Best scottish independent schools

[GrammerlyH]

Which schools are generally considered the best/most highly-regarded prep and senior (or all-through) schools in Scotland please?

If you want the best prep school and there is a very limited number in Scotland then I would definitely say Cargilfield in Edinburgh (not rural but a fabulous school). Ardvrek in Perth also has a decent reputation.

i don't really think there is a "regarded as best" in Scotland to be honest. if your child has gone to a prep like Cargilfield then the Scottish schools would be looked at in the round along with all the main boarding schools down south to find the school that suits your individual child best. If, on balance, you and your child decided you wanted to stay in Scotland then to get a rural fit that does GCSEs and A Levels your choice would be Glenalmond or Strathallan (both Perthshire) or Gordonstoun (extremely rural and from the central belt as long to travel to as heading to London realisticaly).

As a previous poster said, day schools, in Edinburgh/Glasgow, probably have better results as the competition for places can be fierce especially in Edinburgh therefore they are very selective. On the surface the boarding schools are selective as most children enter through common entrance if the school doesn't have a junior school but in reality very few would be turned away so the results will reflect that.

There just isn't the hierarchy in my opinion that you see down South where the pecking order is much more obvious with old Public Schools like Eton, Harrow and Winchester for example.

Really curious to know whether this is for a novel or an article - or something more unusual!

St George’s in the city and does Scottish exams.

On their website the clearly state that they do both, and they have results tables to reflect this.

Ardvreck is the ultimate perfection for a rural prep school in Scotland. New head is dynamic, fun and excellent on academics and detail. Children at Ardvreck love life and love school, fabulous boarding although no frills, very down to earth. If you want ‘smart’ look at Cargilfield or Belhaven. All 3 are co-Ed all produce lovely children and all are good at sport. Senior schools - we tried very hard to stay in Scotland but ended up ‘down south’! Glenalmond is rural as is Strath (personally didn’t like it) & of course Gourdonstoun. Merchiston excellent for boys.

St Leonard’s in St Andrews has been voted Scotland Independent School of the Year 2019. It does GCSE and IB. A mixture of day and boarding.

Hi my DD has been attending Gordonstoun Junior School for 5 years as a day pupil....she is blossoming having been very reserved and introverted. She now happily plays solo pieces at concerts, is involved in the concert band and rock band. She has a lovely friend group made up of girls and boys (day and boarding}. She enjoys netball, hockey and swimming regularly as well as ski-ing over the winter months as the Lecht ski range is reachable in a day.
The staff at Gordonstoun have been so patient and caring every step of the way. Most importantly we have a happy secure child who loves school and is motivated to learn. She is in her final year at junior school and will shortly begin the transition period towards senior school. We could move her at this point as we are not tied geographically due to work however we have no need to. She is looking forward to continuing to thrive and embrace all the varied challenging opportunities that will come her way such as sailing this year on the Ocean Spirit yacht and the music tour in Europe.
The royal connection yes exists due to past pupils however Gordonstoun stands alone without this link. I am tired of reading any negativity it sometimes brings. This is no academic hot house churning out stressed anxious young adults. The focus is on balance, individuality, confidence without arrogance and service of the community.

Please feel free to message me I’ll happily chat.

A lot will change with the new loss of charity and VAT measures the SG are looking to take - I know a lot of parents that are looking South of the Border options - whether they will take them up who knows - but it is worth thinking about - especially when fees are £20k+ per year per child. Also - a lot are noiw looking at putting their children back in to state education with the expected £3k rises that will be needed to cover the new charges.

"St George’s in the city and does Scottish exams."

Does GCSEs and then switches to Highers and Advanced afaik. Girl's only also.

Check out Dollar also - but not sure if they do GCSEs and A Levels.