Stewart's Melville College

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Stewart's Melville College
Crest stewartsmelville.gif
Stewart's Melville College, Edinburgh.JPG
Address
Stewart's Melville College
Queensferry Road

Edinburgh
,
EH4 3EZ

Scotland
Coordinates 55°57′13.58″N3°13′35.5″W / 55.9537722°N 3.226528°W / 55.9537722; -3.226528
Information
Type Private day and boarding school
MottoNever unprepared [1]
Established1832;192 years ago (1832) (Melville College)
1855;169 years ago (1855) (Daniel Stewart's College)
1972;52 years ago (1972) (merger)
PrincipalAnthony Simpson
GenderMale
Age11to 18
Enrolment756 [2]  (2015)
Colour(s)   
Red, black, and gold
School fees
  • Day: from £9000 for nursery to £15,423 [3] for senior school;
  • Boarding: £24,291–29,162 per annum (2015) [2]
Junior school1254 students (2015) [2]
Website www.esms.org.uk

Stewart's Melville College (SMC) is an independent day and boarding school in Edinburgh, Scotland. Classes are all boys in the 1st to 5th years and co-educational in Sixth (final) year. It has a roll of about 750 pupils. [2] [4]

Contents

Daniel Stewart's College was designed by the architect David Rhind and opened as Daniel Stewart's Hospital in 1848, renamed to Daniel Stewart's College in 1870, and placed under the perpetual management of the Royal Company of Merchants of the City of Edinburgh. [5] Melville College was known as the Edinburgh Institution for Languages and Mathematics from 1832 to 1936. In 1972, the two colleges merged to become Stewart's Melville College.

The school is twinned with the Mary Erskine School (MES), an all-girls independent school approximately one mile (1.6 km) from Stewart's Melville College. Together the combined Erskine Stewart's Melville Schools (ESMS) have a co-educational Sixth Year and Junior School, the latter of which is split between the two campuses and caters for pupils from 3 to 12 years old. The two schools share a Principal, and most extra-curricular activities, such as performing arts, are run jointly. Both SMC and MES are managed by the Merchant Company of Edinburgh, which is also responsible for the co-educational George Watson's College.

History

Front of David Rhind's building of 1855 for Daniel Stewart's Hospital Stewart's Melville College 2015.JPG
Front of David Rhind's building of 1855 for Daniel Stewart's Hospital

Stewart's Melville College originated from the merger of two schools — Daniel Stewart's College and Melville College — in 1972 to become Daniel Stewart's and Melville College. After the merger Melville's bright red trim replaced the dark red trim on the black Daniel Stewart's blazer for general use and the red blazer of Melville College was adopted for those awarded colours (for sporting and other achievements); [6] recently use of the red blazer was limited to the head boy and his deputies, with colours being signified with a particular tie.

Melville College was founded in 1832 by the Rev. Robert Cunningham [7] [8] in George Street but soon moved to Hill Street in the centre of Edinburgh [9] with a teaching emphasis on modern subjects, such as science, rather than classical subjects – unusual at that time. [10] The school moved a short distance to 8 Queen Street which was purchased in 1853 [9] and then to Melville Street in the city's West End in 1920. [11] Originally named "The Edinburgh Institution for Languages and Mathematics", its name changed to Melville College in 1936 [10] about the same time as the caps and blazers of the boys were changed to bright red. [6]

Library of Stewart's Melville College Library of Stewart's Melville College.JPG
Library of Stewart's Melville College

Daniel Stewart's Hospital was opened in 1855 by the Merchant Company of Edinburgh. Daniel Stewart (whose wealth came from India and was Macer to the Court of the Exchequer), upon his death in 1814, left a sum of money and instructions that, once it had reached £40,000 it should be used to create a hospital for needy boys within the city. [12] The hospital was located on the current Queensferry Road campus (designed by David Rhind). [12] The hospital was transformed into "Daniel Stewart's College" in 1870. The school uniform from 1924 onwards was a cap with red and black stripes and a black blazer with red trim. [6]

In 1974 the link with another nearby Merchant Company school, the all-girls Mary Erskine School, was formalised and The Mary Erskine and Stewart's Melville Junior School was formed. Nursery to Primary 3 are housed on the Mary Erskine campus, with Primary 4 to 7 on the Stewart's Melville campus. The sixth (final) form of both senior schools is coeducational. [13]

In 2013, Stewart's Melville was voted the Scottish Independent School of the year by the Sunday Times newspaper [14] [15] and Mary Erskine School was voted the Scottish Independent School of the year in 2012. [16] In 2014 the combined Erskine Stewarts Melville school, with over 2,700 pupils, [17] claimed to be the largest independent school in Europe. [18]

In 2014, a programme of improvement work on buildings of the junior school was announced, [19] and as of 2018, work has begun.

In February 2023, it was announced by principal Anthony Simpson that the boarding house would close by July 2025, citing costs and the facility not being compatible with the school's vision for the future. The allocation of resources towards the boarding house was not sustainable, as at the time of the announcement, there were only 19 boarders, accounting for less than 3% of all pupils at the school.

