Cargilfield School

Cargilfield is the oldest independent boarding and day prep school in Scotland, for more than 300 boys and girls, aged 3-13 years. Each child has an extensive range of opportunities to learn, explore and discover before they leave Cargilfield to join leading senior schools across the UK. Children leave with confident, lively minds, secure values and a sense of identity and community spirit that serves them well for their future lives. We achieve this by delivering a broad and challenging education in a supportive and caring family-led environment.

Cargilfield, founded in 1873, was the first prep school to be established in Scotland. It moved from Trinity in Edinburgh to its current location in Barnton in 1898. A Pre-prep and Nursery Department were added to the prep school campus during the early 1980’s in response to the changing nature of the parental body and the introduction of girls.  The school was founded in 1873 by the Reverend Charles Darnell.  Darnell’s aim was “to provide a liberal education and teach the merits of hard work and honesty under conditions of happiness and well-being”. This remains at the core of our ethos today.

We pride ourselves on high standards of teaching and a coherent programme of learning from Nursery through to Form 8.  This is perhaps best measured by the outcomes for our pupils.  We prepare boys and girls for senior schools all over the United Kingdom, offering parents choice in Edinburgh, across Scotland and the UK. In the past five years we have sent pupils to Ampleforth, Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Edinburgh Academy, Eton, Fettes, Glenalmond, Gordonstoun, Harrow, King’s Canterbury, Loretto, Marlborough, Merchiston, Oundle, Rugby, Sedbergh, Shrewsbury, Uppingham, Winchester and Wycombe Abbey.   

Boys and girls are prepared for the Common Entrance or Academic Scholarship exams for their senior schools. We are proud of a 100% success rate at Common Entrance and our pupils winning an impressive number of scholarships to schools all over the UK in recent years.   Although we admit to a broad range of abilities, we believe that a combination of high expectations with good teaching in small classes (an average class size of between 14 – 16 with a maximum of 18) explains our excellent results.  We believe that a wide range of activity is essential for the development of children at Cargilfield. We play sport every day and creative activities such as music, drama, art and design are an important part of our curriculum. We also offer over 50 clubs that take place during the term, either during the day, the evening or boarding weekends.