Boroughmuir High School

What Boroughmuir High School does

Boroughmuir High School is a non-denominational state secondary school located at 111 Viewforth, Fountainbridge, Edinburgh, operated by the City of Edinburgh Council. Founded in 1904 and currently serving 1,648 pupils across stages S1-S6, the school delivers Scotland's Curriculum for Excellence, providing broad general education in S1-S3, up to eight National Qualifications in S4, and Higher and Advanced Higher courses in S5-S6, organised across eleven faculty areas covering Computing & Business, Science, English, Mathematics, Modern Languages, Expressive Arts, Health & Wellbeing, Physical Education, Social Subjects, Art & Design/CDE, and Support for Learning. It employs 109 FTE staff under a Senior Management Team of one Head Teacher, four Depute Head Teachers, and a Business Manager.

The school's core technology platform is the Edinburgh Council 'Edinburgh Learns for Life' iPad programme, which issues every pupil an 8th generation iPad with Home School and Responsible User Agreements, combined with Microsoft Office 365 (Teams, Class Notebooks, Outlook) for learning management, and ParentPay for school payments. Curriculum is extended through a Schools College Partnership with Edinburgh College and cross-school neighbourhood provision agreements with Firrhill, James Gillespie's, Liberton, St Thomas of Aquin's, and Gracemount, and through a Boroughmuir Former Pupils' Association that delivers career mentoring. The school operates a Pupil Support structure organised by house, a Support for Learning department, and a Pupil Equity & Family Support function including preloved uniform, Family Fund, free school meals and breakfast club.

Boroughmuir's business model is non-commercial: as a publicly funded school it charges no tuition fees, with funding flowing from the City of Edinburgh Council block grant, supplemented by ParentPay-mechanised payments for meals, trips and uniform. Marketing is community-led, relying on the boroughmuirhighschool.org website, the Boroughmuir Chronicle newsletter (Microsoft Sway), weekly Head Teacher updates, and P7 transition programmes; admissions are processed by the Council for S1 and managed directly for in-year S1-S6 transfers. The school has won Sunday Times State School of the Year twice (2012 and 2018), and its 2018 purpose-built building won Building of the Year, RIAS Award 2018 and RIBA Award for Scotland.

Name

Boroughmuir High School

Legal name

Boroughmuir High School

Website

https://boroughmuirhighschool.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1904

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Boroughmuir High School is a non-denominational state secondary school in Edinburgh operated by the City of Edinburgh Council, serving 1,648 pupils across S1-S6 with eleven academic faculties, a city-wide iPad programme, and partnerships with Edinburgh College and neighbouring schools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Secondary Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public High Schools (EDAJAAAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Academic Tutoring Services (Subject-Specific & General) (EDAJALAA), After-School Academic Support Programs (Centers & Clubs) (EDAJALAM)

Keywords

• Secondary education
• Public schooling
• Curriculum pathways
• Digital learning
• Pupil support services

Headquarters

HQ city

Edinburgh

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Public Education Funding: As a public secondary school operated by City of Edinburgh Council, Boroughmuir receives government funding for operational costs. No tuition fees are charged for pupils attending the school.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Boroughmuir High School is a non-denominational public secondary school in Edinburgh delivering comprehensive education from S1 through S6 (ages 11-18). Its core offering is broad general education (S1-S3), National Qualifications (S4), and Higher/Advanced Higher courses (S5-S6) across 11 faculty areas, enhanced by a 1:1 iPad programme (8th generation devices) under Edinburgh Council's 'Edinburgh Learns for Life' strategy and a Microsoft Office 365-based learning platform. Pupil welfare is supported through a house-based Pupil Support system, a Support for Learning department, and Pupil Equity & Family Support services.

