east Scotland
City of Edinburgh Schools
Edinburgh has around 90 primaries, making it one of Scotland's largest education authorities. Demand for popular schools is intense — placing requests are common, especially for schools like James Gillespie's, Boroughmuir and the Royal High. Catchment boundaries in the city can change street by street, and house prices often reflect school catchment desirability. The council's online school finder is essential for new arrivals.
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£125–£157
Clothing grant
15 March
Placing deadline
East Scotland
Region
Universal
Free meals P1–P5
£30/week
EMA
Find your catchment school in City of Edinburgh
Every address in City of Edinburgh has a designated catchment primary and secondary school. Your child has the right to attend their catchment school — the council must provide a place. For a different school, submit a placing request by 15 March.
Secondary schools in City of Edinburgh
23 publicly funded secondaries, from the Scottish Government school contact list dated 31 January 2026.
| School | Area | Type | Postcode |
|---|---|---|---|
| Balerno Community High School | Edinburgh | Non-denom | EH14 7AQ |
| Boroughmuir High School | Edinburgh | Non-denom | EH11 1FL |
| Broughton High School | Edinburgh | Non-denom | EH4 1EG |
| Castlebrae Community High School | Edinburgh | Non-denom | EH16 4DT |
| Craigmount High School | Edinburgh | Non-denom | EH12 8NH |
| Craigroyston Community High School | Edinburgh | Non-denom | EH4 4NL |
| Currie Community High School | Edinburgh | Non-denom | EH14 5RD |
| Drummond Community High School | Edinburgh | Non-denom | EH7 4BS |
| Firrhill High School | Edinburgh | Non-denom | EH14 1DP |
| Forrester High School | Edinburgh | Non-denom | EH12 9AE |
| Gracemount High School | Edinburgh | Non-denom | EH16 6TZ |
| Holy Rood RC High School | Edinburgh | RC | EH15 3ST |
| James Gillespie's High SchoolGaelic stream | Edinburgh | Non-denom | EH9 1DD |
| Leith Academy | Edinburgh | Non-denom | EH6 8JQ |
| Liberton High School | Edinburgh | Non-denom | EH17 7PT |
| Portobello High School | Edinburgh | Non-denom | EH15 3BY |
| Queensferry Community High School | Edinburgh | Non-denom | EH30 9JX |
| St Augustine's High School | Edinburgh | RC | EH12 9AD |
| St Thomas Of Aquin's High School | Edinburgh | RC | EH3 9NH |
| The Royal High School | Edinburgh | Non-denom | EH4 6JP |
| Trinity Academy | Edinburgh | Non-denom | EH6 4RT |
| Tynecastle High School | Edinburgh | Non-denom | EH11 2NJ |
| Wester Hailes High School | Edinburgh | Non-denom | EH14 2SU |
The honest take on City of Edinburgh schools
Edinburgh has around 90 primaries, making it one of Scotland's largest education authorities. Demand for popular schools is intense — placing requests are common, especially for schools like James Gillespie's, Boroughmuir and the Royal High. Catchment boundaries in the city can change street by street, and house prices often reflect school catchment desirability. The council's online school finder is essential for new arrivals. Below you’ll find catchment information, placing request links, clothing grant amounts, free school meals eligibility and EMA details — all linking directly to the City of Edinburgh website.
Primary
£125
Secondary
£157
Available to families receiving qualifying benefits. No deadline — applications open year-round.
Apply at City of EdinburghUniversal for P1–P5 — no application needed. From P6 onwards, means-tested on qualifying benefits (Universal Credit with earnings under £995/mo, Income Support, etc.).
Even if your child gets universal free meals, apply for the means-tested version — it unlocks the clothing grant and other council support.
Apply at City of Edinburgh£30/week
For 16–19 year olds in S5, S6 or college from households with income below £24,421 (one child) or £26,884 (two+). Paid fortnightly to the young person’s own bank account.
Apply for EMAFree transport to your catchment school if the walking distance exceeds:
Primary
2+ miles
Secondary
3+ miles
Additional Support Needs in City of Edinburgh
City of Edinburgh operates a presumption of mainstreaming — most pupils with ASN attend their local school with additional support. The council’s ASN team manages referrals, assessments, and Coordinated Support Plans. If you believe your child needs additional support, contact the school’s Support for Learning teacher as a first step.
Related guides
Frequently asked questions about City of Edinburgh schools
How do I find my catchment school in City of Edinburgh?
City of Edinburgh provides an online school finder tool on their website where you enter your address or postcode to identify your catchment primary and secondary schools. Every Scottish address has a designated catchment school — if you want a different school, you need to submit a placing request by 15 March.
How much is the school clothing grant in City of Edinburgh?
City of Edinburgh pays £125 per primary pupil and £157 per secondary pupil per school year (confirmed for the current academic year). Apply through the City of Edinburgh website — most councils use a combined form for clothing grants and free school meals, so you can apply for both in one go.
What are the school holidays in City of Edinburgh?
City of Edinburgh sets its own school holiday calendar each academic year. Term dates, October break, Christmas, February, Easter and summer holidays all vary by council — they're not the same as England. See our dedicated City of Edinburgh school holidays page for the full calendar with downloadable .ics files for Google Calendar, Apple Calendar or Outlook.
Last updated April 2026.
Clothing grant and free school meals data from City of Edinburgh. School transport entitlements follow national statutory distances. See our editorial policy for how we source this data.