The Royal High School (Edinburgh) A GSG School
- The Royal High School (Edinburgh)
East Barnton Avenue
Edinburgh
EH4 6JP - Head: Mrs Pauline Walker
- T 01313 362261
- F 01313 128592
- E admin@royalhigh.edin.sch.uk
- W royalhigh.wordpress.com
- A state school for boys and girls aged from 12 to 18.
- Boarding: No
- Local authority: Edinburgh, City of
- Pupils: 1,487; sixth formers: 180
- Religion: Non-denominational
- Open days: September
- Review: View The Good Schools Guide Review
What The Good Schools Guide says..
This is a high school in the old-fashioned sense - strong discipline and work code, good results, masses of extracurricular activities - which also doubles as a local centre with adult learning classes and much use of the sports facilities. You can't get much better for nowt. Clubs for almost everything, often curriculum related: maths, chess, whatever. Pupils wanting to follow more esoteric subjects can often be accommodated in other Edinburgh schools (‘we go by taxi’). Music strong: full-blooded orchestra (‘only full school orchestra in Edinburgh’)...
What the school says...
Based in the West of Edinburgh, The Royal High School is one of the oldest schools in Scotland. It has a strong sense of history, but prides itself on being very much a school of the 21st Century. It is a non-denominational, 6-year comprehensive, with pupils drawn from 4 catchment primary schools: Blackhall, Clermiston, Cramond and Davidson’s Mains. A significant number of placing requests are received each session. Year groups are capped at 220 and the school roll sits around 1260.
The school was the subject of a HMIE inspection in 2007 and local authority follow-through visits in March 2009 and May 2010.
The Senior Leadership Team (SLT) comprises the Rector, four Depute Rectors and the Business Manager.
The current teaching staff complement is 88 FTE with 20 FTE staff other than teachers, including a team of Pupil Support Assistants, who support the integration of pupils. There is an integrated Additional Support for Learning Team combining the former Guidance and Support for Learning teams. In line with the Authority’s integration policies, the school caters for a wide variety of physical, sensory and learning needs. This has been highly successful and forms a key element of our social inclusion strategy.
The school was refurbished in 2004 and enjoys a high standard of accommodation, although social areas are limited and teaching space has to be rigorously timetabled. The facilities are used extensively outside of normal school hours by the school, the RHS Club and the community; the school is designated a Community Sports Hub and the PE facilities were refurbished in 2015 to support this. There is an excellent extra-curricular programme, with partner clubs and staff offering a range of opportunities in which young people can participate. ICT facilities are very good and all pupils all have access to a 1:1 iPad device to support their learning at home and in school.
The school has positive links with parents, local businesses and the local community. The Parent Council and School Fundraising Group play an important role in the life and work of the school. Meetings are well attended and discussions are always lively and informative. The school is also supported by an active Former Pupils’ Club.
The school has achieved:
• Eco Schools Silver
• Unicef -Rights Respecting School Award Level 1, Silver Award
• Holocaust Education Vision Schools status
• Surfers Against Sewage Plastic Free Schools award
• Cycling Scotland cycle friendly schools award
We are in the process of applying for:
• Eco Schools Green Flag
• Fairtrade award – Fairaware
• Education Scotland Digital Schools Award ...Read more
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What The Good Schools Guide says
Rector
Since 2014, Pauline Walker BSc PGCE (40s), educated in the maintained sector, followed by Heriot Watt; previously head of Gracemount High School. Studied maths and computing (a ‘computing geek’ married to a computing engineer); buzzy, fun and good at reading upside down. At ease, both with the school and herself – well, if you come from Gracemount... SEN – systems in place; physical handicap – systems in place; bullying ... this is proper CEO stuff and parents to whom we spoke were/are delighted with the rector.
Certain amount of revamping the curriculum, tinkering with the timings; new outdoor classroom (‘fairy glen’ – you can’t spot it from outside); forest school on wish list. School day now starts 8.32am (first lesson 8.40; teaching day now extended to seven 50 minute blocks...
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Special Education Needs
We aim to give pupils the opportunity to achieve their potential by working together with pupils, teachers and parents within national guidelines to develop a curriculum which is flexible and accessible to all pupils. We seek to liaise with all agencies and with parents and staff to ensure an appropriate support strategy for pupils.
| Condition | Provision for in school |
|---|---|
| ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder | Y |
| Aspergers | Y |
| Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders | Y |
| CReSTeD registered for Dyslexia | |
| Dyscalculia | Y |
| Dysgraphia | Y |
| Dyslexia | Y |
| Dyspraxia | Y |
| English as an additional language (EAL) | Y |
| Genetic | Y |
| Has an entry in the Autism Services Directory | |
| Has SEN unit or class | |
| HI - Hearing Impairment | Y |
| Hospital School | |
| Mental health | Y |
| MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty | Y |
| MSI - Multi-Sensory Impairment | |
| Natspec Specialist Colleges | |
| OTH - Other Difficulty/Disability | Y |
| Other SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty | Y |
| PD - Physical Disability | Y |
| PMLD - Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty | |
| SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health | Y |
| SLCN - Speech, Language and Communication | |
| SLD - Severe Learning Difficulty | |
| Special facilities for Visually Impaired | |
| SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty | Y |
| VI - Visual Impairment | Y |
Who came from where
| School | Year | Places | Scholarships | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hazlegrove School | 2023 | 1 | 1 | Scholarships: 1 Academic |
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