High praise in Hawick as pupils receive their exam results
Last updated 4th Aug 2026
Scottish Borders Council says "overall pass rates remain high", as pupils across the region receive their exam results today.
More than 90 per cent of awards were achieved at grades A to D, while literacy and numeracy attainment reached record levels.
Seventeen-year-old Aleksander Raczynski, now entering Sixth Year at Hawick High School, got "all As" and hopes to go on to study medicine.
"I got the email and the text," he told Greatest Hits Radio. "You open it and scan through as quickly as you can to see if you got what you want; I got nervous, I just ran to the kitchen to my parents."
And he added: "I was like shaking because you don't know what to expect."
Hawick High head teacher Lisa Scott says the school has one of the highest percentages of pupils moving on to positive destinations after school.
"For us, it's not about the academic attainment in terms of everybody having straight As," she explained. "It's about celebrating all of the young people's achievements because everybody's path is different.
"That's really important for us. We want to demonstrate different pathways for young people and provide routes into employment, further education and higher education."
Mrs Scott joined pupils opening their envelopes in school this morning, as construction of a new campus continues next door.
"What we will get from the new school will be night and day compared with what we have just now," she said.
"We'll have facilities that outstrip anything that we have just now, and that will supplement the varied curriculum that we have.
"We need to work with our community partners and make sure that we build a high school that is for the community of Hawick, and that's my intention."
Across the Scottish Borders, the council reported an increase in Higher A-C attainment among learners in Quintile 1.
Literacy and numeracy results also reached record levels, with 97 per cent of S4 pupils achieving a literacy award, 96 per cent gaining National 5 English, 90 per cent achieving a numeracy award and 86 per cent passing National 5 Maths.
Councillor Julie Pirone, Scottish Borders Council's Executive Member for Education, Lifelong Learning and Youth Development, congratulated pupils on their achievements.
She said: "Their achievements are testament to the remarkable resilience and continued commitment that our young people have shown, and they should all be immensely proud of what they have achieved.
"Every pupil is different and it is important to remember that they will have their own ambitions and aims for the future.
"For some, these achievements today will secure a place at university, and for others they will be an important step towards employment, a Modern Apprenticeship, further education or being able to take their preferred subjects and qualifications in their next school year."
She also thanked parents and school staff for supporting pupils throughout the year.
Today's results are the first snapshot of attainment and achievement for the 2025-26 session. A fuller picture, including college courses, wider qualifications and achievement awards, will be available in September, with a report due to be presented to the council's Education Committee in October.
Support for any pupil worried about their results is available from their school, with further information available from Scottish Borders Council.
The Skills Development Scotland helpline is available on 0808 100 8000. Advisers can provide information on UCAS Clearing and Confirmation, college and university vacancies, Modern Apprenticeships, employment and training opportunities.
Additional advice is also available through Qualifications Scotland and My World of Work.
For more stories from the Scottish Borders and North Northumberland, bookmark our home page - https://hellorayo.co.uk/greatest-hits/borders/news/