List of private schools in Scotland
The following is a partial list of currently operating independent schools in Scotland.
Many of the schools are perceived to be heavily influenced by the culture, practices and ethos of English independent, or "public", schools. Author James Robertson described Glenalmond College as "a Scottish boarding school modelled on the English public school system".[1] The perceived English influence in many of these schools was such that in 1887 one author referred to them as "English schools".[2] 43% of Scottish independent secondary schools offer boarding as an option, although there is more of a trend to attend as a day pupil compared to in England.[3]
There are 102 independent schools across Scotland[4] of which 72 are members of the Scottish Council of Independent Schools (SCIS). According to the SCIS, its members educate around 29–30,000 pupils in Scotland representing around 4.1% of the school age population in Scotland.[5] The figure is significantly higher in Edinburgh, with around 1 in 4 pupils educated at an independent school, the highest proportion in the UK.[6]
Scottish students from independent schools are over-represented at the four ancient universities of Scotland. They represented 26% of the student body at the four institutions in 2014/15 with 71% in total receiving an offer of admission at one of the four ancient universities compared to only 29% of state-school entrants.[7]
List of schools
North
|
Central
- Basil Paterson School & Tutorial College
- Cargilfield Preparatory School
- Clifton Hall School
- Dunedin School
- The Edinburgh Academy
- Edinburgh Montessori Arts School
- Erskine Stewart's Melville Schools
- The Mary Erskine School
- Erskine Stewart's Melville Junior School
- Stewart's Melville College
- Fettes College
- George Heriot's School
- George Watson's College
- Harmeny School
- Mannafields Christian School
- Merchiston Castle School
- Regius Christian School
- The Royal Blind School
- Edinburgh Steiner School
- St. George's School for Girls
- St. Mary's Music School
- Belmont House School, Newton Mearns
- Fernhill School, Rutherglen
- Hutchesons' Grammar School, Pollokshields
- Kelvinside Academy, Kelvinside
- The Glasgow Academy, Kelvinbridge
- The High School of Glasgow, Anniesland
- St. Aloysius' College Garnethill
South
- Daldorch House School (Autism), Catrine
- St. Mary's School, Melrose
- Wellington School, Ayr
Figures
Fees
The schools are ranked here by day school pupil fees for 2022/23 and boarding fees are given where applicable. In cases where the 2022/23 fees are not yet available, this is indicated next to the figures. For 2022/23, the mean average day fee was £16,530 (median average was £14,968) and the average boarding fee was £33,033.[8] Membership of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference (HMC) is indicated,[9] as well as the curriculum followed by the school: English (i.e. GCSEs, A-levels), Scottish (i.e. Standard Grades/Intermediates, Highers, Advanced Highers), Mixed English and Scottish, or International Baccalaureate (IB).
School | Day fees | Boarder fees | Curriculum | HMC |
---|---|---|---|---|
Gordonstoun School[10] | £33,900 | £46,650 | English | Yes |
Fettes College[11] | £33,600 | £39,990 | English/IB | Yes |
Merchiston Castle School[12] | £27,090 | £37,320 | English | Yes |
Strathallan School[13] | £25,452 | £38,199 | English | Yes |
Glenalmond College[14] | £25,275 | £41,145 | English | Yes |
Loretto School[15] | £25,155 | £36,945 | English | Yes |
Kilgraston School[16] | £22,785 | £38,910 | Scottish | No |
Lathallan School[17] | £20,643 (21/22) | £28,299 (21/22) | Scottish | No |
St. Mary's School, Melrose[18] | £17,940 | £20,640 | Scottish | ? |
St Leonards School, St Andrews[19] | £17,374 | £40,954 | IB | Yes |
St. George's School, Edinburgh[20] | £16,359 | £33,546 | English/Scottish | No |
Edinburgh Academy[21] | £16,242 | n/a | English/Scottish | Yes |
Morrison's Academy, Crieff[22] | £16,200 | n/a | Scottish | Yes |
International School Aberdeen[23] | £15,555 | n/a | IB | No |
Dollar Academy[24] | £15,516 | £35,910 | Scottish | Yes |
