Fettes College

A Structured Academic Journey

Fettes College provides a carefully sequenced academic programme across its three divisions:

• Pre-Prep (ages 5–7): Foundation literacy, numeracy and creative learning
• Prep School (ages 7–13): Broad curriculum building core skills across humanities, sciences, languages and the arts
• Senior School (ages 13–18): GCSE, followed by A-Level or IB Diploma in Sixth Form

The breadth of the Third Form curriculum is notable: all students study a common core including art and languages before specialising. By the Fourth and Fifth Forms, students follow IGCSE pathways. The transition to Sixth Form then offers a genuinely open choice.

The Sixth Form Choice: A-Level or IB Diploma

One of Fettes's defining academic features is its offer of both A-Levels and the International Baccalaureate Diploma in Sixth Form — a dual-pathway model that relatively few UK boarding schools maintain. This allows students to select the framework best suited to their strengths:

• A-Levels suit those who wish to specialise deeply in three or four subjects
• IB Diploma suits those who prefer breadth across six subjects, Theory of Knowledge, the Extended Essay and CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service)

The school's department listing confirms a wide range of subjects across Sciences, Humanities, Languages, Arts, Mathematics and Technology.

University Outcomes

Fettes's academic results translate into strong university destinations:

• 82% of leavers secured a place at their first-choice university
• 6 Oxbridge offers were made in both 2023 and 2024
• Students gained places at Harvard, Cornell and other Ivy League institutions in 2024
• The majority of leavers proceed to Russell Group and globally ranked universities

The 2024 Sunday Times recognition as School of the Year for Academic Excellence is a significant external endorsement of these outcomes.

Class Size and Teaching Quality

With an average class size of 14 and a student-to-teacher ratio of 7:1, Fettes students benefit from highly personalised academic attention. One-to-one tutoring is included in senior school fees, ensuring that support is accessible to all rather than an additional cost. The EAL (English as an Additional Language) department provides specialist support for international students adjusting to an English-language academic environment.

The House System

At the core of Fettes's pastoral structure is its house system, one of the most distinctive features of the traditional British boarding school. Fettes maintains multiple boys' and girls' boarding houses, each overseen by resident houseparents who provide continuity of care and a genuine home-away-from-home environment for boarders.

Houses compete against each other throughout the year in sporting events, arts competitions and inter-house activities, creating strong bonds of loyalty and a healthy competitive spirit. For day students, houses also serve as their primary community group within the school.

Scale of Boarding

Fettes accommodates approximately 448 boarders — roughly 226 boys and 222 girls — drawn from across the UK and from over 30 countries. Around 22% of the student body lives outside the UK, making the boarding houses genuinely international communities where students develop cross-cultural friendships and global awareness naturally.

Boarding is available from age 7 (in the Prep School) through to 18 (Upper Sixth), meaning many students spend the majority of their formative years as part of the Fettes boarding community.

Wellbeing Infrastructure

Fettes invests substantially in student wellbeing:

• On-site medical centre staffed by NHS doctors and Fettes nurses, providing immediate healthcare to boarders and day students alike
• Head of Wellbeing on the senior leadership team, signalling institutional commitment at the highest level
• Safeguarding contact ([email protected]) published openly, reflecting transparent child protection policies
• 1-to-1 tutoring included in senior school fees, removing financial barriers to academic support

Meals and Daily Life

All boarders receive breakfast, lunch and dinner as part of their fees, served in the school's dining halls. Day students are actively encouraged to stay for meals and participate in the full rhythm of school life. This inclusive approach blurs the boundary between boarding and day students, fostering a more unified community.

The Fettes Ethos in Practice

The school's core values — curiosity, creativity, kindness, integrity and excellence — are not merely aspirational statements but are actively reinforced through house life, community service and the school's motto: Aim High and Give Back. This culture of generosity and aspiration, inherited directly from the school's charitable founding, distinguishes Fettes as a community with genuine depth of purpose.

A Competitive but Rounded Assessment

Fettes College positions itself as a selective school that looks beyond raw academic performance. The admissions team's stated first interest is in students' "known talents and shown excellence", and the school actively seeks a diverse student body, taking individual circumstances and background into account.

The principal entry points are:

• Year 9 (age 13+): Entrance exams in English and Mathematics, typically held in November, followed by an interview (available via Zoom for international candidates unable to travel)
• Sixth Form (age 16+): Requires approximately six GCSEs at grade 6 or above, including English Language and Mathematics; scholarship examinations are also held in early November
• Prep School (age 5–13): Entry for younger students may involve informal assessments; boarding available from age 7

International Applicants

For students based outside the UK, Fettes makes meaningful accommodations. Zoom interviews are offered as an alternative to in-person meetings, and the school's admissions team communicates the process clearly. Approximately 22% of students come from outside the UK, demonstrating that the school successfully attracts and retains international families.

