Primary Times - the definitive what’s on and where to go family guide of activities and events for children of primary school age. Things to do with your kids during the school holidays including arts and craft activities, music and theatre for children, parties, competitions, days out, and family attractions along with term time drama schools, dance classes, after school clubs and sports activities. Things to do at a place near you!
Edinburgh and the Lothians Schools Open Day Directory
For all our new P7s, it’s the last year of primary school. They’ve come a long way from those wee P1s entering the school .png)
gates, often with a wobble in their step – and lip!
Now they are the oldest in the school and the best advice from former P7s and teachers is to grab all the opportunities this next year will bring with both hands! P7s often get the chance to take on roles of responsibility, from house captains to mentoring younger children, helping to boost their own confidence and giving them a taste of different experiences.
There is also the knowledge that at the end of year they’ll be moving on, leaving behind their familiar primary school world and entering an often much bigger school. So there’s a sense of excitement, or sometimes anxiety, about the next step to high school.
Tensions can soon be quashed, and questions answered promptly into the school year, as some of the high schools host their open days in September and October. These events give prospective pupils and their parents a small taste of secondary life. They’ll meet current students and teachers and be able to tour the buildings. It offers a great opportunity to gain ‘a feel’ of the school and answer many questions: Does it have a welcoming environment? Is there a positive vibe and atmosphere around the school? Can you see your child ‘fitting in’ there?
For the new S1 intake, all parents of Primary 7 pupils will be sent written confirmation of the catchment secondary school that serves their area in mid-November. If you are happy with this arrangement, you don't have to do anything else. Although catchment rules apply to schools in Edinburgh and the Lothians, there are still different options open to each child.
Pupils can choose to apply to a denominational or non-denominational school in their catchment area, make a placing request to attend a school in a different catchment area or consider applying to a local independent school. Here’s how…
P7 Transition:
Applications to Edinburgh High Schools
Your child is only guaranteed a place in a school in your catchment area if they are living in the catchment area by the end of February in the year they begin primary or secondary school, subject to being resident at the same address at the start of session.
Each address has one non-denominational catchment school and one Roman Catholic catchment school for both primary and secondary stages. You should choose your preferred school of the two.If you want your child to attend a school outside the catchment area you will need to make a placing request with the Council. See the council’s guide www..edinburgh.gov.uk/placinginschools
For term dates, catchment areas and enrolment procedures in Edinburgh look at www.edinburgh.gov.uk - search for ‘start secondary school’.
Contact details:
C.3 Waverley Court
4 East Market Street
Edinburgh, EH8 8BG
Telephone: 0131 469 3033
Email: school.placements@edinburgh.gov.uk
Download the Council’s school admissions policy at www.edinburgh.gov.uk/schoolplaces
Applications to East Lothian High Schools
There are 6 secondary schools in East Lothian, each with its own catchment area. However, parents have a right to choose which school they would prefer their child to attend, and East Lothian Council grant these requests wherever possible. For term dates, catchment areas and enrolment procedures in East Lothian look at
https://www.eastlothian.gov.uk/info/210557/schools_nurseries_and_learning
Contact details:
Department of Education and Children’s Services
John Muir House
Haddington
EH41 3HA
Telephone: 01620 827827
Email: schoolplacements@eastlothian.gov.uk
Applications to West Lothian High Schools
There are 11 secondary schools in West Lothian. Each home address has a catchment denominational school and a catchment non-denominational school, for both primary and secondary education. Living within a catchment area does not guarantee a child a place at a catchment school. Parents can request a school other than one of their catchment schools.
For term dates, catchment areas and enrolment procedures in West Lothian look at http://www.westlothian.gov.uk/
Contact details:
Pupil Placement Section
West Lothian Civic Centre
Howden South Road
Livingston
West Lothian
EH54 6FF
Telephone: 01506 280000
Email: pupilplacement@westlothian.gov.uk
Applications to Midlothian High Schools
There are 7 high schools in Midlothian. St David's High School and Saltersgate School serve the whole of Midlothian, whilst catchment rules apply to the other 5 non-denominational secondary schools. Parents will automatically receive confirmation of their child's catchment high school by the end of November. For term dates, catchment areas and enrolment procedures in Midlothian look at www.midlothian.gov.uk/info/878/schools
Contact details:
Pupil Placement
Midlothian Council
Education, Communities and Economy
Fairfield House
8 Lothian Road
Dalkeith
EH22 3ZG
Telephone: 0131 271 3733
Email: pupil.placement@midlothian.gov.uk
Independent Schools in Scotland
The Scottish Council for Independent Schools’ (SCIS) is an educational charity representing 74 member schools, which collectively educate around 30,000 children. SCIS member schools are diverse, from large city day schools to the very small rural prep school, but each one is dedicated to serving their community.
All independent schools in Scotland have their own unique ethos and values, but they share a common goal of encouraging each individual pupil to be all that they can be. Many enjoy a reputation for wide subject choice, a focus on co-curricular pursuits, smaller pupil/teacher ratios and consistently strong exam results. Today around 30,000 children and young people attend an independent school in Scotland.
