School Description

Heriot's is Edinburgh's oldest independent school comprising a historic 400 year building which is one of the jewels in the crown of Scottish architecture. Heriot's remains firmly rooted in its charitable purpose: the Foundation sits at the heart of school, educating children who have lost a parent through bereavement. Bursarial aid and the outstanding voluntary service of pupils continues this charitable remit. The school today is in robust health, with a large school roll, a dedicated teaching body and plenty of laughter in the classrooms.

Heriot's achieves excellent exam results: it offers an unparalleled range of sports and activities (93); it demonstrates both inclusiveness and excellence in its people, its pupils and its culture. Over-arching all is our ethos: 'Work hard. Be kind. Be happy.'

Education Scotland carried out a whole school Inspection of George Heriot's School in June 2024. The results confirm the schools sector-leading standard across Junior and Senior schools. Each of the four inspection areas were rated very good or excellent.