List of private schools in Scotland

Last updated

The following is a partial list of currently operating private schools in Scotland.

Contents

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 91 independent schools across Scotland [4] of which 71 are members of the Scottish Council of Independent Schools (SCIS). According to the SCIS, its members educate around 29,000 pupils in Scotland representing around 4.2% 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] This figure has risen to 30 per cent in recent years. [7]

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. [8]

List of schools

North

Central & Tayside

Playfair Building, Dollar Academy DollarAcademyPlayfair.jpg
Playfair Building, Dollar Academy
The High School of Dundee Dundee High School.jpg
The High School of Dundee

Edinburgh City Region

Fettes College Fettes College, Edinburgh.jpg
Fettes College
George Heriot's School George-Herriot-high-school.jpg
George Heriot's School

Glasgow City Region

Ayrshire

Borders

Additional Support Needs / Complex Additional Needs Schools

Figures

Fees

The schools are ranked here by day school pupil fees for 2023/24 and boarding fees are given where applicable. In cases where the 2023/24 fees are not yet available, this is indicated next to the figures. 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).

SchoolDay feesBoarder feesCurriculumHMC [10]
Fettes College [11] £37,050£44,100English/IBYes
Gordonstoun School [12] £35,601£48,990EnglishYes
Merchiston Castle School [13] £29,250£40,320EnglishYes
Strathallan School [14] £27,360£41,829EnglishYes
Glenalmond College [15] £25,275 (22/23)£41,145 (22/23)EnglishYes
Loretto School [16] £25,155 (22/23)£36,945 (22/23)EnglishYes
Lathallan School [17] £23,304£31,950ScottishNo
Kilgraston School [18] £22,785£38,910ScottishNo
St Leonards School, St Andrews [19] £18,765£44,232IBYes
St. George's School, Edinburgh [20] £18,324£37,575English/ScottishNo
St. Mary's School, Melrose [21] £17,940 (22/23)£20,640 (22/23)ScottishNo
Morrison's Academy, Crieff [22] £17,575n/aScottishYes
Edinburgh Academy [23] £17,541n/aEnglish/ScottishYes
The High School of Glasgow [24] £16,959n/aScottishYes
Dollar Academy [25] £16,677£38,601ScottishYes
St Margaret's School for Girls, Aberdeen [26] £16,632n/aScottishNo
International School Aberdeen [27] £16,535n/aIBNo
George Heriot's [28] £16,440n/aScottishYes
Clifton Hall School, Edinburgh [29] £16,380n/aScottishNo
Hutchesons' Grammar School [30] £16,177n/aScottishYes
The High School of Dundee [31] £16,050n/aScottishYes
Mary Erskine School, Edinburgh [32] £16,041£32,190ScottishNo
Stewart's Melville College, EdinburghYes
Albyn School, Aberdeen [33] £15,995n/aScottishYes
George Watson's College, Edinburgh [34] £15,951n/aScottish/IBYes
Kelvinside Academy [35] £15,951n/aScottishYes
Robert Gordon's College, Aberdeen [36] £15,845n/aScottishYes
Wellington School, Ayr [37] £15,645n/aScottishNo
St. Columba's, Kilmacolm [38] £15,610n/aScottishYes
Belmont House School [39] £15,492n/aScottishNo
St. Aloysius' College [40] £14,976n/aScottishYes
Lomond School [41] £14,925£36,200ScottishYes
The Glasgow Academy [42] £14,850n/aScottishYes
Hamilton College [43] £13,875n/aScottishNo
Edinburgh Steiner School [44] £11,208 (22/23)n/aScottishNo
Drumduan School [45] £10,347n/aScottishNo
Cedars School of Excellence, Greenock

[46]

£7,950 (22/23)n/aScottishNo

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. [47] 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.

SchoolA/B Higher (%)1/A Standard Grade/Int 2 (%)
1 George Heriot's School 79.771.3
2 St George's School, Edinburgh 77.962.6
3 Dollar Academy 76.566.2
4 Hutchesons' Grammar School 76.173.7
5 St Columba's School 76.172.2
6 The High School of Glasgow 75.780.4
7 Albyn School 73.958.9
8 The Glasgow Academy 73.666.2
9 Stewart's Melville College 73.368.9
10 The Mary Erskine School 73.175.2
11 High School of Dundee 72.673.3
12 St Margaret's School for Girls, Aberdeen71.762.8
13 St. Aloysius' College 71.265.5
14 George Watson's College 70.968.1
15 Morrison's Academy 68.666.5
16 Wellington School 68.661.1
17 Robert Gordon's College 6865.9
18 Kilgraston School 67.747.5
19 Lomond School 65.951.5
20 Kelvinside Academy 6555
21 Hamilton College 64.554.1
22 Fernhill School 61.577.9
23The Edinburgh Rudolf Steiner School60.540
24 Belmont House School 46.223.1
25 Queen Victoria School 37.141.4

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. [48] [49]

SchoolA/A* A-level (%)A/A* GCSE (%)HMC
1 George Watson's College 55.4(No data)Yes
2 The Edinburgh Academy [50] 46.140.6Yes
3 Fettes College [51] 45.068.0Yes
4 St Leonards School [52] 43.241.2Yes
5 Merchiston Castle School [53] 38.669.3Yes
6 Loretto School [54] 37.549.7Yes
7 St George's School, Edinburgh [55] 34.848.9No
8 Glenalmond College [56] 31.552.8Yes

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.

SchoolAverage Score (/45)>40 points (%)HMC
1 Fettes College [57] 36.934Yes
2 George Watson's College [58] 34.0(No data)Yes
3 St Leonards School [59] 33.013.0Yes

See also

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References

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