St Columba’s School - built on strong foundations


St Columba’s School has come a long way since it opened its doors to 54 girls in 1897. Some things have changed - we are now co-educational with around 610 pupils, but much has not. Our emphasis, as it always has been, is focused on the pursuit of excellence, both within and outwith the classroom. St Columba’s School has delivered excellence in education and is recognised as one of Scotland’s highest achieving schools. Each generation of pupils and their families have benefited from the vision and generosity of donors from the wider St Columba’s community.

At St Columba’s we develop fine young people who, in the course of their working and personal lives, make positive contributions to their immediate and wider communities. However, as a successful organisation we recognise that we, too, need to continue to develop and grow in order to deliver our very best.

Over the years, our buildings and facilities have received continuous investment, much made possible by the philanthropic support of the wider St Columba’s family. Every generation of pupils and their families has benefited from the vision and support of previous donors. This support also helps the School to provide a Bursary Scheme which, in recent years, has greatly benefitted families who would otherwise be unable to pay the full tuition fee due to the pandemic. This temporary assistance has been vital to many but it has also allowed us to award bursaries for many gifted children who would otherwise not have the chance, to benefit from a St Columba’s education.

St Columba’s is a registered charity now well into its second century. We aim to secure its long-term financial future by encouraging former pupils, staff and friends of the School to include a legacy to St Columba’s in their Will. Legacy gifts also play an important role in helping the School to invest in larger capital projects and support staff with professional development opportunities.

You can support St Columba's in a way that works for you - gifts can be a one-off donation or a regular amount. Gifts of all sizes will make a difference and will be greatly appreciated.

Your support will help to ensure that today’s pupils and future generations continue to enjoy the superb educational experience which is the hallmark of St Columba’s School.


What our regular givers say...
“We have kids in SI and J6 who will benefit enormously from the investment in the senior school. We have set up a monthly contribution over five years which, with gift aid and matching though an employer’s payroll giving scheme, will soon add up.

Previous generations made the investment in St Columba's, and it’s our turn to help secure the future of our school. If we all get behind the project and do our bit, we’ll soon hit the target.”

Parents of current Senior and Junior School pupils


“Even though our kids have now left, we wanted to give something back to the school that has given our family such a great start. We were also delighted to learn we could make our gift over a number of years, helping our cashflows and at the same time allowing us to give a little more than if we were making a one off donation. Also, by donating through Gift Aid, the School benefits even more.”
Parents of recent former pupils and a current pupil

"As the parents of three children who attended St Columba’s in the nineties, we regard the education they received as instrumental in preparing them for their future careers. The school is a tremendous asset to our village providing a beacon of excellence in the academic world.

Any child showing talent or potential is given full encouragement to shine. We are pleased to be able to offer financial support as St Columba’s invests for future generations of children.”
Parents of three former pupils


Fundraise while you shop
Whenever you buy something online - from your weekly shop to Christmas presents or your annual holiday - you could be collecting free donations for the School.

1. Click here for Easyfundraising's site and join for free. 
2. Every time you shop online, go to Easyfundraising first to find the site you want and start shopping.
3. After you’ve checked out, that retailer will make a donation to St Columba’s at no extra cost.

There are no catches or hidden charges and  you can choose from over 3,000 retailers, including Amazon, John Lewis, House of Fraser, Boden, Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury’s, who’ll give a free donation to St Columba’s School every time you shop and at no extra cost to you. On average, each retailer will donate 5% of the cost of your shopping - and those donations soon mount up.

So whatever you need to purchase, please consider buying it via Easyfundraising - thank you!


Investment in the future: The Georgina Kinnear Circle
The Circle honours Georgina Kinnear, a pioneer of the education of young women in Scotland and a founder of St Columba’s School. She was a woman of great learning and was fond of encouraging her students by saying, “You are not here to learn, but to learn how to learn.” Miss Kinnear and other early leaders gave thoughtful and caring support in the creation of St Columba’s School. The School’s ambition has always been to prepare its young people as ambassadors of their School, community and country.

The Georgina Kinnear Circle has been established to recognise a distinguished group of individuals dedicated to helping St Columba’s ensure its future place in the wider world by including a bequest in their Will.

Read more about the story of Georgina Kinnear here.

Contact Us
Please contact or Development, Marketing & Admissions department via email development@st-columbas.org or telephone 01505 872238. Alternatively, you may wish to speak to our Bursar, Mrs Una Telfer: finance@st-columbas.org or 01505 874790/871206.