The Royal High School (RHS) of Edinburgh is a co-educational school administered by the City of Edinburgh Council. The school was founded in 1128 and is one of the oldest schools in Scotland. It serves around 1,400 pupils drawn from four feeder primaries in the north-west of the city: Blackhall primary school, Clermiston primary school, Cramond and Davidson's Mains. 55°57′49″N 3°17′7″W / 55.96361°N 3.28528°W
| The Royal High School Schola Regia Edinensis | |
|---|---|
 Arms of the Royal High School | |
| Address | |
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East Barnton Avenue , EH4 6JP Scotland | |
| Information | |
| Type | State school |
| Motto | Musis Respublica Floret (The State Flourishes with the Muses) |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Non-denominational Christian[1] |
| Established | 1128 |
| Founder | Alwin, Abbot of Holyrood |
| Local authority | Edinburgh City |
| Rector | Steven Raeburn (acting) (12 August 2024-11 October 2024) (29 October 2024–Present) |
| Staff | around 120 (2023)[2] |
| Gender | Mixed (all-boys previously) |
| Age | 11 to 18 |
| Enrollment | around 1,400 (2023)[3] |
| Houses | Angles Britons Picts Scots Gaels |
| Colour(s) | Black, white & purple |
| Publication | Schola Regia |
| Song | Vivas Schola Regia |
| Latin name | Schola Regia Edinensis |
| Nickname | The Tounis Scule, RHS |
| Website | https://royalhigh.wordpress.com/ |
The school's profile has given it a flagship role in education, piloting such experiments as the introduction of the Certificate of Secondary Education, the provision of setting in English and mathematics, and the curricular integration of European Studies and the International Baccalaureate.[4] The Royal High School was last inspected by Education Scotland in February 2023.[5]
The current Rector is Steven Raeburn (Acting), temporarily covering for Pauline Walker, the second woman to head the school. Raeburn has served as Acting Rector on two occasions this year, his first term from August 12 to October 11, 2024, and then from October 29, 2024. Raeburn will serve as Acting Head Teacher until Mrs. Walker is expected to return as Rector on November 11, 2024.
- ^ Religious observance is required in state schools by the Education (Scotland) Act 1980, and current guidelines for non-denominational schools state that this should include general assemblies of a "broadly Christian" character at least once a month. Parents may ask for their child to opt out.
- ^ Education Scotland - Summarised inspection findings, Education Scotland, pp. 2. Retrieved on 10 March 2023.
- ^ Education Scotland - Summarised inspection findings, Education Scotland, pp. 2. Retrieved on 10 March 2023.
- ^ John Murray, A History of the Royal High School. Edinburgh, Royal High School, 1997, pp. 117–119.
- ^ School inspection page, Education Scotland, Retrieved on 10 March 2023.