School guide · Edinburgh · Day
George Heriot’s: Scottish Highers and a Foundation for bereaved children
Heriot’s combines a Scottish academic education with a commitment to supporting bereaved children through its Foundation. That purpose gives the school a different starting point from a conventional fee-paying education. For families coming from England, the route through Highers also deserves attention before comparing it with a GCSE-and-A-level school.
Updated · Sources last reviewed · By Eleven Plus Diary
Follow the subjects through to S5 and S6
The Senior curriculum starts broadly in S1–S2. Pupils normally study eight National 5 subjects across S3–S4, then five Highers in S5. S6 combines Higher and Advanced Higher study, usually four courses in total; most pupils take two or three Advanced Highers. Interest courses and voluntary service also form part of S6.
For a younger child, focus on the lessons they would have now. Ask how teachers stretch a quick learner without simply giving more work, and how they help a pupil who understands ideas but takes longer to write.
Use the visit to test the everyday arrangement
Heriot’s travel guidance makes families responsible for the ordinary journey. It describes Waverley station as roughly a 15-minute walk away and restricts on-campus car collection to permitted Early Years families. The playing fields are at Goldenacre, a separate location.
Wraparound care covers Nursery–P7, with morning access from 7:30am and after-school care until 6pm. Holiday hours are 8:30am–5:30pm. This is not advertised as Senior School childcare. Confirm space and current prices; the linked price booklet covers 2025/26.
Plan the journey at the time your child would travel, including collection after an activity. For siblings, check each finish time and whether one child can wait safely for the other.
Foundation support and bursaries are not the same route
The Foundation supports bereaved children, with new entry from P6 and eligibility for existing pupils after a parent’s death. Residence or a longstanding Edinburgh connection matters. Its tiered support can range from full fees plus extras to pastoral help without financial assistance.
Separate bursaries begin at P6, are means-tested and reviewed annually. The published household-income ceiling is £72,000 for 2026/27; assets also count. That is not a guaranteed award or a confirmed 2027/28 threshold. Academic and arts scholarships have different rules; some school awards are prizes rather than fee reductions.
Ask for the current bill, even with a fee freeze
The fee table is for 2025/26: Nursery £11,620 annually, P1–P2 £13,944, P3–P7 £16,930 and Senior £20,911. P1–S6 figures include VAT. The 2025 Governors’ Report describes a three-session fee freeze alongside VAT pass-through, with a caveat about significant changes in pupil numbers and income.
Tuition and examination fees are included, but uniform, Senior equipment and curricular trips add costs. Lunch, care, music tuition and some activities are separate. A freeze in tuition does not mean every part of the family bill is fixed.
Build a budget around a realistic week, not the cheapest possible one. Include the care you need to work, transport, and the activities your child is likely to choose.
Put assessment dates and application deadlines on separate lines
For 2027/28 entry, the published assessment calendar gives P1 on 16 January 2027 and S1 on 13 January 2027. P6 assessments are on 10 and 17 November 2026; P7 on 12 and 19 November. These are assessment dates, not application deadlines.
Several offer and acceptance dates remain provisional, including likely February dates for P1 and S1. Obtain the confirmed timetable for your child’s application. Do not treat a provisional reply date as permission to miss a deadline in an actual offer.
The joining guidance asks for P3–P7 applications by early November where possible. One school application does not necessarily complete all three processes.
A useful calendar has five entries: application, financial documents, assessment, decision and reply. Add your present school’s notice requirements too. If two offers arrive at different times, ask both schools about the agreed Edinburgh reply arrangements before paying a deposit under pressure.
What will your child actually do on assessment day?
According to Heriot’s joining guide, P1 uses group and individual activities lasting 30–40 minutes. P6 and P7 include English, mathematics and reasoning, using paper and computer tasks, alongside group work and an interview.
S1 applicants spend the day at school. They complete written English and a computer-adaptive test covering mathematics, vocabulary and reasoning, with group activities and a short interview. S6 entry is by interview and depends on space.
That mix calls for more than repeated timed papers. Help your child practise explaining a method, listening to another person and recovering after a difficult question. Avoid rehearsing a performance in which every answer sounds like an adult wrote it.
For example, a fictional child who rushes accurate maths work might benefit from checking routines. Another who writes thoughtfully but freezes in conversation could practise talking about a book with a familiar adult. Neither example predicts admission; each starts with an observable need.