Eyemouth High School is a small, rural, comprehensive school on the edge of the Scottish Borders. It is located in an area affected by coastal deprivation, and poor access to further and higher education with major populations’ centres over an hour away. Our progression rate to university over the last four years sits at 28%, 14% lower than our virtual comparator for the same period.  Each year this amounts to approximately on average 22 students. The school offers a good range of higher qualifications – 25 different subjects, however, ten of these are delivered through multi-level classes alongside National 5 students. 19.59% of this year's S5 students achieved 5 Highers in S5, and we expect the number who can achieve 5 Highers by the end of S6 to increase further to over 25%.  37% of our pupils have ASN status. FSM sits at 16.%. 26.1% are in Decile 4, 22.3% live in Decile 5. We have no students living in Deciles 8, 9 or 10. Only 92.47% have English as a first language. We are most affected by rurality - all University and College provisions are over a hour's travel away, with very limited Tertiary options in the Borders.

Our students were affected by the Global Coronavirus Pandemic greatly​ - from the lockdown in March 2019 their formative years in Secondary school were affected.  Our students had their own iPad with which to communicate and collaborate and we made use of these devices to ensure as much progression in learning as possible.  By S4 we saw the resilience of this particular year group coming through as they took up National qualifications after this interrupted preparation from S1 to S3. They achieved some of the best National results we have had on record in 2023, and have consolidated this through their Higher studies in 2023.

Students can study a number of Advanced Highers. In our setting this may mean they are in a bi-level class with Higher students, or they may receive just three taught periods a week, unlike bigger schools where there is a more comprehensive taught offer.  The onus is on students to work independently and organise their study time effectively. We feel this prepares our students well for university life and work.