Edinburgh's best schools ranked in Sunday Times 2023 Parent Power Schools Guide

These are the best schools in Edinburgh according to The Sunday Times

We’ve taken a look at the best performing schools in Edinburgh, according to the Sunday Times Schools Guide 2023’s list of the top schools in the country.

The Sunday Times released their list of the top schools in Scotland, identifying the highest-achieving schools in the country. Rankings in Scotland are based on 2021 data, the latest available from the Scottish Government for state schools based on teacher assessed grades. For consistency the rankings have used the same year’s results for the independent sector.

State schools

Some of the top schools in Edinburgh, clockwise from top left: Royal High School, Merchiston Castle School, Boroughmuir High School and Fettes College.

The highest ranked Edinburgh state school was Boroughmuir High School, which came sixth on the Scotland list for state schools, with 92 per cent of its pupils achieving five or more National 5 grades and 73 per cent gaining five or more higher grades A-C. And 34 per cent of pupils at the school achieved two or more advanced higher grades.

The Royal High School was the next Capital school to feature on the list, and came in at number 14 in the country. According to the guide, 25 per cent of pupils there achieved two or more advanced higher grades, 70 per cent gained five or more A-C higher grades and 86 per cent got five or more National 5 grades.

James Gillespie’s High School is joint 21st on the list with two other schools, although it is fourth on the list when it comes to pupils achieving two or more advanced highers, with 36 per cent.

Other Edinburgh schools in the top 100 list for state schools

St Thomas of Aquin’s R.C. High School –24th

Firrhill High School – 25th

Currie Community High School – 33rd

Balerno High School – 44th

Craigmount High School – 56th

The rankings in the secondary school league tables in Scotland are determined by the proportion of pupils gaining five or more National 5 passes, five or more Highers and the proportion gaining two or more Advanced Highers.

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Independent secondary schools

The top ranking independent secondary school in Scotland by A-level results was Edinburgh’s Fettes College, with Merchiston Castle School coming third on the list. However, by Higher results, St Mary’s Music School at Grosvenor Crescent in Edinburgh was the best performing independent secondary school in the country, with George Heriot’s School coming second. The Mary Erskine School at Ravelston Dykes also made the top 10 independent schools by higher results list.

Top 20 state schools in Scotland

1 Jordanhill School, Glasgow2 St Ninian’s High School, Giffnock3 Bearsden Academy4 Cults Academy, Aberdeen5 Williamwood High School, Glasgow6= Boroughmuir High School, Edinburgh6= Eastwood High School, Newton Mearns8 Woodfarm High School, Thornliebank9 Dunblane High School10 Mearns Castle High School, Glasgow11 Douglas Academy, Milngavie12 Bishopbriggs Academy13 Boclair Academy, Bearsden14 The Royal High, Edinburgh15= North Berwick High15= Lenzie Academy17= Banchory Academy17= Turnbull High, Bishopbriggs17= Linlithgow Academy20 Balfron High

Top 6 independent secondary schools (A-levels)

1 Fettes College, Edinburgh2 St Leonards School, St Andrews3 Merchiston Castle School, Edinburgh4 Loretto School, Musselburgh5 Strathallan, Perth6 Glenalmond College, Perth

Top 10 independent secondary schools (Highers)

1 St Mary’s Music School2 George Heriot’s School3 Kilgraston4 Albyn School5 Hutcheson’s Grammar School6 The High School of Glasgow7 The Mary Erskine School8 High School of Dundee9 St Margaret’s School for Girls10 Dollar Academy