Exclusive:'Outraged' pupils and parents in backlash over merger of two of Scotland's last same-sex private schools

Worried pupils have launched petitions calling on bosses at two single-sex Scottish private schools to abandon their merger plans.

Parents are also understood to have confronted senior staff at Stewart’s Melville College and The Mary Erskine School in the wake of the announcement that they will become a single, co-educational school with 2,500 pupils from the start of the 2026/27 academic year. Questions have been asked about the lack of consultation with families, while some parents spoke out about the choice of sites for the merged school in Edinburgh.

Under current plans, the Mary Erskine School would be essentially merged into the current building of Stewart’s Melville College on Queensferry Road for the senior school.

Parents of Mary Erskine pupils warned that their daughters feel they are joining the boys' school, rather than being part of an amalgamation. Under the proposals, the new merged school will also be headed by current Stewart’s Melville College head, Frances McCrudden.

Mary Erskine School, Ravelston | ESMS

Multiple petitions have also been launched by girls and boys at both schools, lobbying for the status quo to be retained.

One petition on Change.org, created by a student at Mary Erskine, calls for the school to reconsider the decision.

It states: "I am currently a student at what has been, up until now, a single-sex high school (Mary Erskine). The recent decision to convert our institution into a co-ed school has stirred worry and dissatisfaction among us.

“We believe our school’s unique character and academic focus will be negatively impacted by this decision.”

The petition adds: “We respect the rights of those (who) prefer a co-educational setting, but are outraged that we’ve been flung into this situation.

“For many of us, the single-sex environment of our school is what attracted us to it in the first place.

“We ask the school administration and relevant authorities to carefully reconsider this decision, for the sake of the school’s integrity and its students’ academic future.”

The petition has attracted more than 110 backers in just two weeks.

The new school, which includes the ESMS Junior School, will collectively be named “Erskine Stewart Melville” and will provide education for pupils aged three to 18. The schools previously operated what is known as “a diamond structure”, with girls and boys educated together in the junior school and then separated for the bulk of secondary before coming back together for the final year.

The change will leave just three single-sex schools in Scotland - the all-boys Merchiston Castle and all-girls St George’s in Edinburgh, and St Margaret’s School for Girls in Aberdeen.

The decision followed a review that began about 18 months ago and was also influenced by a desire to avoid a substantial rise in fees linked to the Labour government’s decision to end the VAT exemption on private school fees from January.

The schools were contacted by The Scotsman for comment.

Anthony Simpson, principal of Erskine Stewart Melville, said earlier this month: “This is an exciting new chapter for the school. As we look to the future, this new simplified structure will enable us to broaden the curriculum and create a more inclusive environment that reflects the modern world.

“Our current schools are fantastic, inspiring excellent exam results every year and offering an extensive range of co-curricular activities.

“As we move to a fully co-educational model, our primary focus will remain unchanged – to provide a world class education that will give our students the skills and mindset they need to thrive.”