School Structure

In This Section

Video Gallery

Merchiston Juniors

House: Pringle

Merchiston Juniors comprises five age groups, each of which is the responsibility of the Head of Merchiston Juniors. In J4, J5 and First Form your son will have his lessons in the Pringle Centre, which is a few metres away from Pringle House, the base for all Juniors pupils, whether full boarding, flexi-boarding or day. In Second and Third Forms your son will be taught in the main school buildings a short distance up the drive.

Senior School - Middle Years

House: Chalmers West, Chalmers East and Rogerson

When your son moves on from Merchiston Juniors, he will enter the Fourth Form as a member of Chalmers West House, which, together with the other Middle Years Houses, is located in the heart of the School. There are usually more boarders in the Middle Years than the Juniors, but if your son is a day boy he will be fully integrated into House arrangements.

Senior School – Sixth Form

House: Laidlaw (Boarding) and Evans (Day)

In the Lower and Upper Sixth Forms, your son will be in a separate Sixth Form House, designed to bridge the gap between school and university. If he’s a boarder, he will have a spacious individual study bedroom with en-suite facilities If he’s a day pupil he will have an individual study space providing flexible options for study, prep and occasional sleepovers.

House System

Your son will join a tried and tested House system that allows him to remain with his peer group, as he progresses through the School; day boys are fully integrated into this system.

This means that your son will experience a new Boarding House and Housemaster at the start of each Autumn Term of the Senior year groups.

What are the benefits of this system?

A single Housemaster oversees academic concerns relating to one complete year group, fulfilling the role of Head of Year.
Disciplinary structures are fairer and more consistent because the same Housemaster handles them for all boys in a year group.
We can more easily help new pupils integrate into the year group.
We can regulate school days better because all boys start and finish prep, games and activities. at the same time; this means the House runs more efficiently.
Social events are centrally organised to suit a particular age group.

If your son becomes a prefect in the Upper Sixth year, he will be allocated to one of the boarding houses to lead the younger pupils in the School. As well as providing an excellent role model for the younger boys, and valuable support to the Housemaster and Tutors, your son will gain useful leadership skills and experience.

Please note we are currently undertaking a rolling programme of refurbishment of the Houses, commencing with Chalmers West in Autumn 2021. We continue to operate a vertical House system, but there will be minor adjustments to the published allocation of Houses according to year group.

Junior Years

School Year overview			Fee per term
J4 - Pringle
Primary 4 (Scotland)	Age 7 + 8	Year 4 (England)	£7,220 (Boarding)	£5,010 (Day)
J5 - Pringle
Primary 5 (Scotland)	Age 9	Year 5 (England)	£7,220 (Boarding)	£5,010 (Day)
First Form - Pringle
Primary 6 (Scotland)	Age 10	Year 6 (England)	£7,220 (Boarding)	£5,010 (Day)
Second Form - Pringle
Primary 7 (Scotland)	Age 11	Year 7 (England)	£8,390 (Boarding)	£5,660 (Day)
Third Form - Pringle
S1 (Scotland)	Age 12	Year 8 (England)	£8,390 (Boarding)	£5,660 (Day)

Middle Years

School Year overview			Fee per term
Fourth Form - Chalmers West
S2 (Scotland)	Age 13	Year 9 (England)	£11,730 (Boarding)	£8,510 (Day)
Shell - Chalmers East
S3 (Scotland)	Age 14	Year 10 (England)	£11,730 (Boarding	£8,510 (Day)
Fifth Form - Rogerson
S4 (Scotland)	Age 15	Year 11 (England)	£11,730 (Boarding)	£8,510 (Day)

Sixth Form

School Year overview			Fee Per Term
Lower Sixth Form - Laidlaw (Boarding), Evans (Day)
S5 (Scotland)	Age 16	Year 12 (England)	£11,730 (Boarding)	£8,510 (Day)
Upper Sixth Form - Laidlaw (Boarding), Evans (Day)
S6 (Scotland)	Age 17	Year 13 (England)	£11,730 (Boarding	£8,510 (Day)