TWO Inverclyde schools have been ranked highly in a prestigious list of Scotland's top secondaries.

Clydeview Academy in Gourock and St Columba's in Kilmacolm both appear in the Sunday Times 'Parent Power - Schools of the Decade' supplement.

The document ranks educational institutions based on 2019 Higher and Advanced Higher results.

Clydeview is 26th in the list of the top 100 Scottish state secondary schools, and St Columba's in Kilmacolm is ninth in the top Scottish independent secondary schools list.

Craig Gibson, head teacher at Clydeview, says it's great to get good results - but he stressed that's not the only important thing.

He said: "Our main focus will always be the physical, social and emotional wellbeing of our pupils.

"Good results are a by-product of a good school experience.

"All of our staff - teaching and non-teaching - take a holistic approach to the wellbeing of our young people."

Since he took on the role of head teacher last year, Mr Gibson has been bowled over by the support of parents.

He also praises staff for going above and beyond to ensure every pupil reaches their potential.

Craig added: "Our partnership with parents ensures we get things right for our young people.

"All of our staff have high aspirations for pupils and work hard to help them achieve their goals."

During the worst of coronavirus lockdown, Clydeview pupils took part in remote learning sessions on Microsoft Teams.

Parents got the chance to shape the learning programme by sharing their views in a questionnaire and despite the changes, Craig says the young people showed their resilience.

He says the experience will stand them in good stead for the changes to their courses which lie ahead next year.

Craig added: "For us, lockdown brought out the best in people.

"Everyone stepped up and got on with it.

"We're in a good position to deal with the changes.

"We focus on providing courses that match the needs and interests of our young people and prepare them for life outside school.

"The courses and the teaching gives them the skills, knowledge and resilience to go on and do well after they leave school, whether that's on to college, university or the world of work."

Aside from academic and vocational success, Mr Gibson says it's the young people themselves who are making the school a success.

He added: "We're so fortunate that our young people engage with the opportunities that we provide and get on board with our values.

"They're a credit to the school and to their families.

"It's the young people themselves who set us apart."