Belhaven Hill School

Focus 

Courage, creativity and courtesy

Day fees  

$17,100–$32,300

Boarding fees 

$41,400

Pupils 

143

Ages

5–13

Spear’s Review

Belhaven Hill School in East Lothian is one of only a few remaining boarding prep schools in Scotland, and offers a traditional but caring environment for children from 5 to 13.

Parents choose when their child begins to board, and the transition from day to boarding can be gradual, but once the switch is made only full fortnightly boarding is available, so the child stays at school for two weeks with every other weekend at home. This is a deliberate choice intended to build fellow feeling between the children and their teachers.

Leavers go on to the top schools in the UK including Eton, Shrewsbury, Stowe and Winchester.

Head teacher

Olly Langton has been headmaster of Belhaven for more than three years. He has a first-class MA from Edinburgh University and has also taught for three years at his former school, Radley College.

Admissions

According to the school:

Pre-Prep admission is P1–P3 (Year 1–Year 3) and Prep admission is P4–S1 (Year 4–Year 8) for boarders and day pupils. Children may join Belhaven at any stage in the Pre-Prep or Prep School as long as there are places available. Early registration is therefore highly recommended to avoid disappointment.

Children can be registered at any time in advance but may be placed on a waiting list. Boarding places, in particular, can be over-subscribed and early registration is recommended. 

Accessibility

Edinburgh Airport; 45 minutes

Location

Click for more information about the research process and expert insight behind the Spear’s Schools Index.