Lira, Uganda | Saving Grace Annex Primary School has emerged number one in Lira City in the 2025 Primary Leaving Examination (PLE) rankings, as analysis of results released by the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) shows a widening performance gap between the city’s top schools and the rest.
The rankings, based on average aggregates, place Saving Grace Annex at the top after the school registered an average aggregate of 7.4, the best in the city.
Top 10 PLE 2025 Schools in Lira City (Ranked)
1. Saving Grace Annex Primary School – 7.4
2. Daylight Primary School – 7.9
3. St. Gracious Boarding Primary School – 8.6
4. St. Kizito Primary School – 8.9
5. Saving Grace Primary School – 10.2
6. Lira Central Primary School – 10.3
7. Elwa Sunrise Primary School – 10.3
8. Ajania Primary School – 10.5
9. Genesis Junior School – 10.7
10. C.O.T.N Primary School – 10.8
Education analysts say the top 10 schools set the pace for performance in Lira City, posting lower aggregates and stronger subject balance compared to schools ranked outside the top tier, where average aggregates generally exceeded 11.
Saving Grace Annex Primary School presented 16 candidates, all of whom passed in Division One, translating into a 100 % Division One pass rate with no failures, absentees, or withheld results.
The best-performing pupil at the school was Komakech Denis Mwaka, who scored an aggregate of 4, the lowest (best) aggregate recorded at the school and among the best in the city.
The highest (weakest) aggregate at the school was 11, attained by Awio Cletus. Despite this, the candidate still achieved Division One, highlighting the school’s overall strength and consistency.
UNEB subject-level data indicate that leading schools maintained balanced performance across English, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies, avoiding the subject-specific weaknesses that raised aggregates in many mid-ranking schools.
Schools ranked outside the top 10 recorded mixed outcomes, with candidates spread across Divisions One, Two, and Three.
While several institutions still produced Division One passes, their higher average aggregates point to inconsistencies in learner preparedness and subject mastery.
The rankings further underline the continued dominance of private primary schools in shaping top PLE outcomes in Lira City, while government-aided schools, despite larger enrolments, largely featured outside the leading positions.
The strong showing by Lira City’s top schools comes against the backdrop of improved national performance in the 2025 Primary Leaving Examinations, which were officially released by UNEB on Friday, January 30, 2026.
UNEB reported that 817,883 candidates registered for the examinations, with 807,313 sitting. Of these, 730,233 candidates passed, attaining results from Division One to Division Four.
A total of 91,990 candidates scored Division One, an increase of 7,689 candidates compared to 2024. Division Two accounted for 388,293 candidates, 165,226 were placed in Division Three, and 84,724 in Division Four.
Meanwhile, 77,080 candidates, representing about 9.5 per cent, were ungraded.
On gender performance, UNEB noted that although girls formed the majority of candidates completing the primary cycle (52.4 per cent), boys outperformed girls in the top divisions, particularly in Mathematics and Science.
Girls, however, performed better in English, which emerged as the best-done subject nationally.
