Independent schools guide: A matter of choice

Independent schools in Scotland offer more than unrivalled academic excellence, they develop the whole individual to ensure they have the confidence, skills and abilities to take on the next stage of their education.

Therefore the sector, which educates 4.1 per cent of pupils in Scotland and employs more than 3,680 teachers, has choice at its heart. “It’s not a question of if one type of school is better than another, or state versus sector or day versus boarding,” says Mark Lauder, headmaster at Strathallan School in Forgandenny, Perthshire.

“There are lots of ways to divide the sector, and individual circumstances vary. That is why choice is important. I think that knowing your child as a parent – and what their strengths and weaknesses are, as well as the aspirations you have for them – demonstrates the ability to choose the right school. To do so is, ultimately, to choose the one with the best fit.”

One of the main reasons parents turn to the sector is because of its wide range of options. And Lauder believes the demand for boarding places is fuelled by an increasingly global jobs market.

He says: “Many parents take on new jobs further afield, so boarding offers continuity of education.

“The jobs market being much more fluid at the moment, there is a lot of movement in the jobs market and [boarding ensures] the child can attend the same school regardless of where their parents are.”

About 9.5 per cent of pupils attending independent schools in Scotland are boarders, the rest being day pupils. Within that, there are also options to flexi-board – where the child stays over some nights a week – and plenty of wrap-around care, ensuring flexibility for busy working parents.

But whatever option a parent chooses, they can rest assured that the schools strive to ensure each child settles in as well as possible.

“Regardless of when the pupil starts at the school, whether at the start of the term or midway through, it is about us getting to know the individual child,” says Heather Fuller, headteacher at the High School of Glasgow’s junior school. “The teachers spend time getting to know the child and finding out as much as they can when they join us. We have settling in periods in the kindergarten and when the child comes new to us, we will work with the parents to decide on the best settling-in process for that child.”

Pupils moving into the secondary school benefit from a transitional final year of junior school which is dedicated to preparing the child for the second stage of their schooling.

Headmaster of the senior school John O’Neill says that the High School of Glasgow focuses on developing positive relationships: “We have a unique situation where our candidates become part of the senior school and meet their teachers at a primary school age.

“We have dedicated form teachers who are the main pastoral teachers for the P7 children. Meanwhile, my house staff play a similar role along with sixth form. Pupils are as much involved in this as the staff, in terms of helping the children adjust and learn their way around, while keeping eyes and ears on them.”

Similarly, at George Watson’s College in Edinburgh, the transition period between school stages is designed to be smooth. Junior school headmaster George Salmond says that an all-through education provides “continuity of experience in terms of surroundings and the wonderful facilities we have both inside and outside the classroom”.

He adds: “There’s also the fact that we remain co-educational, as it helps the teaching quality by enhancing the children’s communication skills with each other.”

When it comes to the progression from preschool to P1, and p7 into S1 – the major transition points – Salmond says the school seeks to make them more fluid than “big transitions”.

Schools such as Ardvreck in Crieff, and Clifton Hall in Edinburgh, which cater for children aged up to 13, are dedicated to ensuring their pupils are ready to take on their next educational chapter, regardless of the academic rigours required.

The qualifications taught at most schools are Highers and Advanced Highers or A-levels, but others, such as St Leonards in St Andrews, offer the International Baccalaureate.

The Edinburgh Steiner School emphases artistic and practical activities to engage the heads, hearts and hands of all its pupils, with a curriculum supporting their intellectual, social, emotional and spiritual development.

Development beyond the classroom is seen as a reason for results in their mixture of GCSEs, Highers and Advanced Highers being above the average.

Alistair Pugh, Chair of College at the school, explains: “The number of subjects we offer here I can safely say are wider than can be offered anywhere else. We do subjects that you probably wouldn’t find anywhere else For example, Romanticism or sustainable glass making. We have main lessons on building, where the pupils are asked about architecture, and there is also the option to study mechanics.

“We offer something called integrated education, which is non-exam-based. Instead, it [involves] portfolio-based qualifications which lead to A-level equivalents.

“If pupils don’t want to do SQA-based qualifications they have a choice. That will suit some better because not all pupils are keen to be assessed in exactly the same way.”

The diverse extra-curricular offerings and activities hosted by independent schools are impressive. George Salmond says: “We are in that day and age where the pupil’s voice is very important. Therefore we offer 54 different types of clubs and activities, delivered after school, and that is because we have a great staff base with great expertise.”

A particular draw for many pupils is the international connections of independent schools. Wellington School in Ayr is recognised as an “International School” by the British Council and has many global links, including with schools in Spain, Germany and India.

Headmaster Simon Johnson says: “In previous years we have had pupils go on to undertake a university education in Germany and that’s entirely a consequence of the close links we have with the German school.”

He adds: “It is the role of the school to encourage children to try new things and explore and find things they enjoy and really pursue success in everything they undertake.”