On the SCIS website you will find information, advice and guidance for parents about independent schools. To discover more about independent schools in your area you may wish to look at the SCIS website – www.scis.org.uk
Fee Assistance for Independent Schools
All schools offer some level of fee assistance which is usually awarded on the basis of financial need. In 2016-17, over 600 children received a free place, and one in four children received financial help with their fees. To receive assistance with fees your child simply has to meet the normal entry requirements. They don’t have to be of an academic standard required to win a scholarship.
The Scottish Council of Independent Schools can offer impartial information, advice and guidance. See: www.scis.org.uk or call 0131 556 2316 or email info@scis.org.uk
George Heriot’s School.jpg)
Heriot’s has a reputation for excellence both in terms of academic success and extra-curricular provision. The school’s pupils are great individuals, brimming with confidence and pride in their school.
Heriot’s cultivates an ethos of care reinforced by outstanding guidance, commitment to charitable fundraising and voluntary service. The school’s pupils benefit from an extraordinary number of extra-curricular activities, ranging from 31 sports on offer to a huge variety of musical, dramatic and other possibilities; the emphasis is on taking part – the school encourages its young people to participate, to try hard and to be happy. This has resulted in Heriot’s achieving the Gold Rights-Respecting School accreditation, awarded by UNICEF.
The school’s Open Morning will be held on Saturday 28 September. Staff hope prospective pupils and their families will come along for a happy and enjoyable morning and discover the warm community that is George Heriot’s School.
George Watson’s College
George Watson’s College provides a world-class education for children and young people from Preschool to S6.
The school’s pupils are given the freedom to discover their own limitless potential through a wide range of academic and extracurricular opportunities. Staff nurture the knowledge, skills and confidence they need to become engaged and successful citizens and make their own unique contribution to the world.
All pupils learn and play on a single campus where the state of the art sports, arts and technology facilities are housed.
In August 2019 a new look for the Junior School will be unveiled as part of a £7m development. The Upper Primary will be rebuilt to include five new classrooms for modern languages, a stunning new music suite, a brand-new library and performance spaces.
In 2018, pupils celebrated some of the school’s best ever exam results and staff are proud of everyone’s achievements.
The school was founded so that children from all backgrounds could enjoy an excellent education. Staying true to that, we are delighted to continue to offer bursaries and scholarships through our Family Foundation.
For more information about joining, visit gwc.org.uk/join
Loretto School
Choosing a school for your child is a big decision. Come and see for yourself how, at Loretto, the school shares its big heart, shows its big ambition, and creates big opportunities for its young people.
At the school’s Open Day, prospective families will meet the teaching and house staff, who make Loretto a welcoming place where pupils thrive. They will discover the safe, leafy 85-acre campus, and its extensive facilities dedicated to Academics, Sports and Creative Arts.
Please contact the professional, experienced and friendly Admissions representatives to book a visit, at admissions@loretto.com or 0131 653 4455.
ESMS
ESMS is a unique family of independent schools for boys and girls. ESMS believes it has developed a community that gives children the best of all educational approaches, and this variety ensures that the children are able to make the best social, emotional and academic progress possible. Children are taught together from Nursery to Primary 7, after which they benefit from single-sex senior school education before joining together again for a co-educational Sixth Form.
ESMS is passionate about giving children the very best opportunities, and that starts on day one. From age three children are welcomed into the ESMS family, where they immediately begin to benefit from all the resources the three schools have to offer including a £1m Early Years Centre and a staff ratio of one adult to five children. The Nursery was rated “Excellent”, the highest category, in their most recent Care Inspectorate report.
ESMS has also developed flexible childcare solutions to suit each family’s needs both during term time and school holidays, providing care from 7.45am to 6pm in its dedicated After-School Centre.
Visit the school on its Open Day on Saturday 21 September, 10am-1pm, to find out more.
Edinburgh Steiner School
Edinburgh Steiner School occupies a leafy campus in the southside of Edinburgh; educating up to 300 children aged 31/2 to 18 years. The school endeavours to develop capable, well-rounded individuals who can contribute to society with initiative and purpose.
The school’s mix of National Exams, including an innovative new creative thinking skills based award, arises from the teachers’ observation of which exam will best fit into the Steiner curriculum and allow the most latitude for study. Pupils perform well above the national average academically, with a 91% pass rate in 2018. Academic excellence allows the school’s young people ‘lift-off’, but staff say it’s the creative approach to learning which really encourages them to fly. Main lessons are the cornerstone of a Steiner education. These topic blocks include Climatology, Social Awareness, Philosophy, Agriculture and Surveying. Creative arts play an integral part in the curriculum, nurturing imagination, confidence, technical skills and an emotional connection to learning from an early age.
From Kindergarten to the final year, subject matter is linked to a child’s developmental stage and their education flows naturally from previous learning. This programme ensures that, irrespective of their exam choices, all pupils receive a broad education which encompasses science, the arts, crafts, languages and humanities.
Admissions are accepted year round. Book an Open Tour for October, November or December from the website, www.edinburghsteinerschool.org.uk/