Cargilfield Prep School

Cargilfield is the oldest independent boarding and day prep school in Scotland, for more than 300 girls and boys, 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.

Prep school ought to be the happiest of times: building friendships – some of which will last a lifetime; building special experiences and memories; building resilience, growing confidence and establishing values. We give children the confidence to enjoy future challenges and opportunities; building a sense of identity and belonging that means children are proud to have been at Cargilfield.

Cargilfield provides a challenging educational environment backed up by excellent pastoral care. We aim to stretch and nurture our children whilst always aiming to provide the highest teaching standards in appropriately-sized classes. We believe in an all-round education and strive to allow every child to make the most of their abilities whether in the classroom, on the games field or in the theatre or concert hall. This prepares children to be successful at a senior school that best suits their abilities and ambitions.

Cargilfield is a place of challenge, of courtesy and of a great deal of fun, and we hope you enjoy looking through our website to find out more about our school. 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.

In the classroom, we aim to take our children well beyond the conventional curriculum expectations for 13+, through a coherent programme of learning from the Nursery and early years towards success in Common Entrance and Scholarship examinations in Form 8. We prepare girls and boys for senior schools all over the country, offering parents the choice of the very best schools in Edinburgh, across Scotland and the United Kingdom. Do look at the future school destinations of our Leavers when they move on at 13+.

There are a broad range of abilities at Cargilfield but a combination of excellent teaching, high expectations and small classes (an average of 14-16 children per class) helps to explain our results. Cargilfield is a family school, with boarding at the heart of what we offer; an extension of our family home and a place where children are valued members of the community and secure of their place in that community.

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 on boarding weekends. Whether it be cooking or jewellery making, climbing or archery, skiing or fencing, debating or dance, your child will find something to enjoy at Cargilfield and develop interests for their future education and the rest of their lives.