Welcome

On behalf of the staff and students of Penicuik High School I would like to welcome you to our website.

Penicuik High School is a co-educational, non-denominational High School serving Penicuik and the surrounding area within Midlothian. The current school building with its imposing frontage has been on its present site since 1937 and the school has a reputation for offering a wide and stimulating curriculum and supporting young people to achieve academically, socially and culturally.

Amongst some of its famous alumni are: Sir James Hamilton (the first Dux of the school), the designer of the Concorde’s delta wings, Scotland’s Grand Slam captain, Jim Aitken, Football internationals Craig Paterson and Billy Kirkwood, former Chief executive of NHS Scotland, Malcolm Wright, celebrity stylist to the stars and royalty, Denise McAdam RSM, Rosemarie McIlwhan, Director of the Scottish Human Rights Centre.

We are equally proud of the many young men and women who have passed through our doors and are now making valuable contributions both locally, nationally and internationally. Many of our current students have parents and even grandparents who attended the school and this link to the past is important to our ethos.

One of the key aims of the school, supported by its current PRIDE values is to develop all our young people and provide the best education possible so they are able to become productive and fulfilled citizens who progress into positive working lives and careers.

In order to do this we need to work in partnership with all parents/carers and community partners to offer the widest possible curriculum that develops personal and social skills and ensures they attain suitable qualifications to progress to positive destination after school.

This means we must be here to celebrate the many successes of our young people but also be prepared to work with you and your young person when things go wrong and they need support and guidance to continue to develop and mature. Key to this is communication and transparency and I hope all who cross our doors experience a warm, caring positive environment, where relationships are fostered and we listen and react.

Craig Biddick
Head Teacher