"The strong, positive ethos and the high quality of pastoral care, the teamwork among staff and their commitment to the school and its pupils, the courteous, polite and well behaved pupils.

HMI Report 2001

Since 2001, we have continued to build on our stengths.  Our results in 2005 saw us the top school in the country, with the best Higher pass rate of any school.  This is down to the teamwork and hard work noted by the inspectors, and our ongoing commitment to help every pupil reach his or her potential.

This is achieved through;

• small class sizes - no more than twenty pupils and often far fewer
• a commitment to staff development
• detailed Improvement Planning at all levels
• a focus on "Assessment for Learning"
• ongoing investment in ICT, including smart boards, laptops and SEEMIS reporting system 
• strong pastoral and careers support through our Heads of House
• an emphasis on extra-curricular activities

School Roll
The current roll is just under 730 with approximately 380 pupils in Junior School and 350 pupils in Senior School. 

An important aspect of education at St. Columba’s is the Transitus class.  This class, replacing the normal primary seven, enables a smooth transition from Junior to Senior School.  Transitus classes tend to have 20 pupils as do classes in Senior School, except in subjects which are set according to ability; where top sets tend to have more pupils and lower sets have fewer pupils.

From Senior III to Senior VI, classes tend to be fewer than 20 depending on the uptake for each subject; Advanced Higher classes are often in single figures.

Academic Excellence
For many years now St. Columba’s academic results have been excellent.  In an attempt to place schools in league tables, the pass rate at Higher Grade is the statistic most often quoted in the national press and St. Columba’s has come first on more than one occasion in the last five years.

The School’s performance in the league tables was an important factor for The Sunday Times which awarded the School the title of Scottish Independent School of the Year, 2004 – 2005.

Pupils are presented for Scottish Qualification Authority examinations.

At Senior IV most subjects prepare candidates for either Standard Grade or Intermediate 2 - a qualification which is broadly equivalent to a Credit pass at Standard Grade.

Senior V pupils are prepared for Higher Grade examinations with most candidates studying four or five subjects.

Senior VI students study three Advanced Highers or opt for a mixture of Advanced Highers and Highers.

Where Our Pupils Go
In most years 97% of our pupils go to university either straight from school or after a gap year.  On average, 18% take courses in medicine, 20% in science and engineering, 12% in law, 9% in humanities and social sciences, 23% in business and accountancy, 6% in art and design and 12% in other subjects (e.g. sport, teaching).