The following is a partial list of currently operating
private 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
A boarding school is a school where pupils live within premises while being given formal instruction. The word "boarding" is used in the sense of "room and board", i.e. lodging and meals. As they have existed for many centuries, and now exten ...
modelled on the English public school system". The perceived English influence in many of these schools was such that in 1887 one author referred to them as "English schools". 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.
There are 102 independent schools across Scotland 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. The figure is significantly higher in
Edinburgh, with around 1 in 4 pupils educated at an independent school, the highest proportion in the UK.
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.
List of schools
North
*
Albyn School
Albyn School is a coeducational independent day school, founded in 1867 in Aberdeen, Scotland. Albyn was originally an all-girls school before becoming co-educational in 2005. The school has a nursery, primary school and secondary school; pupi ...
,
City of Aberdeen
gd, Comhairle Cathair Obar Dheathain
, native_name_lang =
, other_name =
, image_skyline = Town House, Municipal Offices and Court Houses in Aberdeen.jpg
, image_caption ...
*
Gordonstoun,
Elgin, Moray
Elgin (; sco, Ailgin; gd, Eilginn, ) is a town (former cathedral city) and formerly a Royal Burgh in Moray, Scotland. It is the administrative and commercial centre for Moray. The town originated to the south of the River Lossie on the higher gr ...
*
International School of Aberdeen
The International School of Aberdeen (ISA) is a school in Pitfodels, Cults, Aberdeen, Scotland. It takes in students that come from other countries besides the UK, although British students are allowed to attend the school. It was formerly kn ...
,
Milltimber
Milltimber is a suburb of Aberdeen, Scotland, around west of Aberdeen city centre. From 1854 to 1937 the area was served by Milltimber railway station on the Aberdeen suburban railway.
Along with the nearby settlements of Cults and Bieldside, ...
,
Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire ( sco, Aiberdeenshire; gd, Siorrachd Obar Dheathain) is one of the 32 Subdivisions of Scotland#council areas of Scotland, council areas of Scotland.
It takes its name from the County of Aberdeen which has substantially differe ...
*
Lathallan School,
Johnshaven,
Kincardineshire
*
Drumduan School,
Forres
*
Robert Gordon's College
Robert Gordon's College is a co-educational Independent school (UK) for day pupils in Aberdeen, Scotland. The school caters for pupils from Nursery through to S6.
History
Robert Gordon, an Aberdeen merchant, made his fortune in 18th century ...
,
City of Aberdeen
gd, Comhairle Cathair Obar Dheathain
, native_name_lang =
, other_name =
, image_skyline = Town House, Municipal Offices and Court Houses in Aberdeen.jpg
, image_caption ...
*
St Margaret's School for Girls
St Margaret’s School for Girls is the oldest all-through girls’ school in Scotland and caters for pupils aged three to 18 in a nursery, junior school and senior school. St Margaret’s is an independent charitable trust that warmly welcomes gir ...
,
City of Aberdeen
gd, Comhairle Cathair Obar Dheathain
, native_name_lang =
, other_name =
, image_skyline = Town House, Municipal Offices and Court Houses in Aberdeen.jpg
, image_caption ...
Central
*
Ardvreck School
Ardvreck School is an independent boarding and day preparatory school for boys and girls aged 3–13. Located in Crieff in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. It was established in 1883.
Former pupils
* Rear-Admiral Hugh Balfour (1933-1999), senior ...
,
Crieff
*Balnacraig School,
Perth
*
Belhaven Hill School,
Dunbar
*Cedars School of Excellence,
Greenock
Greenock (; sco, Greenock; gd, Grianaig, ) is a town and administrative centre in the Inverclyde council areas of Scotland, council area in Scotland, United Kingdom and a former burgh of barony, burgh within the Counties of Scotland, historic ...
(Pentecostal Christian school)
*The Compass School,
Haddington, East Lothian
*
Craigclowan Preparatory School,
Perth
*The Craighalbert Centre,
Cumbernauld
*
Dollar Academy
*
Donaldson's College
*Fairview International School,
Bridge of Allan
*Falkland House School,
Falkland, Fife
*
Glenalmond College,
Glenalmond
*Good Shepherd Centre,
Bishopton, Renfrewshire
Bishopton (/bɪʃəptən/) ( sco, Bishoptoun; gd, Baile an Easbaig) is a village in Renfrewshire, Scotland. It is located around west of Erskine.
History
There was a Roman Fort at Bishopton which was discovered from aerial photographs in 19 ...
*
Hamilton College
*
The High School of Dundee
*Hillside School,
Aberdour
Aberdour (; Scots: , gd, Obar Dobhair) is a scenic and historic village on the south coast of Fife, Scotland. It is on the north shore of the Firth of Forth, looking south to the island of Inchcolm and its Abbey, and to Leith and Edinburgh beyo ...
*Kibble Education & Care Centre,
Paisley
*
Kilgraston School
Kilgraston School is an independent boarding and day school offering primary school education for boys and girls aged from five to twelve years old and girls only from five to eighteen. Boarding is available for girls only aged eight years old an ...
,
Bridge of Earn
*
Lomond School,
Helensburgh
*
Loretto School
Loretto School, founded in 1827, is an independent boarding and day school for boys and girls aged 0 to 18. The campus occupies in Musselburgh, East Lothian, Scotland.
History
The school was founded by the Reverend Thomas Langhorne in 1827. L ...
