St George's School (Edinburgh) A GSG School
- St George's School (Edinburgh)
Garscube Terrace
Murrayfield
Edinburgh
EH12 6BG - Head: Mrs Carol Chandler-Thompson
- T 01313 118000
- F 01313 118120
- E [email protected]
- W www.stge.org.uk
- An independent school for girls aged from 3 to 18.
- Boarding: Yes
- Local authority: Edinburgh, City of
- Pupils: 720; sixth formers: 160
- Religion: Non-denominational
- Fees: Day £11,175 - £18,324; Boarding £33,675 - £37,575 pa
- Open days: September and October
- Review: View The Good Schools Guide Review
What The Good Schools Guide says..
School describes itself as ‘the best of British’ – a girls-only school that offers both the English and Scottish system, depending on what best fits the bill for the individual pupil. The reasoning, they say, is that ‘universities value Highers and Advanced Highers’ but English GCSEs are more substantial. School’s inclusive approach to PE is based on ‘come along and we’ll believe in you’, though one pupil had a bit of a grumble, feeling that…
What the school says...
St George’s School is a highly regarded girls’ day and boarding school set in tranquil parkland in a popular residential area of Edinburgh.
Established in 1888 by the pioneers of women’s education, the school is one of Scotland’s largest girls’ schools and the only all-through independent school in Edinburgh for girls from 3 to 18 years. Boys are welcome in the nursery and to the end of P3 by 2024.
Our 'YES SHE CAN' approach, embodied in the abundance of strong female role models and the range of opportunities on offer helps inspire every girl to find the path that is right for her. Our academic curriculum is a unique mix of GCSEs at 16 followed by Highers and Advanced Highers in the Sixth Form.
pupils (and a whole school of 720), St George’s is relatively small though the Upper School and Sixth Form are substantial. For their primary education children are taught in small classes - but, at around 16 - 19, big enough to provide interest and dynamism.
Top standards are expected of all St George’s girls and the high level of individual attention they receive enables them to achieve good results. Examination results have been consistently outstanding over many years and we are regularly amongst the top of the Scottish Independent Schools for Advanced Higher results.
The School received an excellent report in the latest Education Scotland report. It was awarded the highest possible grading of 'excellent' in three categories.
The school is recognised for its pioneering International Exchange Programme: students enter into exchange programmes with schools in many different parts of the world.
Emphasis is placed on personal achievement, responsibility, diversity and on partnerships. Girls, staff and parents work cooperatively throughout the school. Together, we aim to meet the needs of the outside world as well as those of the individual.
Boarding is popular and Houldsworth House provides a comfortable home-from-home within the school for up to 50 girls.
The co-curricular programme is extensive and includes activities such as CCF, Duke of Edinburgh, drama, music, Model UN, debating, sailing etc. ...Read more
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Other features
All-through school (for example 3-18 years). - An all-through school covers junior and senior education. It may start at 3 or 4, or later, and continue through to 16 or 18. Some all-through schools set exams at 11 or 13 that pupils must pass to move on.
Sports
Rowing
Fencing
What The Good Schools Guide says
Head
Since 2022, Mrs Carol Chandler-Thompson, previously head of Blackheath High School (GDST) for eight years. Studied history at the University of Exeter, where she also did her PGCE. An experienced head, she has spent 25 years working in leading girls’ schools. She began her career at Haberdashers’ Aske’s School for Girls, teaching history and lacrosse and overseeing the teaching of PSHE. Then moved to North London Collegiate as head of history and politics and later on was part of the founding leadership team of NLCS’s first international franchise school, NLCS Jeju in South Korea. She and her wife Emma have a young daughter.
Entrance
Entry via nursery or interview aged 4 or 5. Plenty of clever-clogs, going by exam results, but they consider all girls able to keep up with the pace of academic life. Entry...
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Special Education Needs
Provision for additional support needs at St George's School for Girls is overseen by the Faculty of Support for Learning, which encompasses Additional Support Needs (Learning Support), ESOL, gifted and talented and student tracking. The Faculty of Support for Learning is a whole school resource which works with students from three years old to university entrance, upon the basis of their individual difficulties and requirements. The Learning Support department works with all areas of Support for Learning, but has a particular regard to individuals with special educational needs. The ESOL department works closely with students who have English as their second language and prepares students for appropriate examinations through Cambridge English Language Assessments and IELTS. Identification of additional support needs is undertaken through the school's screening programme, combined with parental/student referral and contact with the teaching staff. Provision for students with identified needs, ranging from specific learning difficulties to ESOL, is undertaken through individual tuition, small group work and co-operative teaching in whole class situations. A drop-in service is also provided for students who do not require the provision outlined above, but who at times may require assistance with a specific area of work. The Learning Support department has experience of working with a range of specific learning difficulties, behavioural disorders, learning difficulties and difficulties on the autistic spectrum.
| Condition | Provision for in school |
|---|---|
| ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder | Y |
| Aspergers | Y |
| Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders | Y |
| CReSTeD registered for Dyslexia | |
| Dyscalculia | |
| Dysgraphia | Y |
| Dyslexia | Y |
| Dyspraxia | Y |
| English as an additional language (EAL) | Y |
| Genetic | |
| Has an entry in the Autism Services Directory | |
| Has SEN unit or class | |
| HI - Hearing Impairment | |
| Hospital School | |
| Mental health | |
| MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty | |
| MSI - Multi-Sensory Impairment | |
| Natspec Specialist Colleges | |
| OTH - Other Difficulty/Disability | |
| Other SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty | |
| PD - Physical Disability | |
| PMLD - Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty | |
| SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health | |
| SLCN - Speech, Language and Communication | |
| SLD - Severe Learning Difficulty | |
| Special facilities for Visually Impaired | |
| SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty | |
| VI - Visual Impairment |
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