At Merchiston, we welcome pupils from a wide range of educational backgrounds, including the Scottish, English and international systems.

To help make the transition as straightforward as possible, the guide below shows how year groups at The Forest Nursery and Junior School and Merchiston Senior School align with both the Scottish and English education systems.

From our co-educational Forest Nursery and Junior School through to Scotland’s only all-boys boarding and day senior school, each stage of the Merchiston journey is designed to provide the right balance of challenge, support and opportunity as pupils grow in confidence, independence and ambition.

If you are unsure which year group would be the best fit for your child, our Admissions Team would be delighted to help.

The Forest Nursery and Junior School

Age	English System	Scottish System		The Forest at Merchiston
Born between	1 Sept – 31 Aug	1 Sept – 29 Feb	1 Mar – 31 Aug	1 Sept – 29 Feb	1 Mar – 31 Aug
Ages 3 – 4	Nursery	Nursery	Nursery	Nursery	Nursery
Ages 4 – 5	Reception	P1	Nursery	P1	Nursery
Ages 5 – 6	Year 1	P2	P1	P2	P1
Ages 6 – 7	Year 2	P3	P2	P3	P2
Ages 7 – 8	Year 3	P4	P3	P4	P3
Ages 8 – 9	Year 4	P5	P4	P5	P4
Ages 9 – 10	Year 5	P6	P5	P6 (from academic year 27/28)	P5
Ages 10 – 11	Year 6	P7	P6	P7 (from academic year 28/29)	P6 (from academic year 27/28)
Ages 11 – 12	Year 7	S1	P7		P7 (from academic year 28/29)

Merchiston Juniors (until Academic Year 2028/29)

Age (at start of year)	English System	Scottish System	Merchiston
Ages 10 – 11	Year 6	P6	First Form (until academic year 27/28)
Ages 11 -12	Year 7	P7	Second Form (until academic year 28/29)
Ages 12 – 13	Year 8	S1	Third Form

Merchiston Senior School – Middle Years

Age (at start of year)	English System	Scottish System	Merchiston
Ages 13 – 14	Year 9	S2	Fourth Form
Ages 14 – 15	Year 10	S3	Shell
Ages 15 – 16	Year 11	S4	Fifth Form

Merchiston Senior School – Sixth Form

Age (at start of year)	English System	Scottish System	Merchiston
Ages 16 – 17	Year 12	S5	Lower Sixth Form
Ages 17 – 18	Year 13	S6	Upper Sixth Form

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Merchiston House System

At Merchiston, our house system is designed to give every pupil a strong sense of belonging, alongside consistent care and support throughout their time at the School.

Chalmers East & West are home to our Merchiston Juniors and Middle Years day and boarding pupils. Chalmers offers a modern, comfortable setting for both study and relaxation, while their vertical structure encourages friendships across year groups and provides opportunities for leadership as boys progress through the house.

In Sixth Form, pupils move to Laidlaw North & South, where spacious, dedicated facilities support a greater sense of independence and help prepare them for life beyond Merchiston.

All students, including our youngest in the Forest, are part of one of our four School Clans: Dreghorn, Pentland, Redford and Spylaw. The clan system at Merchiston is a cherished tradition that plays a significant role in school life, fostering a strong sense of community, belonging and healthy competition among students.

House	Year Group(s)	Ages	Day / Boarding Offered
Chalmers East & West	First Form Second Form Third Form Fourth Form Shell Fifth Form	10 – 16	Junior Day Plus Junior Flexi-boarding (Third Form only) Middle Years Day Middle Years Day Plus Middle Years Flexi-Boarding Middle Years Full Boarding
Laidlaw North & South	Lower Sixth Form Upper Sixth Form	16 – 18	Sixth Form Day Sixth Form Day Plus Sixth Form Flexi- Boarding Sixth Form Boarding