George Watson's College caters for children from the ages of 3-18. The School is co-educational throughout, and admits boys and girls irrespective of gender, race or religion.

At which entry points can my child be considered?

For Session 2008/09 main entries are at Nursery, Primary 1, Primary 7 and Senior 1 levels but we are delighted to consider pupils for a limited number of places in other years.

When should I apply?

Nurseries: the closing date for nursery applications is 30 April ie 16 months prior to the August start of school session. 

For all other year groups the closing date for applications is 30 November in the year preceding entry, but late applications are accepted provided there are vacancies. If you require further information please contact our Admissions Secretary who will be very pleased to help you.

How will the School decide who gets a place?

With the exception of the Nursery, entry is subject to assessment, but we feel it is important to emphasize that this process provides a valuable opportunity for both the School and the parents to ensure that pupils are placed in an environment which is suited to their own set of abilities and needs.

Each application is carefully evaluated on an individual basis, taking into account the outcome of the assessment and reference from the child's previous school where appropriate.

Will the School take into consideration my other children who may already be attending the School?

The School places emphasis on the importance of the family, and wherever possible admits brothers and sisters of pupils already in the School. We give every consideration to the importance of preserving stability and continuity for our pupils and their families. It is normal for pupils to progress from Nursery to P1 and from P7 to S1 unless there are exceptional circumstances.

What is the entry process at the different stages?

Junior School

Nurseries
Children wishing to apply for the Nurseries, which cater for children in their pre-school year, are required to be between 3.5 and 4.5 years old for entry. Please refer to Nursery information for further details. Successful applicants will be informed in May ie over 12 months in advance of entry.

Please note that all Nursery children are assessed for entry into Primary 1 and, while the vast majority of children proceed from the Nursery to Primary, we reserve the right to recommend that the child repeats a year in the Nursery or seeks a place elsewhere if we feel that the child will not be able to make suitable progress, even with the support available.

Primary 1
Prospective parents are invited to bring their children for an entrance interview in the Lower Primary in January. Each child has an individual interview. This interview allows the teachers to spend time talking to the children and to assess their readiness for entry to Primary 1. Every effort is made to ensure that the children are relaxed and enjoy their meeting with the teachers. We do not view this as a formal examination but the interview is our main criterion for entry.

Primary 2 and Primary 3
Entry is by individual assessment interview, for which we allow up to one hour. The assessment is the main criterion for entry but the current school report and connections with the School are taken into account. All applicants have an informal conversation with a teacher, the aim of which is for the School to get to know the child better.

Primary 4 to Primary 7
Entry to the Upper Primary is by written test and interview. Children are asked to do Language, Mathematics and Verbal Reasoning papers and a short piece of creative writing. Testing takes place in classrooms and is always preceded by a chat with the teacher in charge to ensure that the children are relaxed. A new class is created in Primary 7, making this a major entry point into Watson's. The assessment is the main criterion for entry, but the current school report and connections with the School are taken into account. All applicants have an informal conversation with a teacher, the aim of which is for the School to get to know the child better.

Senior School

Senior 1
Entry from Watson's P7 to S1 is not automatic, but it is expected that the vast majority of pupils will progress from P7 to S1. The Entrance Examination and interviews for Senior 1 are carried out at the end of January each year. Children spend the morning with us and sit Maths, English and Problem Solving papers, which are based on a typical Primary 7 curriculum.

All applicants have a group interview with a senior member of staff, the aim of which is for the School to get to know the child better. All applicants are interviewed. The examination is the main criterion for entry, but the interview, current school report and connections are taken into account.

Senior 2
Although there is no main intake into Senior 2, chance vacancies do arise and applicants are assessed at the end of January.

Senior 3
We are usually able to offer places to a few new pupils in Senior 3. Applicants will be invited to sit an entrance assessment at the end of January and to complete a Subject Choice Form.

Senior 5 and Senior 6
All applicants will be invited to visit the school early in February to be assessed in their chosen subjects and to meet with the Principal Teacher of Guidance and/or the Deputy Head (Curriculum) and Heads of Department to discuss their performance to date and possible course choices. The aim of the interview is to ascertain the general interests and talents of an applicant including how well he/she would contribute to the extra-curricular life of the School, which would not be revealed by the assessment alone. Reports from the current school, connections and extra curricular achievement (eg in sport, music, drama, etc) are taken into account along with performance in the Entrance Test.

What happens if my we live a considerable distance from Edinburgh at the time of application?

If an applicant lives some distance from Edinburgh it is possible for examination papers to be taken at his or her current school, by arrangement with the Head Teacher, for entry into P4 upwards.

Will the School ask for a report on my child?

If your child is already attending another school we will contact the Head Teacher in November/December requesting a Confidential School Report. No offer of a place can be made until this report has been received.

What provision is there for my child, if English is not the first language in the family?

Pupils for whom English is a second language may be required to have private tuition in order to improve their standard of written or spoken English. The School can provide this tuition at extra cost.

Does the School take into consideration family connections with George Watson's College?

Where connections are taken into account, these are in descending order as follows:-

a) Brother(s)/sister(s) already in the School, or one who has been at the School.

b) A parent who is a former pupil of George Watson's College, George Watson's Boys' College, George Watson's Ladies' College or John Watson's School.

c) A grandparent or other close relative who is or was a former pupil of the above schools.

d) A parent or grandparent who is a member of the Company of Merchants of the City of Edinburgh.

It should be emphasised, however, that pupils who have no connection with the School who perform particularly well in the entry tests will generally receive preference over those with connections who perform less well.

My child needs additional support for learning. Will the School take this into consideration?

Parents of applicants are requested to provide full information on pre-existing diagnoses such as a psychologist's report for a dyslexic pupil or where there is a learning or social difficulty of any kind. 

Assessment of applicants who have a disability will be undertaken with appropriate additional support eg a scribe, large print, extra time etc depending upon the specific needs.

All pupils enrolled whose additional support needs can be accommodated by the School's learning support provision will receive such support. Where needed, appropriate support or arrangements will be made for such pupils during entry testing, so that specific difficulties do not prevent them demonstrating their attainments.

If pupils require additional support which the School needs to source outwith its existing provision, it will be provided, though the School reserves the right to charge an additional sum for this, if necessary covering the entire cost of the extra provision. Details of this will be provided at the time a place is offered, or at any subsequent point when such a need emerges.

If there are more applicants than places, how will the School decide on who enters the School?

Selection will be made on the criteria set out below and in the following order of priority:

• Academic attainment/merit, as demonstrated in entrance assessments
• Sibling(s) already in the School, or one who has been at the School
• Potential contribution to the extra-curricular life of the school based upon information received from references and interview
• Other connections with the School (see above)