HOW TO CHOOSE AN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL IN EDINBURGH

There is no best independent school in Edinburgh.

That is an unhelpful answer if what you want is a shortlist, but it is the right place to begin.

Edinburgh has a concentration of very good independent schools, and they differ in ways that matter: academic structure, size, atmosphere, co-education or single-sex education, day or boarding, location, curriculum, entry points, extracurricular life and the sort of pupil who is likely to be happy there.

League tables can tell you something. They cannot tell you whether your child should go to the school at the top of one.

I would start with the child.

WHAT DOES “FIT” ACTUALLY MEAN?

School fit can become a vague phrase. I find it more useful to break it down.

• Academic fit. How strong is the pupil academically, where are the particular strengths and weaknesses, and how much pressure is helpful?
• Curriculum fit. Does the school offer the subjects and qualification route the pupil needs? This becomes especially important for families moving from England or overseas.
• Pastoral fit. Would the pupil thrive in a large, busy environment or prefer somewhere smaller? How much structure does he or she need?
• Social fit. What sort of peer group and school culture is likely to suit?
• Practical fit. Where does the family live? Is boarding relevant? What does the daily journey look like? Are siblings involved?
• Extracurricular fit. Sport, music, drama and other interests can be central to a pupil’s experience rather than decorative extras.
• Future fit. Does the school preserve sensible options for the next stage of education?

None of those questions can be answered from examination results alone.

START WITH A LONGER LIST THAN YOU EXPECT TO KEEP

I would usually begin by understanding the plausible schools before narrowing them.

For an Edinburgh family that might include several schools that initially appear quite similar. Once you examine curriculum, admissions, geography, and the pupil’s character, the distinctions become clearer.

I would not eliminate a school because of a single anecdote from another parent. Nor would I put one at the top because three friends happen to send their children there.

Other parents can provide useful colour. They are describing their children, not yours.

CURRICULUM MATTERS MORE THAN MANY PARENTS EXPECT

Edinburgh independent schools do not all follow the same academic pathway.

This matters particularly for pupils arriving from England or internationally, but it can matter for Scottish families too. Before falling in love with a school, understand what pupils actually study through the senior years and what choices are available.

For a younger child, differences in qualification system may seem distant. For a 14-, 15- or 16-year-old they can determine whether a move is straightforward or awkward.

VISIT WITH QUESTIONS, NOT JUST IMPRESSIONS

Open days are useful, but schools are naturally presenting themselves at their best.

I would pay attention to the things that are harder to stage: how pupils speak to adults and one another; whether teachers seem to know pupils individually; the atmosphere between the formal presentations; what is happening in classrooms; and whether the pupils you meet seem like children with whom your own child would be comfortable.

Ask specific questions.

• What happens to a pupil who is doing very well?
• What happens to one who begins to struggle?
• How are new pupils integrated outside the principal entry years?
• How much setting is there?
• How does subject choice work?
• What does homework look like?
• How does the school communicate with parents?
• What sort of pupil tends not to thrive here?

The last question can be particularly revealing.

DO NOT CONFUSE SELECTIVITY WITH SUITABILITY

A difficult school to enter is not automatically a better school for a particular child.

Admissions select for what the school is looking for at a particular entry point. Your job as a parent is different: to decide whether the education and environment are right for the child.

Sometimes the most prestigious option will also be the best fit. Sometimes it will not.

WHEN TO GET ADVICE

Many families can make a good school decision themselves. Independent advice becomes more useful when the choice is complicated: a relocation, several plausible schools, an unusual academic profile, a late application, different parental priorities, or uncertainty about how a child will fit a particular environment.

The useful outcome of advice should not be a ranking handed down from above. It should be a shortlist whose reasoning the family understands.