The Deposit and Fee Structure

Upon acceptance, new entrants are required to pay a deposit equivalent to one term's fees, which is refunded when the student leaves. International students pay an additional deposit of one further term's fees. This is a significant financial commitment upfront, reflecting the school's need to secure places reliably.

Broadening Access Through Bursaries

Fettes is committed to widening participation beyond those who can comfortably afford full fees:

• Means-tested bursaries of up to 100% of fees are available, making a Fettes education accessible to exceptional candidates from any financial background
• Scholarship awards (honorary, merit-based) are offered at 13+ and 16+ across Academic, All-Rounder, Art, Music, Sport and Sixth Form categories
• Sibling discounts apply: 5% for a second concurrent child, 35% for a third, and 50% for a fourth
• Forces families (CEA recipients) receive an additional 10% discount

This combination of selective entry and generous support reflects the school's charitable origins and its continued commitment to Sir William Fettes's founding vision of education as opportunity.

Origins and Founding Vision

Fettes College owes its existence to a remarkable act of philanthropy. Sir William Fettes, a prosperous Edinburgh merchant who served twice as Lord Provost of Edinburgh, was devastated by the early death of his only son and heir. In response, he bequeathed the bulk of his fortune — reportedly around £166,000 — to establish a school "for the maintenance, education and outfit of young people whose parents have either died without leaving sufficient funds for that purpose, or who from innocent misfortune during their own lives are unable to give suitable education to their children."

The grand baronial building, designed by celebrated Scottish architect David Bryce, opened in 1870 with just 53 boys, many of them the very foundation scholars Sir William had envisioned. The school's first headmaster, the formidable Dr Potts, set an exacting academic tone from the very beginning.

Evolution Through the Decades

For its first century, Fettes remained a boys-only institution. The admission of girls began cautiously in the 1970s and the college became fully co-educational during the 1980s, transforming its community and culture entirely. This shift is now considered one of the school's most significant modern milestones.

Other key milestones include:

• 1870 — School opens with 53 boys in David Bryce's iconic building
• 1970s — First female students admitted
• 1980s — Full co-education achieved
• 2016 — Opening of the Culachy Music School, a purpose-built facility with practice rooms, drum studio and music library
• 2024 — Named Sunday Times School of the Year for Academic Excellence

The Fettes Motto

The school motto, "Aim High and Give Back," encapsulates Sir William's original charitable vision and continues to resonate with the school's culture of aspiration and community service today. Fettes operates as a registered Scottish charity (No SC051259), maintaining a direct line to its philanthropic roots.

A Legacy Building

The original Bryce building — a Grade A listed structure — remains the heart of the campus and one of Edinburgh's most recognisable landmarks. It lends Fettes a sense of permanence and gravitas rarely matched among British independent schools, while the surrounding 100-acre wooded estate provides space for the extensive modern facilities that have grown up around it.

A Campus Designed for Whole-Person Development

Set on 100 acres of wooded grounds near central Edinburgh, Fettes College has the space and investment to offer facilities that rival specialist institutions. The campus is deliberately designed to support the school's belief that academic excellence and co-curricular achievement are complementary, not competing, priorities.

The Culachy Music School

Opened in 2016, the purpose-built Culachy Music School is one of Fettes's most celebrated recent investments. The facility includes:

• Individual practice rooms
• A dedicated drum studio
• A music library
• Ensemble rehearsal spaces

Music at Fettes ranges from classical instrumental tuition to contemporary performance, and students participate in concerts, recitals and inter-house competitions. The investment in dedicated infrastructure signals music's central place in the Fettes identity.

Sport at Fettes

Sport is embedded in the weekly timetable and offered at recreational, competitive and representative levels. Key facilities include:

• Astroturf pitches for hockey and other field sports
• A climbing wall for adventure activities
• Courts, fields and indoor sports spaces across the estate

Inter-house sporting competitions are a cornerstone of the school calendar, reinforcing community bonds and encouraging participation regardless of ability level.

Theatre and the Arts

Fettes maintains dedicated performance and visual arts spaces, including a theatre. Drama, visual arts and design technology are offered across the curriculum, and student productions are a regular feature of school life.

Edinburgh as an Extended Campus

The school's proximity to central Edinburgh is itself a unique asset. Students have access to one of Europe's most culturally rich cities — home to the world's largest arts festival (the Edinburgh Festival Fringe), the National Museum of Scotland, world-class concert venues and internationally significant universities. Fettes actively draws on the city as a resource for cultural, academic and service-learning experiences.

The Broader Co-Curricular Philosophy

Fettes's co-curricular programme is framed by the school's motto, Aim High and Give Back. Community service, leadership activities and the IB's CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service) framework all encourage students to contribute beyond themselves. The result is a school culture in which achievement is measured not only in examination grades but in character, contribution and community.