Best Schools - Number of international students winning places at universities in Scotland reaches record high

A total of 2,330 applicants from outside the EU have confirmed places at Scottish universities – an increase of 9 per cent compared with last year’s Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) results day.

The weaker pound and an increased recruitment drive overseas could be behind the rise in international students, who pay more in tuition fees choosing to study in Scotland, experts say.

Meanwhile, the number of Scottish students who have been accepted onto a university course in Scotland has dropped.

It coincides with the pass rates for pupils sitting Scottish exams falling at every level except National 5.

On Tuesday, tens of thousands of Scottish students found out their results for their Nationals, Highers and Advanced Highers – and more than 28,700 had their university places confirmed.

The number of Scottish students securing a place at a Scottish university fell by 4 per cent.

It comes at a time when the overall number of 18-year-olds in Scotland has dropped by 3.1 per cent.

A Universities Scotland spokesperson added: “The rise in international students attending Scottish universities this coming year is a result of our world-class universities as well as increasingly sophisticated recruitment and marketing.”

Clare Marchant, chief executive of Ucas, said: “It’s really encouraging to see Scottish universities welcome students from around the world.”

Hampshire Collegiate School, with effect from September, will be renamed ‘Embley’

The school will have a new visual identity to strengthen and modernise how it is represented to pupils, families, colleagues and the communities it works with.

The new logo shows a double headed eagle – a symbol of hope, strength and courage – and the Hampshire Rose, both of which are woven into the original architecture that you can see today in the school’s Manor House.

“Our new identity is reflective of the academic ambition we have for our children such that every individual has the self-belief to achieve their personal best. This goes hand in hand with helping all our pupils to be true to themselves; living authentic lives and showing compassion to those around them,” said Cliff Canning, Headmaster.