Sport

Stewart's Melville College has won the Scottish Rugby Schools Under 18 Cup five times: in 1999 (in their first year of entering), 2006, 2011, 2016 and 2019. [20] Stewart's Melville RFC, the successor to the Former Pupils Rugby club, play in the Scottish League Championship. [21]

"Ravelston Sports Club", a large on-site sports centre opened in 2000. The sports centre is mainly used by pupils for physical education lessons and sports training (such as swimming, basketball, badminton, short tennis and table tennis) but is also open to members of the public for a monthly membership fee. [22] There is also a school shooting range located at the Ravelston campus. [23] Extensive rugby, cricket, hockey pitches and athletics facilities are also located at the school's sports grounds in Inverleith, two miles north of the school. The main stadium at Inverleith dates back to the 1890s and was the main ground of the Scotland national rugby union team until 1925. [24] [25]

In 2019 Stewart's Melville College won the Mitsubishi U18 cup - played at Murrayfield Stadium - against local rivals George Watson's College. [26]

Tom Fleming Centre for Performing Arts (Formerly "Performing Arts Centre")

Tom Fleming Centre for Performing Arts in 2015 Stewart's Melville College Tom Fleming Centre.JPG
Tom Fleming Centre for Performing Arts in 2015

The school's main Victorian assembly hall was converted to the "Performing Arts Centre" between 2005 and 2007. This £3.5 million project, [27] was paid for in part by donations from the parents of the schools current pupils and former pupils (some of the chairs have names in gold of people who have donated). The centre has 800 seats that fold back into the wall, providing a variety of possible configurations and was officially opened in 2007. It is also available for use by the public and is used as a venue for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. [28]

In 2011 actor John Cairney unveiled the new name for the centre, "Tom Fleming Centre for Performing Arts", named after former pupil Tom Fleming, one of Scotland's leading broadcasters. [29]

Carbisdale Castle

Since 1965, the school organised an outdoor education programme for the boys of SMC and the girls from MES in the third year. It took place in the north of Scotland, based for over forty years at Carbisdale Castle Youth Hostel, Easter Ross, until its closure in 2011 required accommodation to relocate to Aviemore. [30] The camp was also abandoned in 2020 and 2021, due to coronavirus restrictions. It returned in 2022; however later in 2022, Carbisdale Castle was sold and is now a private residence.

Examinations

Pupils at Stewart's Melville mainly sit Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) examinations, including (as of 2013) National 4, National 5, Higher Grade and Advanced Higher Grade levels. The English GCE Advanced Level, examinations can also be sat in art and music. Almost all pupils go on to higher education. [31]

Former Headmasters

Notable alumni

The school maintains a Former Pupils Club, which organises social events throughout the year. There are branches throughout the UK and abroad.

War Memorial in the college grounds War Memorial, Stewart's Melville College, Edinburgh.JPG
War Memorial in the college grounds

Academia and science

Media and arts

Law and politics

Sports

Military

Religion

Other

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References

  1. ↑ "Top private school expels four teenage boys caught with cannabis". The Scotsman . 10 September 2010. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Miller, Nikki (Editor) (2014) "School Guide Edinburgh & The Lothians, 2015 Annual Issue", Select Publishing Ltd.
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  4. ↑ "SCIS – Stewart's Melville College". 2010. Archived from the original on 22 November 2009. Retrieved 9 July 2010.
  5. ↑ https://www.mcoe.org.uk/our-charities/our-schools/
  6. 1 2 3 Roberts (2009 , p. 55)
  7. ↑ Roberts (2009 , p. 92)
  8. ↑ Tobin, Patrick (December 2015). "The Rev. Robert Cunningham, Founder of the Edinburgh Institution (later Melville College)". Daniel Stewarts and Melville College Former Pupils Club - FP News 2015. p. 12. Retrieved 24 February 2017.
  9. 1 2 Sutherland (2003 , p. 2)
  10. 1 2 Roberts (2009 , p. 39)
  11. ↑ Sutherland (2003 , p. 4)
  12. 1 2 Roberts (2009 , p. 42)
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  21. ↑ "Club History". Stewart's Melville R. F. C. website. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  22. ↑ "ESMS Sports Centre – Ravelston Sports Club". ESMS. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  23. ↑ "Stewart's Melville College – Appointment of Teacher of Physical Education" (PDF). Stewart's Melville College. Erskine Stewart's Melville Governing Council. 8 May 2013. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
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  27. ↑ "Performing Arts Centre".
  28. ↑ "Shows at Performing Arts Centre Stewart's Melville College". Broadway Baby. 2015. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
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  45. ↑ "BBC Press Office – Kheredine Idessane Biography". August 2009. Archived from the original on 17 February 2011. Retrieved 9 July 2010.
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  49. 1 2 The Scotsman (11 September 2010). "Top private school expels four teenage boys caught with cannabis" . Retrieved 3 October 2010.
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  51. ↑ "International Ski Federation (FIS) Biography – Finlay Mickel" . Retrieved 9 July 2010.
  52. ↑ Davidson, Jack (1 February 2020). "Obituary: Grant Weatherstone, rugby international who was capped 16 times for Scotland". The Scotsman. Retrieved 1 February 2020.
  53. ↑ "Rugby in Asia – Doddie Weir". Archived from the original on 2 March 2011. Retrieved 9 July 2010.
  54. ↑ "World Athletics Championships: Britain's Jake Wightman wins 1500m gold". BBC Sport. 19 July 2020. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  55. ↑ (31 July 2012) Coaches; David Wilkie MBE "Coached off the Coach", STV (Scottish Television), Retrieved 27 April 2013
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  57. ↑ (2014) The Right Reverend James A. Whyte MA LLD Mayfield Salisbury Parish Church, Retrieved 23 September 2014
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