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Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh Live
National
Katie Williams

Edinburgh's best schools named by Sunday Times 2023 Parent Power Schools Guide

The best schools in Edinburgh has been named by the Sunday Times in their latest guide for 2023.

According to the the Sunday Times Parent Power school guide, educational institutions in Edinburgh have made the list as some of the best performing schools in the country.

With rankings in Scotland based on 2021 data, the list of the top schools have been released and looks at state and independent schools.

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In amongst the top ten state schools is Edinburgh's Boroughmuir High School which has bagged sixth place. This comes as 92 per cent of its pupils are achieving five or more National 5 grades and 73 per cent are gaining five or more higher grades A-C. 34 per cent of pupils at the school achieved two or more advanced higher grades.

The Royal High School was ranked 14th in the list of top state schools in Scotland. According to the Times, 25 per cent of pupils there achieved two or more advanced higher grades, 70 per cent gained five or more A-C higher grades and 86 per cent got five or more National 5 grades.

Meanwhile, James Gillespie’s High School has placed joint 21st. Although with that, it is still fourth on the list when it comes to pupils achieving two or more advanced highers, with 36 per cent.

Other Edinburgh state schools that made it in the top 100 list are;

  • St Thomas of Aquin’s R.C. High School –24th
  • Firrhill High School – 25th
  • Currie Community High School – 33rd
  • Balerno High School – 44th
  • Craigmount High School – 56th

The rankings in the secondary school league tables in Scotland are determined by the proportion of pupils gaining five or more National 5 passes, five or more Highers and the proportion gaining two or more Advanced Highers.

As for independent schools, Fettes College was awarded first place in The Sunday Times school guide for Scotland. Merchiston Castle School came in third followed by Loretto School in Musselburgh.

Looking at Higher results, St Mary’s Music School at Grosvenor Crescent was noted as the best performing independent secondary school in the country followed by George Heriot’s School which came in second. Also in the top ten by Higher results was The Mary Erskine School at Ravelston Dykes.

Top 20 state schools in Scotland

1 Jordanhill School, Glasgow
2 St Ninian’s High School, Giffnock
3 Bearsden Academy
4 Cults Academy, Aberdeen
5 Williamwood High School, Glasgow
6= Boroughmuir High School, Edinburgh
6= Eastwood High School, Newton Mearns
8 Woodfarm High School, Thornliebank
9 Dunblane High School
10 Mearns Castle High School, Glasgow
11 Douglas Academy, Milngavie
12 Bishopbriggs Academy
13 Boclair Academy, Bearsden
14 The Royal High School, Edinburgh
15= North Berwick High School
15= Lenzie Academy
17= Banchory Academy
17= Turnbull High School, Bishopbriggs
17= Linlithgow Academy
20 Balfron High School

Top six independent secondary schools (A-levels)

  1. Fettes College, Edinburgh
  2. St Leonards School, St Andrews
  3. Merchiston Castle School, Edinburgh
  4. Loretto School, Musselburgh
  5. Strathallan, Perth
  6. Glenalmond College, Perth

Top 10 independent secondary schools (Highers)

  1. St Mary’s Music School
  2. George Heriot’s School
  3. Kilgraston
  4. Albyn School
  5. Hutcheson’s Grammar School
  6. The High School of Glasgow
  7. The Mary Erskin School
  8. High School of Dundee
  9. St Margaret’s School for Girls
  10. Dollar Academy

You can see the full list on the Sunday Times.

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