Information for Forces Families

Full Boarding Ethos

Fettes College is a full boarding school with 75% of pupils boarding in the Senior School and over 20% boarding in the Prep School. Full boarding means that there is no exodus of pupils at the weekend so your children’s friends are with them throughout the week and weekend.

“The care and commitment shown to my children was outstanding. Because of this, they developed a real sense of self-worth.”

Past Parent, Forces Family.

In the Prep School, we have one boys’ house and one girls’ house while in the Senior School we have four boys’ houses and four girls’ houses alongside our Upper Sixth Form house for final year students which is co-educational.

At both the Prep and Senior School, our working week includes Saturday morning lessons and a full weekend of trips and activities, fixtures and outings. We also ensure that your child will get time to relax and simply enjoy being with friends, whether that be a later brunch on Sunday or taking a trip in to town (for those in the Senior School).

All our boarding houses are warm and welcoming, led by an incredible team of housemasters and housemistresses devoted to the children in their care. Each boarding house is a unique community with its own personality, a collaborative group of pupils and House staff looking after each other; helping, encouraging and simply being there when needed.

So if your child boards at Fettes, you can be reassured that they will be surrounded by friends and caring staff in a warm, homely environment.

Continuity of Care

We understand that many forces families want their children to board at the same school and as Fettes is co-educational and caters for children from 7-18, siblings can be educated together in this inspiring family environment.

Being an all-through school also ensures that pupils experience continuity of pastoral and academic care from the day they start at Fettes Prep to the day they graduate from the Senior School.

Even though Fettes College and Fettes Prep have distinct identities, many facilities are shared and this provides a reassuring familiarity for those transitioning up to Senior School. The transition is incredibly smooth but still full of excitement for the new adventure that awaits.

The continuity of pastoral care is especially important which is why the housemaster and housemistress in the Prep School have full handovers with their counterparts in the Senior School to ensure that even the smallest detail of your child’s care is noted.

“Knowing that my daughter is in safe hands during term time and throughout her school career is incredibly important to me. Fettes will be the constant in her life while our home has moved twice already and probably will another two or three times before she leaves at 18. Stability of school life and friendships is paramount in a constantly changing family home situation.”

Current Parent, Forces Family

Pastoral Care

The care and welfare of our students is fundamentally important to us as we know that only a happy, supported child will truly flourish. The family community at Fettes means that your child will forge strong bonds with their friends in house but also with their housemaster or housemistress, matron, tutor and teaching staff.

Each member of the Fettes staff fulfils a unique role in the educational, moral and social development of your child to ensure their time with us is a positive, thriving, happy one.

Pupils from forces families may have specific concerns, particularly when their parents are posted overseas on operations and we recognise that they may or may not wish to air their thoughts or worries during these periods. All children react in their own way and it is our job to ensure that we are aware of their feelings and are supporting them accordingly. We pride ourselves on the close relationships we maintain with parents to ensure we are aware of situations as they arise.

In the Senior School, we also have The Hub, run by the PSE prefects and offering all pupils a place of calm during the day. Here they can simply chat with their peers, discuss anything that may be concerning them or use the time and space to recharge when needed.

But don’t just take our word for how excellent the pastoral care at Fettes is, simply take a look at our Care Inspectorate reports, the consistency of which is of particular note, having been awarded the maximum of 6 ‘excellent - sector leading’ in all areas since 2012 – the only school in Scotland to have done so.

“Fettes is a secure, stable, family environment. From that basis, the opportunities and aspirations Fettes provides are endless. There is excellent support for forces children but this is discreet and they do not feel singled-out. There is something for everyone at Fettes and the care (be it in the house, pastorally or academically) is second to none.”

Current Parent, Forces Family

Experience with Forces Families

We are proud of our long history with the forces and these links are as strong today as they ever were. We have a number of former members of the forces working here at Fettes, including our Headmaster, Mr Geoffrey Stanford, teaching staff married to serving forces personnel and a strong network of current forces families.

“I like it that there are lots of other people who know what you are going through and you can talk to them about any problems or worries.”

