Merchiston Castle School
In the process of preparing the material, we referenced the following sources: Wikipedia, FE News
Description of Merchiston Castle School
- Location: Edinburgh, Scotland
- Educational programs: GCSE, A-Level (9 levels of KS1-3)
- Students age: from 7 Up to 13 years
- Total number of students: 470 people
- Type of accommodation: residence (board), full-time form
- Type of study: separate (boys only).
The prestigious private school in Scotland Merchiston Castle School follows the ancient British tradition of separate education - from the moment of foundation to this day only young men from 7 to 18 years are studied here. Many students choose accommodation at the hostel, there is also a full-time form of studying - the total number of students reaches 470 people. The campus is located in a suburb of Edinburgh, in a calm, quiet and picturesque area: the distance to the capital airport is 7 kilometers, and London can be reached in 4 hours from the nearest railway station.
Merchiston Castle School was founded by the famous mathematician, natural science scholar Charles Chalmers in 1833. According to the official charter of the boarding school in Edinburgh, the main goals of teaching young people are as follows:
- Spiritual development
- Leadership development
- The development of social skills, the ability to communicate with a wide variety of people
- Physical development: fostering love for sports, achieving excellent personal and team results
- Academic education
- The development of love for art, music and drama, the installation of high cultural standards.
Merchiston Castle School has 3 branches:
- Merchiston Juniors (middle class, pupils from 7 to 13 years old);
- Middle Years (middle and senior classes, 13 to 16 years);
- Sixth Form (graduates and preparation for the university, 16-18 years).
Teachers are doing everything possible to instill a stable motivation for children to achieve various goals in all spheres of life: educational and academic, cultural, sports, spiritual. Children are given the widest opportunities for development, while students follow a fairly strict and rich plan and obey a strict discipline, which makes them more collected, persistent, attentive. The main principle of education here is to give every child the opportunity to develop his personal talents and abilities, to show his talent, this is an effective combination of the traditions of British and Scottish education.
The key areas of study at Merchiston Castle School are the natural sciences (biology, chemistry and physics), and mathematics. Many students brightly show themselves in the engineering sciences and electronics, and computer disciplines. The most successful students participate in regional and national competitions, win and take prizes.
The institution is a full-fledged active member of the ISGA (The Independent Schools Golf Association). Association, maintains partnerships with many British universities, and its campus is widely considered the best in the whole of the UK for golfing.
The authoritative independent reference book "The Good Schools Guide" delivered the school a succinct and yet terrific verdict: "The best school for boys in all of Scotland".
Children of any religion, nationality, can learn here - in the Merchiston Castle School there is no officially accepted religion, only common Christian values ​​and postulates are supported.
What do parents prioritize when searching for a UK school?
Think about what suits your child best. Different schools excel in various areas – arts, drama, sports, or specific subjects. There are selective and more inclusive schools, each catering to different strengths. If you're new to the UK system, you might start with league tables and GCSE or A-level results. More knowledgeable parents should consider the school's location, size, EAL course availability, academic requirements, and extracurricular offerings.
Programs and prices, tuition fees in Merchiston Castle School
The educational program for middle and high school students is GCSE: a course that gives an opportunity to get a certificate of secondary education. The academic list of disciplines studied by students includes a large number of different subjects: some are visited necessarily and all, some are chosen as electives. Such diversity helps each student to determine their interests, priorities and abilities, so that in the future it is easier to pick up disciplines for studying in high school and university.
GCSE pupils are offered the following list of subjects:
- English Language and Literature
- German
- Electronics
- Biology
- Religious Studies
- Physics
- Chemistry
- Greek language
- Informatics and communication technologies
- Physical culture and sports (physical education)
- Chinese
- Geography
- Mathematics
- Russian language
- Technology and Design
- Art and Design
- Latin
- History
- French
- Spanish
- History
- Music.
A traditional British program is designed for high school students (12-13 grades, 16-18 years old), preparing to enter the university.
The course lasts two years: the first year students study 3-5 selected subjects (the whole course is formed independently), on the second of this list there are only 3-4 disciplines, according to which the final exams are surrendered. Choose items from the following list:
- English literature
- Physics
- Technology and design
- Biology
- Political science
- Spanish
- Russian language
- Business
- Geography
- Electronics
- Latin
- Chinese
- Economy
- Japanese
- Higher mathematics
- Chemistry
- Religious studies
- Informatics and communication technologies
- Music
- Art and design
- history
- French
- Classical civilizations
- Technology and design
- Mathematics
- German
- Russian language
- Physical culture and sport.
