Edinburgh Academy (and other Edinburgh Independents)

[GeriL]

My daughter will start senior school in September 2014 and we're currently considering EA. She is in a small rural primary in West Lothian at the moment and EA appeals as it is smaller than most.
She is very bright but young emotionally. I would really appreciate any views on EA. I have heard mixed stories including a few scary ones on the amount of bullying there. Anyone know if this is true?

Hello I have my son at EA nursery and so far loving it. I did intend to switch him to George Heriots in primary one next year but now undecided.
I had relations at senior school and loved it.howevrr when I went to George heriots I had a more welcome feeling that I can't put my finger on. I'm actually going to visit it again next week to help me decide.
Have you visited these school?

We have visited the senior school at EA and liked it. Not visited any others but will check out Heriots. I have a friend with a daughter at Stewarts Melville and she is very happy there. We have to consider things like school buses as we are well out of town. Thanks for replying!

Hi,
I have a friend with a child in the junior school and she says he is happy there, and that they're pleased with the school. However, I met someone on a work night out recently whose third and final child finished the senior school not so long ago, and he had hardly any good things to say about it. He is very wealthy but found it "a total waste of money" for two out of his three children, who according to him, didn't fit the 'one-size must fit all' Academy mold, and they felt sidelined and unhappy in high school as a result. He said if he had his time again he wishes he would have taken them out rather than continuing to stick with it, and put them to Gillespies, which is near where they live. So it seems it depends on who your child is! Hope this helps.

The other thing I have heard is that although it is now co-ed all through, that the boys still dominate both in numbers and in attitude which might suit your DD or might not.
I also know a local teacher who does private tutoring for science and by far his biggest customer base was students from EA. I must emphasise that this is all second/ third hand as I have no direct experience of EA.

We looked at it for dd and were put off by the higher percentage of boys so we went elsewhere. I have a teacher friend whose son goes there, currently in junior school. She would have preferred for him to go elsewhere but due to drop offs etc (she also has a dd at an all girls school) it was convenient.