informal."

Head girl Kirsty Wilson, 16, said: "We are encouraged to be competitive here, but it's a healthy form of competitiveness. We push each other to do well and our teachers make sure we do our absolute best."

A spokesman for Dollar Academy said: "We are delighted again with the achievements of our young people. There is no secret success formula at Dollar. Our pupils are ambitious and interested in what they are doing. They work in first-class facilities with teachers who are passionate about their subjects and aren't afraid of innovation or hard work."

Alistair Hector, headmaster at George Heriot's, said: "We are delighted that last year's S5 have maintained that consistency of performance."

Overall, the independent sector achieved some of its best ever exam results at Higher and Advanced Higher.

The figures, from the Scottish Council of Independent schools, show 90% of S5 pupils achieved A-C passes at Higher in 2008, the same as the previous two years, while 88% of S6 pupils achieved A-C at Advanced Higher, up 1% on 2007. This compares with a record national Higher pass rate for all Scottish schools - including the independent sector - of 73.4%, up from 71.7% the previous year.

Judith Sischy, director of the Scottish Council of Independent Schools, which collated the figures, welcomed the results.

"This reflects the purposeful learning environment that is part of the ethos in an independent school, encouraging pupils to progress without disruption and to aspire to succeed," she said.