,
Musselburgh
Musselburgh (; sco, Musselburrae; gd, Baile nam Feusgan) is the largest settlement in East Lothian, Scotland, on the coast of the Firth of Forth, east of Edinburgh city centre. It has a population of .
History
The name Musselburgh is Ol ...
*Moore House School,
Bathgate
*
Morrison's Academy,
Crieff
*The New School,
Dunkeld
*New Struan School,
Alloa
*Oakwood School, Laurieston,
Falkirk
Falkirk ( gd, An Eaglais Bhreac, sco, Fawkirk) is a large town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland, historically within the county of Stirlingshire. It lies in the Forth Valley, northwest of Edinburgh and northeast of Glasgow.
Falkirk had a ...
*Ochil Tower School,
Auchterarder
Auchterarder (; gd, Uachdar Àrdair, meaning Upper Highland) is a small town located north of the Ochil Hills in Perth and Kinross, Scotland, and home to the Gleneagles Hotel. The High Street of Auchterarder gave the town its popular name of "Th ...
*Osborne House School,
Dysart
*
Queen Victoria School,
Dunblane
*
St. Columba's School,
Kilmacolm
*
St Leonards School,
St. Andrews
St Andrews ( la, S. Andrea(s); sco, Saunt Aundraes; gd, Cill Rìmhinn) is a town on the east coast of Fife in Scotland, southeast of Dundee and northeast of Edinburgh. St Andrews had a recorded population of 16,800 , making it Fife's fourt ...
*Starley Hall School,
Burntisland
Burntisland ( , sco, also Bruntisland) is a former royal burgh and parish in Fife, Scotland, on the northern shore of the Firth of Forth. According to the 2011 census, the town has a population of 6,269. It was previously known as Wester Kingho ...
*
Strathallan School,
Forgandenny
*Sycamore School,
Dunfermline
Dunfermline (; sco, Dunfaurlin, gd, Dùn Phàrlain) is a city, parish and former Royal Burgh, in Fife, Scotland, on high ground from the northern shore of the Firth of Forth. The city currently has an estimated population of 58,508. Accord ...
Edinburgh
*
Cargilfield Preparatory School
Cargilfield Preparatory School is a private co-educational prep school in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was founded in 1873. It is a day and boarding school for boys and girls aged 3–13 and caters for approximately 300 pupils. It prepares pupils mai ...
*
Clifton Hall School
Clifton Hall School is an independent day school located near Newbridge in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is divided into the Nursery, Junior, and Senior Schools and educates pupils from nursery to Senior 6.
Buildings
The school occupies a 19th-cent ...
*The
Edinburgh Academy
*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
*Mannafields Christian School
*
Merchiston Castle School
*The
Royal Blind School
The Royal Blind School is a specialist day and boarding school in Edinburgh, Scotland that was established in 1793 and run by the charity, Royal Blind. The school caters for pupils aged 3 to 19 who are blind or partially sighted, and has faci ...
*Edinburgh Steiner School
*
St. George's School for Girls
*
St. Mary's Music School
St Mary's Music School is a music school in Scotland in the West End of Edinburgh, for boys and girls aged 9 to 19 and is also the Choir School of St Mary's Episcopal Cathedral. The school, which is non-denominational, provides education for ...
Glasgow
*
Belmont House School
Belmont House School is a private co-educational school in Newton Mearns, East Renfrewshire, Scotland, providing primary and secondary education. It is based in the former Broom House, a Georgian category B listed building.
History
The school was ...
,
Newton Mearns
*
Fernhill School,
Rutherglen
*
Hutchesons' Grammar School,
Pollokshields
*
Kelvinside Academy,
Kelvinside
Kelvinside is a district in the Scottish city of Glasgow. It is situated north of the River Clyde and is bounded by Broomhill, Dowanhill and Hyndland to the south with Kelvindale and the River Kelvin to the north. It is an affluent area of Gl ...
*
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
St. Mary's School is a private, co-educational, day and boarding prep school in Melrose, Scotland. As of 2015 there are 190 pupils; 97 boys and 93 girls.
History
St. Mary's School was established in 1895 by John Hamilton as a school for boys. ...
*
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
In statistics and probability theory, the median is the value separating the higher half from the lower half of a data sample, a population, or a probability distribution. For a data set, it may be thought of as "the middle" value. The basic ...
was £14,968) and the average boarding fee was £33,033. Membership of the
Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference (HMC) is indicated, 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).
Exam results
Scottish Exams
The following table ranks the schools by performance in the 2008 round of
Scottish Qualifications Authority
The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA; Gaelic: ''Ùghdarras Theisteanas na h-Alba'') is the executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government responsible for accrediting educational awards. It is partly funded by the Ed ...
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. 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.
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.
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.
See also
*
List of schools in Scotland
The lists of schools in Scotland are divided into several articles:
* Independent schools in Scotland
* State schools in City Council Areas
* State schools in Council Areas A–D
* State schools in Council Areas E–H
* State schools in Council ...
*
Education in Scotland
*
List of UK Independent Schools
*
List of the oldest schools in the United Kingdom
*
Education Scotland
Education Scotland ( gd, Foghlam Alba) is an executive agency of the Scottish Government, tasked with improving the quality of the country's education system.
Origins
The creation of the Agency was announced by Scottish Government Education a ...
References
External links
*The websit
UK Schools & Colleges Databaselists 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 ScotlandKey information and independent ratings on private Secondary Schools across Scotland.
Scottish Schools OnlineContact information and attainment data for independent Scottish schools.
{{Scottish education
Independent schools
*