Celebrating Success: Craighalbert Pupils Achieve National SQA Awards

We are thrilled to celebrate the incredible achievements of our senior pupils, who have gained SQA National 1 qualifications. These awards mark a milestone in their learning journeys and recognise their determination, progress, and growing independence.

This year, our pupils achieved:

• Two Adult Learning and Transition Awards at GOLD level

• One Personal Achievement Award at SILVER level

One of our senior pupils celebrating their acheivements with family.

These awards acknowledge a broad range of personal and practical skills, including communication, independent living, creativity, and community involvement. More importantly, they reflect the confidence, capability, and ambition of our pupils, who continue to inspire us every day.

A Parent’s Perspective

For families, these achievements represent far more than certificates; they represent transformation. One parent, Lynne McColl, shared the impact of her son Ben’s journey at Craighalbert:

“Before Ben joined Craighalbert he was a wee boy that nobody knew. All of his ideas, jokes, wants and needs were not heard. They were trapped inside him with no way for them to get out and be communicated with the outside world. But the incredible team at Craighalbert soon changed all of that! Within weeks of attending Craighalbert at the age of 10, Ben’s personality could finally be heard!!

Craighalbert set Ben up with a high- and low-tech way of communicating and he has flourished from there! He can now ask for a drink when he’s thirsty or suggest an outing, for example – a McDonald’s with friends! This change has been huge for Ben and has had a dramatic impact on our whole family life. For example, we now know that Ben likes George Ezra not Thomas the Tank Engine.

He’s gone on to receive many SQA qualifications and has revealed himself to be quite the wee comedian; cracking lots of jokes, especially when he’s at school. So the boy that no one knew, who was trapped in his own mind with no output for his thoughts, is now a well known, proud, happy and kind young man.

We are forever grateful that Craighalbert gives every child the right to a voice and that they could see Ben’s potential when others had written him off as not capable. Since Ben has moved from his previous school to Craighalbert his mood and personality have drastically changed from grumpy and withdrawn to upbeat, happy and ‘in his own way’ chatty!!”

More Than Qualifications

At Craighalbert, we believe every child has potential and it is our role to ensure that potential is recognised, supported, and celebrated. These achievements show that, with the right opportunities, children and young people with complex communication, learning, health and care needs can flourish, gaining not only skills but also pride, resilience, and joy in their learning.

We are incredibly proud of our senior pupils and can’t wait to see what they achieve next.

Congratulations to our young achievers.