Frequently Asked Questions

Click on a question title below to find out more.

General Questions

Q: Do you offer After School Care?
A:

After School and Holiday Care, based in our Grassmarket Campus, is offered for 50 weeks of the year.

Q: How do girls perform academically at a school like Heriot's?
A:

Girls’ results compare very favourably with the best achieved at single sex girls’ schools in the City and in fact for the last few years the results of Heriot's S5 girls at Higher surpassed those of their counterparts at all of the Scottish independent girls’ schools.

Q: How many subjects can be followed in S3/S4?
A:

The option columns provide for pupils to take  8 subjects at Standard Grade or Intermediate 2.

Q: How would you summarise the Ethos of the School?
A:

Heriot’s has a caring ethos where each child is known as an individual.  We work within a culture of praise where each child is encouraged to work hard and do their best both academically and in the extra curricular sphere.

Q: What are the arrangements for Modern Languages in the Junior School?
A:

Modern Languages are introduced in P6 with a ‘European Cultural Awareness’ course in P5.  The languages offered are French, German and Spanish. There is an open choice of language. (Parents wishing further details about the arrangements should speak with the Modern Languages Department.)

Q: What is the S1 course?
A:

This information can be found under the Curriculum area of this site or in the curriculum plan enclosed with the Prospectus.

Q: What is the School roll?
A:

As at 01 October 2008:

621 Junior School (Nursery – P7)

975 Senior School (S1 – S6)
              
Total   –  1596

Q: What is the best stage to transfer an Upper Primary child to Heriot’s?
A:

Heriot’s has an intake at P6, P7 and S1.  The relevant Junior School personnel will be delighted to discuss with a parent the most appropriate stage at which their child might join the School.

In S1 the School has long been used to welcoming and integrating new pupils, who will continue to form a significant intake. 

However P7 and S1 entry are of course also fine. In P7 a child will usually join a new, small class and be 'brought up to speed’. An accelerated French programme covers the missed P6 year of French. P7 entry lets the child get to know the other pupils, staff and expectations/rules/logistics under the guidance of his/her P7 class teacher while exposing the child to the Senior School dynamic of differing teachers, subjects and venues.

In S1 the School has long been used to welcoming and integrating new pupils, who will continue to form a significant intake. As in P7 an accelerated French Programme is provided for new pupils with no previous Modern Language experience.

Q: What is the induction programme for new pupils?
A:

There are welcome mornings or afternoons for all groups of new pupils from Nursery to S1; welcome booklets are provided for new parents and their children; welcome evenings for all Junior School parents in the early weeks of the First Term and an early Parent/Teacher meeting for S1 also contribute to induction. Pupils entering S2 – S6 have an induction on the day before the start of session.  In some circumstances individual pupils may spend a day in school following an application.

Q: What is the proportion of boys to girls?
A:

In session 2008/2009, across the whole School, it is 53% boys, 47% girls.

Q: What is the range of class sizes?
A:

In the Junior School, classes will range from 4 groups of 8 in the Nursery and 22 in P1/2 to 26 in P7. 

In the Senior School:
Register classes from S1 to S5 will average around 20.  S6 Tutor Groups mostly have 10 or 11 pupils each.

For Teaching groups in S1 and S2 the practical class limit of 20 will apply to all subjects, except Maths, English and Modern Languages, which are setted with an average set size of 22.

Teaching groups from S3 onwards will continue to have a maximum of 20 in the practical subjects.  In the non-practical subjects numbers vary depending on column option choices and setting arrangements, but average around 21.  Especially in S6 they are often less.

Q: Why Standard Grade or Intermediate 2?
A:

Each department is at liberty to decide which course to follow, to provide the best articulation to Higher.

Questions about Admissions

Q: Are siblings guaranteed entry to the School?
A:

All applicants must meet the entry standard but, wherever possible, priority  is given to Foundationers and siblings; however, we do not guarantee entry to  either siblings or Foundationers. If a sibling or Foundationer is NOT offered a  place it would be because Heriot's would be an inappropriate school for the  child.

Q: Does every child have to sit an entrance assessment?
A:

There is no entrance assessment for entry to  the Nursery, but transfer from Nursery into P1 involves a competitive entry  assessment. If public examination results  are available for applicants to S5 or S6 (e.g. Standard Grade, GCSE, Highers)  decisions on admission may be based on these.

Otherwise all applicants must sit an entrance assessment.

Q: What happens if my child is offered a place on the waiting list?
A:

We will contact you as soon as a place becomes available but prospective parents should be aware that as the School requires three months notice of a child being withdrawn, our offer may have to be for an entry three months hence.  Inevitably there are exceptions when families have to move at short notice.   If we have not been able to offer a place in the year group applied for by the December of that session, and you still wish a place, your child will have to sit the assessment for the following year.  Whilst we cannot guarantee a place we will look at the application as favourably as possible given that a child was on the waiting list for the previous year.

Q: When should application be made for entry to the School?
A:

Nursery is the only year where applications  are dealt with on a first come, first served basis.   Although we will hold applications that are  made early all applications are treated as if they are received on 1 December  the year prior to entry.

Questions about Funding

Q: Do you offer Fee Remission for Siblings?
A:

There is fee remission of 25% for third and subsequent children whilst three children are at the school at any one time.

Q: Do you offer any assistance with fees?
A:

The Foundation and James Hardie Bursaries
Awards of full fee remission to the sons and daughters of widows. These awards are applicable to pupils at all ages (except Nursery), and subject to both residential and financial criteria. These awards are made by the Governing Body;  the present qualifying income limit is £36,000, but this is subject to review.
James Hardie Bursaries of full fees may be available to the sons and daughters of widowers on the same basis as Foundation places. 

Bursaries
Governors’  Bursaries and Heriot Appeal Bursaries
Awards of up to full fees. These awards will be made to the pupils of families demonstrating financial need – presently defined as household income of no more than £42,000* per annum and who have fulfilled the School’s academic entry requirements. They are made to pupils at significant points of entry to the School, especially Senior One.

All Awards are subject to annual review; families already within the School may also apply for bursarial aid at any time.  All awards are made at the discretion of the Headmaster, Governors and George Heriot’s Trust.

Applications should normally be made during the period November to January, although, in extreme cases, consideration may be given to applications outwith this period. For further information and application forms please contact the Treasurer at George Heriot’s Trust.

*The qualifying limit of £42,000 applies to all bursaries but is increased where there is more than one child in the family, or where school fees are otherwise being paid.

Academic Scholarships
One Scholarship award of half fees will be made to the top pupil entering Senior One. Scholarships may also be awarded to other candidates entering Senior One, external and internal; these awards will take the form of an appropriate prize and will carry no fee remission.

Scholarships may also be awarded to pupils entering the School at later stages.

Expressive Arts Awards
Application may be made for special skills awards in Music, Art and Drama by parents of pupils entering Heriot’s from other schools. These are available to pupils from Senior One onwards, who meet the relevant criteria in each subject. External awards will be of £1,000, and a maximum of one award will be made in each discipline each year. One internal scholarship may also be awarded in each discipline annually in the form of an appropriate prize. Further details of the basis upon which these awards are offered may be obtained from the School.

Pupils entering Senior Five or Senior Six may also be eligible for an I.T. Scholarship.

No account is taken of family financial circumstances in making these awards.

Sports Scholarships
Up to four Sports Scholarships, in the form of an appropriate prize, will be available each year to pupils already at Heriot’s. No application is necessary for these Scholarships