Product overview

Boroughmuir High School is a non-denominational secondary school in Edinburgh providing comprehensive education from S1 to S6. The school operates as a unified educational institution offering a broad curriculum through multiple academic faculties (Computing & Business, Science, English, Mathematics, Modern Languages, Expressive Arts, Health & Wellbeing, Physical Education, Social Subjects, Art & Design/CDE, Support for Learning), enhanced by a comprehensive iPad Programme providing each pupil with a personal 8th generation iPad under Edinburgh Council's 'Edinburgh Learns for Life' strategy. The school supports learning through Pupil Support houses, Support for Learning department, and Pupil Equity & Family Support services. Communication with families is maintained through the Boroughmuir Chronicle (published via Microsoft Sway), the Furthsetter creative writing anthology, and Parent Council engagement. The institution has a thriving extra-curricular programme and an active Former Pupils' Association supporting alumni connections.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Curriculum Pathways Structured academic pathways from S1 through S6 covering Broad General Education (BGE) in S1-S3, National Qualifications (National 4/5, Higher, Advanced Higher) in S4-S6, plus access to Edinburgh College courses. Includes eleven faculty areas: Computing & Business, Science, English, Mathematics, Modern Languages, Expressive Arts, Health & Wellbeing, Physical Education, Social Subjects, Art & Design/CDE, and Support for Learning.
• iPad Programme Every pupil receives an 8th generation iPad for learning as part of Edinburgh Council's 'Edinburgh Learns for Life' digital strategy, enabling personalized learning experiences, creative collaboration, and digital skill development. Pupil and parent/carer sign Home School and Responsible User Agreements before receiving devices.
• Pupil Support Guidance and welfare support system organized by six houses (Bruntsfield, Hartington, Leamington, Montpelier, Viewforth, Westhall). Each Pupil Support Leader oversees the welfare of pupils in their house and provides personal, social, academic, and vocational support.
• Support for Learning Department providing tailored support to pupils with additional support needs, both within subject classes and smaller group settings. Offers diagnostic learning assessments, digital literacy skills training, and collaboration with subject departments for differentiated learning.
• Pupil Equity & Family Support Financial and practical support services including preloved uniform (free), Family Fund for trip assistance, free school meals support, Education Maintenance Allowance guidance, and breakfast club. Managed by an Equity Coordinator (Rebecca Kelly).
• Extra-Curricular Activities Wide range of after-school and lunchtime clubs including Sports, Eco Committee, Minecraft Club, Pop Choir, Model UN, Philosophy Club, Art Club, Photography Club, S1 Art Club, and study support sessions.
• P7 Transition Programme Structured transition programme for Primary 7 students moving to S1, including timeline, events, and support materials to help new pupils and families prepare for starting at Boroughmuir High School.
• Boroughmuir Former Pupils' Association Former pupil membership network providing career guidance (Careers Breakfast events), networking opportunities, potential work experience placements, social events (Burns Supper, Christmas Concert, Awards Ceremony), and access to historical archives. Annual membership fee of £15.

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Edinburgh CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoroughmuir offers access to Edinburgh College courses through the Schools College Partnership, allowing senior pupils (S5-S6) to attend courses at the college as part of their curriculum pathway. This partnership extends learning opportunities beyond what the school can offer directly.
• Neighbourhood Schools (Firrhill, James Gillespie's, Liberton, St Thomas of Aquin's, Gracemount)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAccess to neighbourhood provision at neighbouring schools allows pupils to pursue courses not available at Boroughmuir, providing a wider range of curriculum options for senior phase pupils.
• Boroughmuir Former Pupils' Association (BFPA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive alumni association providing career guidance to senior pupils through Careers Breakfast events, networking opportunities, potential work experience placements, and ongoing connection with former pupils worldwide. Annual membership costs £15.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Tynecastle High School: A state secondary school in the Edinburgh area operating under the same City of Edinburgh Council framework with similar S1-S6 structure and curriculum pathway. Directly comparable as a fellow large Edinburgh state secondary competing for the same local pupil pool.
• Firrhill High School: A south Edinburgh state secondary named in Boroughmuir's neighbourhood provision arrangement. Directly comparable as a fellow City of Edinburgh Council state secondary serving overlapping south-side catchment families and offering reciprocal course access.
• Liberton High School: A south Edinburgh state secondary explicitly named in Boroughmuir's neighbourhood provision arrangements. It is a direct peer because both schools are part of the City of Edinburgh Council secondary estate and Boroughmuir pupils may access courses at Liberton (and vice versa).
• James Gillespie's High School: A non-denominational state secondary school in Edinburgh serving the south side of the city. It is a directly comparable peer because both schools draw from overlapping south Edinburgh catchments, compete for the same placing-request families, and operate under the same City of Edinburgh Council oversight.
• Broughton High School: An Edinburgh state secondary serving a different catchment but operating under the same City of Edinburgh Council framework, SQA qualifications, and curricular structure. It is a directly comparable peer for benchmarking operational and academic performance.
• Gracemount High School: A south Edinburgh state secondary school operating under the same City of Edinburgh Council admissions policy. It is a direct peer because Boroughmuir lists Gracemount in its neighbourhood provision, indicating curricular inter-operability and shared catchment dynamics.
• Royal High School: A large Edinburgh state secondary school, also operated by City of Edinburgh Council, with a similar S1-S6 comprehensive structure. Directly comparable as a fellow large, long-established Edinburgh state secondary competing in the same league tables.

Broad incumbents

• George Heriot's School: A historic Edinburgh independent school offering nursery through secondary education. It is a broader-incumbent peer because it draws from the same Edinburgh talent pool, offers bursaries that compete with Boroughmuir's free provision, and operates a wider portfolio of educational services.
• George Watson's College: Edinburgh's largest independent school offering S1-S6 education with a much broader portfolio (including primary). Comparable as a broader incumbent because it competes for the same academically able south Edinburgh families but operates as part of a wider independent school offering with fee-based revenue and bursary levers.

Emerging players

• St Mary's Music School: Edinburgh's specialist state-funded music school, also supported via Council arrangements. Comparable as an emerging-niche peer because it serves musically gifted S1-S6 pupils from across Scotland (and beyond), partially overlapping Boroughmuir's Expressive Arts faculty offerings and competing for the same high-attaining arts-oriented families.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/boroughmuirhighschool
• Xx.com/boroughmuirhs
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/boroughmuir-high-school

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Boroughmuir High School