What it’s like
Founded in 1870 under the will of Sir William Fettes, twice Lord Provost of Edinburgh, it occupies a splendid estate of 85 acres, 1_ miles from the centre of the city. The main building is Victorian Gothic, and over the past 50 years there have been extensive additions, including a technology and computing centre, an all-weather games pitch and a new sports centre. The prep school is in the college grounds. The college has a Christian ethos but is inter-denominational. It first accepted girls in 1970 and has been fully co-educational since 1981. It is a distinguished school with a friendly atmosphere, in which great attention is given to individual needs. Its declared aim is to provide a balanced and challenging education. Pupils are encouraged to aim at and to achieve the very highest standard of which they are capable, and examination results are very good. Very strong indeed in music, art and drama. There is an excellent range of sports and games (very high standards) and of extra-curricular activities. There is a large and active CCF contingent and much emphasis on specialist skills and adventure training. The college has a big commitment to community service and a strong record in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme. Copious use is made of Edinburgh’s extensive cultural amenities.

School profile

Pupils & entrance
Pupils: Age range 8–18; 581 pupils, 224 day (116 boys, 108 girls), 357 boarding (222 boys, 135 girls).
Entrance: Main entry ages 8–13 and 16. Common Entrance and own exam used; for sixth-form entry, 6 GCSEs at least grade C (grade B in sixth-form subjects). Special skills taken into account; no religious requirements. 20% of senior intake from state schools (plus 25% new entrants to sixth form); 50+% from own prep (Fettes College Preparatory School).

Scholarships, bursaries & extras 15–30 pa scholarships, value 5%–50% fees, including academic, art, music, all-rounder (awarded at 11, 13 and 16). Additional bursaries for award holders, for clergy, children of HM Forces and Old Fettesians. Parents buy textbooks on a sale or return basis; branch of university bookshop on campus.

Parents 30% in professions, 20+% in industry or commerce. 50% live in Scotland; 20% elsewhere in the UK; 30% overseas.

Head & staff
Headmaster: Michael Spens, in post from 1998. Educated at Marlborough and Cambridge University. Previously Headmaster at Caldicott School and Senior Housemaster at Radley.
Teaching staff: 71 full time, 5 part time. Annual turnover 5%. Average age 36.

Exam results
GCSE: In 2003, 85 pupils in main GCSE year: 85% passed in 8+ subjects; 15% in 5–7 subjects.
Highers/A-levels: 91 in A-level/Higher year (71 of whom took A-level, 20 Higher): 14% of those taking A-levels passed in 4+ subjects, 86% in 3 subjects. Average final point score achieved by upper sixth formers 394.

University & college entrance 92% of 2003 sixth-form leavers went on to a degree course (22% after a gap year), 6% to Oxbridge. 4% took courses in medicine, dentistry & veterinary science, 18% in science & engineering, 8% in law, 65% in humanities & social sciences, 5% in vocational subjects eg ophthalmics, building, marketing. Others typically go on to further study.

Curriculum GCSE (22 subjects), Highers (7 subjects), A-levels (21 subjects). On average 85% of a year take A-levels, the rest Highers; usually an equal number of pupils study science and arts/humanities.
Vocational: Work experience available.
Special provision: Extra tuition offered in all subjects. Also EFL and learning support.
Languages: French (taught from age 8), German and Spanish offered to GCSE, Higher and A-level. Regular visits to France, Germany, Spain. European Society arranges lectures from international lawyers, civil servants, academics, MEPs.
ICT: Taught both as a discrete subject (2 lessons/week in Years 4–10) and across the curriculum, eg English, science, maths. 150–200 computers for pupil use (10 hours a day), all networked and with email and internet access. All pupils use their own laptop, with wireless connection to school network.

The arts
Music: Up to 50% of pupils learn a musical instrument; instrumental exams can be taken. Some 20 musical groups including 4 choirs, 3 orchestras, brass ensemble, flute group, rock group, clarinet quartet, saxophone ensemble and various other chamber groups. Chapel choir tours to eg Czech Republic (2001).
Drama: GCSE and Higher drama may be taken. Majority of pupils are involved in school productions and all in house/other productions. Recent productions of The Changeling, Fear and Misery of the Third Reich, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Anouilh’s Ring Round the Moon. Regular Edinburgh Festival Fringe productions.
Art & design: On average, 30 take GCSE, 12+ A-level; also Higher art available. Regular prizewinners for art work in Scotsman school magazine competition.

Sport & activities
Sport: Rugby, cricket, hockey compulsory for boys; lacrosse, hockey for girls. Optional: athletics, tennis, squash, fives, swimming, badminton, fencing, netball, basketball, volleyball. Regular representation in Scottish Junior lacrosse teams; players in Scottish Schools rugby, cricket and fencing teams.
Activities: Pupils take bronze, silver and gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. CCF compulsory for 2 years at age 14; CCF and community service optional for sixth form. Up to 10 clubs, eg political, history, debating, cultural, Christian Fellowship, bridge, skiing.

School life
Uniform: School uniform worn including the sixth form.
Houses & prefects: Competitive houses. Prefects, head boy and girl, head of each house and house prefects.
Religion: Daily inter-denominational chapel services.
Social: Joint careers talks and society meetings with other local schools. Organised expeditions to eg Norway, Ecuador, Siberia, Nepal, New Zealand; sports tours to eg South Africa, Japan, Australia. Meals self-service. No tobacco allowed; alcohol on specified occasions for sixth formers.

Discipline Strong emphasis on discipline and good manners. Pupils failing to produce homework may get detention or extra work. Anyone involved in drugs would be expelled.

Boarding All sixth form in study bedrooms; most others in dormitories of 4–6. Single-sex houses of approx 60. Resident qualified medical staff. Central dining room. Pupils can provide and cook own food to a limited extent. 4 Sunday exeats or 2 weekends each term. Visits to the local town allowed at specified times.

Alumni association is run by C P Cheetham c/o the College.

Former pupils Tony Blair MP; Iain Macleod; Selwyn Lloyd; Tilda Swinton; Lord Justice Woolf; General AGD de Chastelain; Sir Robert Walmsley; David Ogilvy; Ian Strachan; Sir Alexander Glen.