St Margaret's School for Girls, Aberdeen[25] | £15,120 | n/a | Scottish | No |
Albyn School, Aberdeen[26] | £14,995 | n/a | Scottish | No |
St. Aloysius' College[27] | £14,976 | n/a | Scottish | Yes |
Robert Gordon's College, Aberdeen[28] | £14,960 | n/a | Scottish | Yes |
George Heriot's[29] | £14,878 | n/a | Scottish | Yes |
Belmont House School[30] | £14,754 | n/a | Scottish | No |
George Watson's College, Edinburgh[31] | £14,634 | n/a | Scottish/IB | Yes |
Wellington School, Ayr[32] | £14,490 | n/a | Scottish | No |
St. Columba's, Kilmacolm[33] | £14,385 (21/22) | n/a | Scottish | Yes |
The High School of Dundee[34] | £14,331 | n/a | Scottish | Yes |
The High School of Glasgow[35] | £14,211 | n/a | Scottish | Yes |
Lomond School[36] | £13,950 | £32,350 | Scottish | Yes |
Mary Erskine School, Edinburgh[37] | £13,950 | £27,993 | Scottish | No |
Stewart's Melville College, Edinburgh | Yes | |||
Kelvinside Academy[38] | £13,860 | n/a | Scottish | Yes |
Hutchesons' Grammar School, Pollokshields[39] | £13,806 | n/a | Scottish | Yes |
The Glasgow Academy[40] | £13,687 | n/a | Scottish | Yes |
Clifton Hall School, Edinburgh[41] | £13,350 | n/a | Scottish | No |
Hamilton College[42] | £13,092 | n/a | Scottish | No |
Edinburgh Steiner School[43] | £11,208 | n/a | Scottish | No |
Drumduan School[44] | £10,347 | n/a | Scottish | No |
Cedars School of Excellence, Greenock | £7,950 | n/a | Scottish | ? |
Exam results
Scottish Exams
The following table ranks the schools by performance in the 2008 round of Scottish Qualifications Authority examinations according to the percentage of A/B grades achieved at Higher level according to The Times newspaper. The percentage of 1 grades at Standard Grade and A grades at Intermediate 2 are also provided.[46] As indicated above, some independent schools in Scotland follow the English curriculum or offer the International Baccalaureate.
Higher and Standard Grade/Intermediate 2 Results
Here, schools following the Scottish exam curriculum are ranked according to the percentage of Highers achieved in 2009 at A/B, as recorded in The Times.
School | A/B Higher (%) | 1/A Standard Grade/Int 2 (%) | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | George Heriot's School | 79.7 | 71.3 |
2 | St George's School, Edinburgh | 77.9 | 62.6 |
3 | Dollar Academy | 76.5 | 66.2 |
4 | Hutchesons' Grammar School | 76.1 | 73.7 |
5 | St Columba's School | 76.1 | 72.2 |
6 | The High School of Glasgow | 75.7 | 80.4 |
7 | Albyn School | 73.9 | 58.9 |
8 | The Glasgow Academy | 73.6 | 66.2 |
9 | Stewart's Melville College | 73.3 | 68.9 |
10 | The Mary Erskine School | 73.1 | 75.2 |
11 | High School of Dundee | 72.6 | 73.3 |
12 | St Margaret's School for Girls, Aberdeen | 71.7 | 62.8 |
13 | St. Aloysius' College | 71.2 | 65.5 |
14 | George Watson's College | 70.9 | 68.1 |
15 | Morrison's Academy | 68.6 | 66.5 |
16 | Wellington School | 68.6 | 61.1 |
17 | Robert Gordon's College | 68 | 65.9 |
18 | Kilgraston School | 67.7 | 47.5 |
19 | Lomond School | 65.9 | 51.5 |
20 | Kelvinside Academy | 65 | 55 |
21 | Hamilton College | 64.5 | 54.1 |
22 | Fernhill School | 61.5 | 77.9 |
23 | The Edinburgh Rudolf Steiner School | 60.5 | 40 |
24 | Belmont House School | 46.2 | 23.1 |
25 | Queen Victoria School | 37.1 | 41.4 |
Results of English Qualifications
The below schools follow the English exam curriculum, and are ranked according to the percentage of A-levels achieved at A*/A, as recorded in The Telegraph in 2015.[47][48]
School | A/A* A-level (%) | A/A* GCSE (%) | HMC | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | George Watson's College | 55.4 | (No data) | Yes |
2 | The Edinburgh Academy[49] | 46.1 | 40.6 | Yes |
3 | Fettes College[50] | 45.0 | 68.0 | Yes |
4 | St Leonards School[51] | 43.2 | 41.2 | Yes |
5 | Merchiston Castle School[52] | 38.6 | 69.3 | Yes |
6 | Loretto School[53] | 37.5 | 49.7 | Yes |
7 | St George's School, Edinburgh[54] | 34.8 | 48.9 | No |
8 | Glenalmond College[55] | 31.5 | 52.8 | Yes |
Results of International Baccalaureate
The below schools offer the International Baccalaureate as a qualification, and are ranked according to the average score achieved out of a maximum 45 points.
