The very best education for boys and girls aged 5-18. Our forward-thinking curriculum is designed to maximise the potential of every student.

Our forward-thinking curriculum is designed to maximise the potential of each and every pupil. Pupils at St Leonards are taught to work effectively, to communicate clearly and to respect others whilst participating with purpose.

They are ultimately prepared for the International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme or Diploma Programme, which are our two Sixth Form pathways. We believe that IB qualifications serve as the best preparation for university, apprenticeships, and the workplace. Its ethos pervades all that we do at St Leonards.

One Learner Journey, Three Chapters: Junior, Senior and Sixth Form
In the Junior years,  children aged 5-12 learn and develop the core skills which are essential for life-long achievement. Pupils in Years 1-6 follow the inspiring IB Primary Years Programme (PYP).

Both the Junior and Senior sections are integrated to ensure our pupils enjoy a seamless progression through the school - one learner journey.  

The curriculum taught in Years 7, 8 and 9 is the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP), which follows on from the PYP, and leads into the GCSE and IGCSE programme. 

Pupils in Years 10 and 11  study for formal qualifications – GCSEs and IGCSEs. A one-year course (also involving GCSE and IGCSE examinations) known as 'Pre-IB' is available as a means of preparation for the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme or Career-related Programme.

In the Sixth Form, pupils choose between the IB Diploma Programme which has been described as, “by far the most balanced and enlightened education one can offer a young person", and the IB Career-related Programme.

Our commitment to the IB sets us apart - St Leonards was the first IB continuum school in Scotland, and one of the only schools in the UK to actively offer all four IB programmes.

The IB: binding the pupils of St Leonards together

Pupils throughout the School come to know the IB Learner Profile – a set of guiding principles which bind the students and the staff of St Leonards together, in common purpose. It is very much an articulation of the ethos which runs through the entire school  – a series of ideals that inspires, motivates and focuses all that we do as we seek to bring out the best in every pupil.

Pupils at St Leonards aspire to be:

• Inquirers
• Knowledgeable
• Thinkers
• Communicators
• Principled
• Open-minded
• Caring
• Risk-takers
• Balanced
• Reflective

St Leonards is proud of its Scottish heritage and continues to draw the majority of its pupils from Scotland and the rest of the UK. The appeal of the IB has also enabled an international outlook to flourish within the School, with students from 34 different nationalities currently on the school roll. The internationalism of the St Leonards community ensures that our pupils learn about the global nature of the world today.

Enrichment throughout all stages
The IB learner journey begins in Year 1 at St Leonards, and so does the discovery of new talents and the encouragement to make the most of them. Our pupils benefit from the extensive opportunities that are available to them in sport, drama, music and art, through both regular timetabled classes and the broad co-curriculum.

Regular trips and excursions broaden our pupils’ minds and expose them to new ideas and cultures, whilst community involvement  and charitable work teaches them about their greater role in society. 

*Tony Evans, former Chairman of the HMC, quoted in an article by Thomas Cookson, Daily Telegraph, July 2012

Glossary

• IB Diploma Programme (DP): world-leading pre-university qualification that is one of two Sixth Form pathways at St Leonards. Students take six subjects, covering the Sciences, the Arts, and the Humanities. Equivalent to A levels and Highers/Advanced Highers.
• IB Career-related Programme (CP): a rigorous academic programme with a vocational element - one of two Sixth Form pathways at St Leonards. Equivalent to A levels and Highers/Advanced Highers. 
• GCSE: General Certificate of Secondary Education, equivalent to Standard/Intermediate grade.
• IGCSE: International GCSE, equivalent to GCSE and Standard/Intermediate grade.
• MYP: Middle Years Programme - the curriculum followed by pupils in Years 7-9 at St Leonards.
• PYP: Primary Years Programme - the curriculum followed by pupils in Years 1-6 at St Leonards.
• Sixth Form: Years 12 and 13 - the final two years at school.
• Pre-IB: one-year programme leading to a mixture of GCSEs and IGCSEs, usually 6 in total.
• Year 10: S3, first year of a two-year GCSE programme leading to 9 or 10 GCSEs. 
• Year 7: P7, first year of the Senior section at St Leonards. 
• Year 1: P1, first year of the Junior section at St Leonards.