Loretto School

Loretto School

Community

Loretto is Scotland’s oldest independent boarding school. Its ethos promotes enthusiastic participation in all areas of school life, and stresses the value of teamwork and community. The school is deliberately small, made up of two parts, the Junior School (3–12) and the Senior School (12–18), allowing a purposeful and caring family atmosphere. Set within 85 acres of grounds, Loretto is located in the small coastal town of Musselburgh, six miles from the bustling cultural centre of Edinburgh. The school is 25 minutes by car from Edinburgh Airport and one hour away from Glasgow Airport.

Unique features

Acknowledged as a centre of excellence for its music, drama and art, Loretto has its own radio station, and many former pupils now pursue successful careers in this field. The Loretto Golf Academy is renowned as one of the top golf schools in the UK and attracts many talented golfers from around the world. The school has unveiled a £7.5m major development plan to expand facilities. This includes investing in facilities for cricket, as the school has recently employed former England A player Michael Powell to develop this into another area of excellence at the school.

Academic

There is a rigorous academic programme and high expectations. GCSEs, AS- and A-levels are studied at Loretto. Just under half of all A-levels sat in June 2008 were at grade A, against a national average of 25.9%. 75% of all A-level exams taken were at A or B grades. The average UCAS tariff for all 2008 leavers was 336 points, the equivalent of AAB at A-level.

Pastoral

The school was inspected in February 2009 and received the top rating ‘very good’ in all but one area, which was classified as a good, from Her Majesty’s Inspectors. The facilities keep abreast of changing national academic demands, with modern, well-equipped specialist teaching areas. All boarding houses provide a thoroughly modern living and learning environment. There is a strong personal tutor system and much emphasis is placed on our highly regarded Sixth Form programme for preparing students for university.

Extracurricular activities

Loretto is constantly busy and all pupils make a regular commitment to extracurricular activities. Drama and music, including the famous Loretto pipes and drums and whole-school singing, are very popular, making use of the excellent concert hall, state-of-the-art recording studio and theatre facilities. In sport, team games are important. Boys play rugby, hockey and cricket; girls, hockey, lacrosse and tennis. There are also a wide range of individual pursuits available. Pupils take part in Community Service, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme and the Combined Cadet Force.

Scholarships and awards

A broad range of scholarships and bursaries are awarded annually, covering academic, music, art, drama, sport and golf.

Loretto gives a lot and simply

Email: admissions@loretto.com

Web: www.loretto.com