Looking for a top primary school for your child but still haven’t decided yet? If so, you are in the right place. Searching for the best possible education for your child can be an arduous task for any parent, especially in Edinburgh, where the city is littered with an array of prestigious schools. Wrapping your child in the cotton wool of a private school for an easier path towards university is desired by many parents, whilst others may think differently and would rather their child stay more in touch with ‘the real world’ through a state school. Either way, quality schools in Edinburgh come in abundance and often pose a favourable headache for parents having choose which they think is best. With over 20 years experience in removals around the capital and helping many new family’s find their feet in the city, we have a pretty solid knowledge of where the best primary schools are located.
School ethos, an emphasis on sport and extracurricular activities are also high on the checklist for many parents. Below we have compiled a shortlist of what we believe are the best primary schools in Edinburgh that may help to sway your decision.
Sciennes Primary School
Located in the south side of Edinburgh, on the fringes of Marchmont, is Sciennes Primary School. For those of you wondering, it is pronounced ‘sheens,’ after the small area that it resides in, just off the Meadows. Anyway, this school is officially the largest primary school in Edinburgh, with classes being slightly on the larger side. You’ll be glad to know however that this doesn’t detract from the excellent standard of teaching. Sciennes Primary School is seen as being in a well-educated catchment area since the parents of many students come from academic backgrounds themselves.
Although sport isn’t too greatly emphasised in the school, it does have a number of excellent after-school activities along with many parent-run clubs. Students typically then move on to one of Edinburgh’s most prestigious state schools, James Gillespie’s High School. Below are some stats and figures to help give you a better idea of the school:
- Has around 640 pupils,
- 76% of students achieve the expected level in reading nationally at the end of p7,
- 70% of students achieve the expected level in numeracy by the end of p7.
Stockbridge Primary School
Situated in the ever-so-grand and trendy neighbourhood of Edinburgh is Stockbridge Primary School. As well as providing an excellent standard of education for children, the state school places a great emphasis on the importance of kids participating in after-school clubs.. Not every child was born for university or the life of an academic and so engaging them in a range of activities at a young age may help your child discover an early passion or talent that could lead to greater things in the future. Children graduating from this primary school tend to move on to either Broughton High School or one of Edinburgh’s elite private secondary schools, Edinburgh Academy. Here are some of the numbers:
- 268 pupils,
- 76% of students achieve the expected national level of reading by p7,
- 70% of students achieve the expected level in numeracy by the end of p7.
James Gillespie’s Primary School
Approximately ten minutes up the road from Sciennes, next to Bruntsfield Links in the South Side of Edinburgh is where you will find James Gillespie’s Primary School. Alongside their neighbours Sciennes, James Gillespie’s Primary School is also seen as one of Edinburgh’s finest public primary schools. Their teaching is centred around four key values:
- Integrity: be honest in all that you do,
- Equality: treat everyone fairly,
- Respect: treat everyone well,
- Diligence: work hard and rewards will come your way.
The principles of their teaching are summarised by their school motto, ‘Fidelis et Fortes,’ meaning ‘strength and loyalty.’ Below are some figures to help draw a comparison with other schools:
- 557 pupils,
- 76% of students achieve the expected level in reading nationally at the end of p7,
- 70% of students achieve the expected level in numeracy by the end of p7.
Fettes College
If you are wealthy enough for Fettes College to be a financially viable option, then choosing to send your child here will help them onto a path of success. Fettes College takes in children from the age of 7 upwards. Throughout the years, Fettes College has been considered to be amongst the absolute elite private schools in Scotland. The most famous graduate to come out of Fettes College in recent years is the former Prime Minister, Tony Blair.
Along with possibly providing the highest quality of education in Scotland, Fettes offer students an endless amount of extra-curricular activities. Here is a summary of some of the fees:
- Boarders – £8,070 per term
- Day Pupils – £5,500 per term
All fees include the cost of all meals taken at school.
George Heriot’s School
A less expensive option is George Heriot’s School. Unlike Fettes, Heriot’s won’t bleed you dry of cash and it will provide your child an excellent education. Heriot’s has a history like no other. Upon his death, George Heriot left the equivalent of tens of millions of pounds to be invested in a school to care for the ‘puir, faitherless bairns,’ (Scots for poor fatherless children). In 1628 this was founded but was soon seized by the English army and turned into a barracks. In 1837 it became a state school but then started to charge fees in the 1880s. However, the school maintains its philanthropic roots by providing free education to the children of widows and widowers.
On a more academic note, Heriots provide an excellent quality of education in both their primary and secondary schools. They seem to have struck the winning formula by consistently being among the top five schools in Scotland based on exam performance. Here are the figures:
- P1-P2 costs £8,349 per year
- P3-P7 costs £10,134 per year
