The Best Secondary Schools in Edinburgh: A Helpful Guide

Is your child about to transition from primary to secondary school? Or perhaps you’re curious to see how your child’s school ranks in the league tables? Our helpful guide to the best secondary schools in Edinburgh, including a list of the top-ranked schools, has everything you need. 👇

Contents 

1. Recap of the Scottish school system
2. How to rank secondary schools in Scotland
3. Scottish secondary school league table
4. Top ten secondary schools in Edinburgh 

Recap of the Scottish school system

Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence system takes a different approach to education, academic years, and qualifications than the rest of the UK. 

National courses – set by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) – have seven levels; National 1 to 5, then Higher and Advanced Higher. Lower level courses are not graded – just assessed as pass or fail. National 5, Higher, and Advanced courses are graded A–D. 💯

Are there Grammar schools in Scotland?

Out of 4,190 secondary schools in the UK, grammar schools account for just 232. Furthermore, grammar schools can only be found in England and Northern Ireland.

Scotland has no state grammar schools as the country supports a fully comprehensive school system. Although some institutions retain the name ‘grammar school’, they are non-selective and have no special status. Read our Grammar Schools in Scotland article for more information.

Independent or Private schools in Scotland

Scotland’s independent schools – sometimes called private or fee-paying schools – are mostly charitable organisations run by Boards of Governors, inspected by Education Scotland, and regulated by the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator.

Independent schools are not part of the state-funded system and receive no financial support from the government. A fee is usually charged to cover costs, although financial assistance, bursaries, and scholarships are often available. 💰

How to rank secondary schools in Scotland

There are many ways to assess schools and measure their success against one another. Annual exam results are the most obvious, commonly used, and easily comparable. That is why we have included league tables below.

Keep in mind, though, the school that best suits your child may not be top-ranking in the league tables. There are plenty of other important factors to consider. Let’s look at all the variables you should bear in mind when evaluating a school. 🤔

League tables

The school league tables are often the first port of call for parents choosing schools for their children or looking to judge how well schools in their area are doing. These tables rank schools based on their student’s exam results alone.

Wider offer

The best secondary schools also offer a broader enrichment curriculum – excellent homework support, clubs, pastoral care, and non-academic encouragement. Teachers at these schools are usually experienced and well-qualified to provide more than just fantastic lessons. 

Focus and facilities

Some schools place emphasis on specific subjects, allocating staff and funding towards their specialised departments and associated facilities. Perhaps your child would thrive in an arts-focused school? Or would they benefit from a sport-led approach? Maybe their interests lie in engineering and technology. 

Reviews and reputation

If you want honest insight into a school, reach out to current students and their parents. As well as attending school open evenings, you could also check surveys, parent forums, and local news stories to get a feel for the school’s general community reputation.

Inspection reports

Education Scotland carries out regular inspections of Scottish schools. These inspections are helpful for parents who are looking at prospective schools for their children and those who want to see how their child’s current school is performing. Visit the Education Scotland website to view its school inspection reports. 

Scottish secondary school league table

No centralised, government-backed school league table exists. The Times Scotland High School League Table is most commonly cited and lists schools by the percentage of pupils that attained the government’s “gold standard” of five Highers, or equivalent in the previous year. 🏆

The table below details the top 15 Scottish secondary schools according to The Times Scotland High School League Table. Two Edinburgh City schools made it into the overall top 15 – Boroughmuir High School at number nine and The Royal High School at number 15.

Top ten secondary schools in Edinburgh City

The table below details the top 10 Scottish secondary schools in Edinburgh City according to The Times Scotland High School League Table. 

Looking to ensure your child can thrive in one of the best secondary schools in Edinburgh? At GoStudent we know how to foster a love of learning and support students to reach their full potential. Book a free trial lesson to find the right tutor for your child today. 🚀