Current Prep Pupil

Their opinions matter and we have undertaken surveys, lunch meetings and discussion sessions with forces parents and pupils to ensure we are doing all we can to support them.

We feel that this breadth of experience gives us a unique insight into the life of forces families and enables us to provide the highest quality of pastoral support, particularly key during times when families may be moving between postings or a parent is on operations abroad.

We understand the need for flexibility; whether this is simply in ensuring that our pupils are able to communicate with their families wherever they are in the world or in travel arrangements at our Recommended Leave weekends.

Our five annual Leave Out weekends are voluntary so if these present logistical difficulties, we can pair your children with friends or look after them in the boarding houses.

Maximising Academic Potential

Fettes is renowned for the quality of education it provides which naturally includes superb academic results across GCSE, A Level and the IB (topping the Sunday Times league table again this year). We are by no means an academic hot-house but we do believe that with expert tuition and encouragement, all students can maximise their intellectual potential.

Our aim is to make every lesson informative and stimulating, to inspire a passion for learning and a deep, thorough understanding of each subject whether that be a science class for our 7 year olds or an in-depth discussion in an IB English class for our final year students.

Developing self-motivation and determination to work hard is just as important as academic results – the ethos at Fettes is very much about the pupils challenging themselves and working diligently to achieve their goals.

“Whilst we have been posted to the Middle East, our two daughters have made Fettes their home-from-home. The care and attention paid to their wellbeing, individuality, academic progress and sporting/musical endeavour has been first rate.”

Current Parent, Forces Family

Uncovering Talents

A Fettes education means so much more than academic success. The skills and talents of each of our students are recognised and rewarded, whether that be in the classroom, on the sports field, in the concert hall, on the stage or in the gallery.

We are incredibly proud of the level and variety of our students’ achievements – a true reflection of an all-round education.

Fettes provides a wide range of opportunities, experiences and facilities in order to spark an interest and ignite a passion for a subject or activity never before considered. We actively encourage all of our students to give everything a go – unless they try what is on offer, they may never know what they could have achieved, people they could have met or fun they could have had.

Our students have access to over 25 sports, 50 extracurricular activities in the Senior School and over 30 in the Prep School.

“My time at Fettes was not just an education, but a journey of discovery.”

Past Pupil, Forces Family

Getting to Edinburgh

At Fettes, we have the best of both worlds because not only do we live in a beautiful, leafy 90 acre campus with all facilities on-site, but we are located in the heart of Edinburgh, one of the most beautiful capital cities in the world.

Edinburgh provides us with an exhilarating array of cultural facilities such as galleries, theatres and sporting venues but only a short drive away lies the magnificent Scottish countryside, giving students the freedom to sail, climb, walk, ski and cycle.

Getting to Edinburgh from all over the UK as well as internationally is far easier than you may think due to our proximity to the airport and train station, both just a short 20 minute taxi ride away.

Our free Airport Transfer Service means that we will assist with the travel arrangements to and from school with Prep pupils accompanied by Fettes staff to the check-in gate (and waiting at the airport until the flight has left) and ready and waiting for them on the return journey.

Scholarships, Bursaries and Discounts

We firmly believe that every talented student should be able to receive a Fettes education and all the benefits and opportunities it presents. To ensure that fees are not a barrier, we offer means-tested bursarial support as well as a wide range of Scholarships & Awards.

Scholarships and Awards are made to those candidates who demonstrate high ability and potential in one subject or in a group of related subjects as well as those who perform well in all subjects. Scholarships and Awards can cover up to 10% of the fees. Our Scholarships and Awards include All-Rounder Awards, Sport, Music, Piping and Art Scholarships.

Means-tested bursaries are available to all applicants who pass the Fettes Entrance Exams and require financial support. We offer a 12.5% remission to any serving member of the armed forces and sibling discounts are available too.

“A Fettes Scholarship gave me the opportunity to become a Fettesian, so in this sense it meant everything to me and drove me on.”

Past Pupil

Direct quotations and feedback from recent surveys have contributed to the content of this brochure and we thank all our current forces families for their valuable input.

Contact

Email: admissions@fettes.com

Call: 00 44 (0)131 332 2281

Online: www.fettes.com