![CityZen challenge team]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1707323188/merchistoncouk/qlwficawochvrugehdd8/CityZenchallenge.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1707323188/merchistoncouk/qlwficawochvrugehdd8/CityZenchallenge.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1707323188/merchistoncouk/qlwficawochvrugehdd8/CityZenchallenge.png","width":800}])
Congratulations to these VI pupils: Geoff S, Emmanuel C, Sam Y, Adam H, Kit N, Rohan R, Cliff Z and Richard Z who all successfully completed the Institute of Civil Engineers CityZen Challenge.
Extended Curriculum
Academic News
![Cooking Soup at Junior Chef Academy]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1706878780/merchistoncouk/xptcj9nhoxgl07nn1vd7/CookingSoup800x8002.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1706878780/merchistoncouk/xptcj9nhoxgl07nn1vd7/CookingSoup800x8002.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1706878780/merchistoncouk/xptcj9nhoxgl07nn1vd7/CookingSoup800x8002.png","width":800}])
The boys in Chalmers East have been learning how to make soup under the expert supervision of professional chef David Bell as part of our Junior Chef Academy.
![Pupil with calculator]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1706628734/merchistoncouk/rriphfiwcg1wbunbxpmi/Maths800x800.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1706628734/merchistoncouk/rriphfiwcg1wbunbxpmi/Maths800x800.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1706628734/merchistoncouk/rriphfiwcg1wbunbxpmi/Maths800x800.png","width":800}])
Congratulations to all those who take part in the UK Maths Trust Maths Challenge last term. A large number of boys were awarded Bronze or Silver certificates. Particular congratulations to three pupils who were among the top 11% of entrants to be awarded a Gold Certificate.
Merchiston is an ambitious academic community, where your son will be given every opportunity to develop his passions and particular areas of academic interests.
Across the school our Cecil Stagg Society groups provide extended learning opportunities for those who want to push their learning beyond the formal curriculum. As one aspect of this, each year members of the Sixth Form group are encouraged to undertake a substantial research project of personal interest, with support from subject specialists among the staff – recent topics have ranged from the Legal Implications of the Singularity to British Foreign Policy in the Arab World.
During activity slots or in the evenings, your son can attend specialist lectures in school in subject areas of interest; take part in competitive debating at a range of age levels; sign up for biweekly visits to the theatre and opera around Edinburgh in the Autumn and Lent term; attend one of the lively book groups which meet regularly in the Spawforth Library; or participate in joint enrichment activities held with our partner school of St George’s.
To extend his curricular learning we will encourage your son to enter the essay competitions run each year by various Oxbridge colleges and other prestigious institutions, to test himself against high-performing peers in other schools. Across the academic disciplines teams from Merchiston regularly participate in competitive events like the RSC Olympiad, Maths Challenge and the Rampaging Chariots Scottish Robotic Games competition.
Your son will also have the chance to participate in a wide range of academic trips, on Merchiston’s doorstep and in the wider world. We take every advantage of the wealth of opportunities available in Edinburgh itself, a city not for nothing known as ‘the Athens of the North’. He might attend First Minister’s Questions and the Festival of Politics at the Scottish Parliament, or art trips to the National Gallery or academic conferences and public lectures at Edinburgh’s world-class universities.