Accommodation, meals, prices
For pupils who have chosen full boarding, comfortable and cozy residences have been prepared: schoolchildren from 10 to 13 years live in dormitories, and high-school students are provided with separate rooms, fully equipped and furnished with everything necessary.
Subjects and sports
Activities Merchiston Castle School
Now Merchiston Castle School has representative offices (international and national) in golf, rugby, tennis, athletics and cricket, many students are professionally engaged in tennis and golf. In international competitions, students also differ in fencing and track and field athletics, skiing and swimming, squash. The creative directions do not lag behind: pupils and collectives constantly participate in local and national drama and music festivals, the school chorus regularly goes on tour. Here there is the list of only the most popular sports that children can attend on campus:
- Badminton
- Volleyball
- Overall fitness
- Hockey
- Golf
- Tennis
- Skiing
- Cricket
- Dancing
- Basketball
- Gymnastics
- Track and field athletics
- Shooting
- Rugby
- Football
- Curling
- Chess
- Fencing
- Climbing
- Squash
- Swimming.
There is a drama club, a chamber orchestra and a game studio on various instruments. You can do photography or painting, sing in the school choir.
Advantages
According to the results for 2018:
- A Level: 38% of students earned grades A - A *
- GCSE: 32% of graduates received exclusively A *.
Click on best private schools in Glasgow to check more information.
Facilities and equipment at Merchiston Castle School
Merchiston Castle School is located south of Edinburgh, in a picturesque and quiet suburb, in the Colinton Reserve (the area of ​​the last reaches 40 hectares). The technical equipment is constantly updated, large-scale modernization is being carried out, allowing the school to keep up with modern educational requirements and provide the most comfortable conditions for students.
The nearest beach can be reached in just a few minutes, as well as easy access to the ski runs and the local Sailing School.
There are many sports facilities on the territory - among them:
- Spacious swimming pool
- Multifunctional sports complex
- Own stadium
- Tennis courts
- Shooting range
- Fields for football.
Students have free access to a huge library, modern computer classes with the necessary office equipment, to the Science Center and the Center for Arts and Technology. Individual classes have been prepared for practicing dramatic art, music (there is a music school and a separate theater), and a small cozy church works.
Admission dates and extra charges
The specified price is not included and is paid additionally:
- Registration fee
- Deposit confirming the place in the school
- Contribution to school development
- Examination fees
- Tuition fee
- Additional academic studies (optional)
- Additional excursions and recreational activities (optional)
- Round trip
- Round trip air tickets
- Medical insurance
- Guardianship (payment for the services of a trustee agency and directly guardian)
- Personal pocket expenses
- Visa fees and services.
Literature and references
Institution on the map
Residence permits, citizenship and other services
- Guardianship services during the studies
- Student supervision
Review about Merchiston Castle School
Recommendations on when to apply
| Language courses, schools and children's language camps | Primary and secondary education - private schools | Preparation programmes for entering universities - higher education | Higher education (after completing accredited programs A-level, IB, High School) - Bachelor, Master, MBA |
| - we recommend to apply 6-9 months before the start of the course (some camps and schools offer discounts for early booking or for lengthy study programs) - there are some very popular and high demand children's camps, where the applications need to be submitted 1 year in advance (in particular Switzerland , Great Britain , USA , Canada , Austria) | - we recommend to apply one year before the start of the training program, - some schools have a specific time frame (September-November - please specify an individual school) - some schools require tests in several stages (UKISET, internal tests of the school: English, mathematics, logics, subjects, interview, some require a personal visit) | - we recommend to apply one year before the start of the program, - for Foundation and Pathway programs, IELTS and TOEFL certificates are usually required, respectively | - recommended submission one year before the start of the program, - the deadline normally closes in January, for TOP HEIs and, as a rule, in March in other universities - for a bachelor, a Foundation or Pathway preparatory program a completed A-level, IB, High School + IELTS / TOEFL are required - for Masters you need a graduated higher education, in some cases you need a pre-Masters program - MBA requires completed higher education, work experience preferably at least 2-3 years, etc. |
