Boys' Impressions & Experiences...

Three boys from different parts of the school give their views of daily life at Merchiston...

8 year old boy in J4

Excerpts from a letter which Colm, age 8, sent to his old school at the end of his first year at Merchiston:

There are 12 in my class. I am in the Pringle Centre that is very modern. There are loads of windows at the Pringle Centre and since it is near the Dell deers come up and chew the plants at the head masters house. We have 100 acres of rugby and football pitches. There are no concrete playgrounds. It is mostly all woods and we play dens in the wood, when we build buildings, we take over land and we have jobs in the dens. We have tennis courts and nature area. We can also see the pentlands.

My favourite lessons are science, RE, PSE and activities. Right now we are doing science, all about the human body. We did Hansel & Gretel. In Hansel & Gretel I was a bird. I do activerties on Tuesday and Friday. On Tuesday I play football and on Friday I have Judo. We have matches and our team is called Mercky Mudrats. We have great choice of food and we can chat during the time until nearly everyone is ready. The dining hall is bigger than I am used to.

We have three playtimes, one before prep, one after maths and english and one after lunch. Some people do prep (homework) at school or home. I am looking forward to going to PGL camp and the Glasgow Science Centre. I have a different teacher for Sports and Activerties and music.

Day boys can board whenever they want if parents are away or they can stay for a boarding in weekend. These are fun and you can do activities such as ice skates, camping, cooking, pizza, International rugby games, bowling and trips away. I am a day boy but I can still do bording. When you are boarding you stay in the Pringle House. As you can see I am enjoying Merchiston Castle School!

Second Form Boy (Age 11)

For me a typical school day starts roll call at 8.30 in Pringle House. After that classes start in the main school. Some subjects I really, really like, such as art and swimming, but today the first forty minutes are spent learning about British history. Lesson two is in the Sports Hall and then it's French. Break time always flies, but I can usually check my e-mail before Spanish and English. Lunch is followed by a free period. In that time we normally play table tennis, table football or ride our bikes.

On Tuesdays and Thursdays, we can go home at 4.30 and take our prep home, otherwise we have tea and prep at school and leave at 7.15. I practise my violin before heading for bed.

Despite the long days, I think Merchiston is better than my last school because you get a better education and there is so much choice in sports. I have made some good friends.

Lower Sixth Form Boy from Germany

When I first arrived at Merchiston, I had no boarding school experience at all. The first two weeks turned out to be the hardest, as I had to get used to the new way of life. But the boys in my year and the staff were always there for me, which allowed me to settle in easily. After one month I could hardly be called a new boy.

Although I have much more work to do than in Germany, I have coped well enough due to sufficient study periods and prep time. In the afternoons there is a big choice of activities. I finally decided to do athletics and CCF, which is the cadet force within the school. In addition I was introduced to rugby, a completely new but nonetheless highly enjoyable activity for me. School life also offers many recreational opportunities such as cinema trips and reel clubs. The latter involves traditional Scottish dancing with our sister school, St George's. At weekends I enjoy going into Edinburgh's centre; I think it is a beautiful city with a lively atmosphere.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my experience at Merchiston and would strongly recommend it to anyone who is keen to taste Scottish culture and who understands that, by approaching school life here positively, he will get a great deal in return.

Click the link for a further account of Merchiston life by a Canadian boy