School | Average Score (/45) | >40 points (%) | HMC | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Fettes College[56] | 36.9 | 34 | Yes |
2 | George Watson's College[57] | 34.0 | (No data) | Yes |
3 | St Leonards School[58] | 33.0 | 13.0 | Yes |
See also
- List of schools in Scotland
- Education in Scotland
- List of UK Independent Schools
- List of the oldest schools in the United Kingdom
- Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education
References
- ^ James Campbell, A life in writing: James Robertson, The Guardian, 14 August 2010 [1]
- ^ Christina Blackie, Geographical Etymology: A Dictionary of Place-names Giving Their Derivations (1887), John Murray, 1887, at page vi [2]
- ^ "Private Schools in Scotland | Educators.co.uk". www.educators.co.uk. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
- ^ "Schools - gov.scot". www.gov.scot.
- ^ "SCIS Pupil Numbers". Archived from the original on 28 February 2014.
- ^ Scott, Kirsty (22 September 2009). "Parents launch campaign to promote local schools in Edinburgh". The Guardian.
- ^ Johnson, Simon (27 May 2016). "Poor Scots 'squeezed out of university by SNP cap on places'". The Telegraph. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
- ^ Denholm, Andrew. "Revealed: The rising cost of a Scottish private school education". The Herald. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
- ^ "HMC Independent Schools in Scotland". Hmc.org.uk. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
- ^ "Gordonstoun School: Fees". Gordonstoun.org.uk.
- ^ "Admissions". www.fettes.com.
- ^ "Merchiston Castle School: Fees". Merchiston.co.uk.
- ^ "Strathallan School: Fees". Strathallan.co.uk.
- ^ "Glenalmond College: Fees". Glenalmondcollege.co.uk.
- ^ "Loretto School: Fees". Loretto.com.
- ^ "Kilgraston: School Fees". www.kilgraston.com.
- ^ "Lathallan School: Fees" (PDF). Lathallan.org.uk.
- ^ "Fees and Charges". www.stmarysmelrose.org.uk.
- ^ "Fees ~ 2022-23".
- ^ "St. George's School, Edinburgh: Fees".
- ^ "Edinburgh Academy: Fees". Edinburgh Academy.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Tuition Fees and Capital Levy - Session 2022-2023". Morrisonsacademy.org.
- ^ "International School Aberdeen: Fees".
- ^ "Dollar Academy - School Fees".
- ^ "St. Margaret's School for Girls Aberdeen - School Fees for Session 2022-23". www.st-margaret.aberdeen.sch.uk.
- ^ "Upper School Admissions and Fees".
- ^ "St. Aloysius - Fees". Staloysius.org.
- ^ "Robert Gordon's, Aberdeen: Fees". Rgc.aberdeen.sch.uk.
- ^ "George Heriot's: Fees for session 2022/23". George-heriots.com.
- ^ "Fees - Belmont House School". www.belmontschool.co.uk.
- ^ "George Watson's: Fees". Gwc.org.uk.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Wellington School - Fees".
- ^ "St Columba's, Kilmacolm Fees". St. Columba's.
- ^ "High School of Dundee - Fees". High School of Dundee.
- ^ "The High School of Glasgow - Fees".
- ^ "Fees & Payment Terms". Lomond School.
- ^ "Erskine Stewart's Melville Schools: Fees". Esms.edin.sch.uk.
- ^ "Fees". Kelvinside Academy.
- ^ "Fees & Bursaries - Hutchesons' Grammar Private School Glasgow".
- ^ "School Fees". Glasgow Academy.
- ^ "Clifton Hall School: Fees". Cliftonhall.com.
- ^ "Hamilton College: Fees".
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Fees and finance".
- ^ "Fees & Finances".
- ^ https://cedars.inverclyde.sch.uk/fees-information.html.
{{cite web}}
: Missing or empty|title=
(help) - ^ "The Times & The Sunday Times". www.thetimes.co.uk.
- ^ "A-level results 2015: Independent schools results table". The Telegraph. 22 August 2015.
- ^ "GCSE results 2015: Independent schools table". The Telegraph. 29 August 2015.
- ^ "Edinburgh Academy: Exam Results". Archived from the original on 26 July 2015.
- ^ "Fettes Results 2014".
- ^ "St Leonard's: Academic Results". Archived from the original on 3 September 2015.
- ^ "Merchiston Academic Results 2014".
- ^ "Public examination results". www.loretto.com.
- ^ "Examination Results - St George's School, Edinburgh". www.stge.org.uk.
- ^ "Glenalmond College: Academic Results". Archived from the original on 11 August 2015. Retrieved 27 August 2015.
- ^ "Fettes: Excellent IB Results".
- ^ "George Watson's College: Exam Results". Archived from the original on 1 August 2015. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
- ^ "St Leonards: Academic Results". Archived from the original on 27 September 2015.
External links
- The website UK Schools & Colleges Database lists currently operating state (and some independent) schools by Local Education Authority and also links to websites of individual schools where available.
- Information on Private Schools in Scotland Key information and independent ratings on private Secondary Schools across Scotland.
- Scottish Schools Online Contact information and attainment data for independent Scottish schools.