Penicuik High School, Penicuik

Penicuik High School is a local authority school in Scotland. Scottish schools are inspected by Education Scotland rather than Ofsted, and Scotland does not publish school-by-school exam league tables.

In the 2025 pupil census it had 627 pupils and 11.8 pupils per teacher.

14% of pupils are registered for free school meals, 59% of pupils have an additional support need recorded and 4% speak English as an additional language.

1% of its pupils live in Scotland's most deprived fifth of areas and 25% in the least deprived fifth (SIMD).

Attendance was 90.4% in 2024/25, and 29.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).

The 2026 school estate survey rated its buildings' condition as poor (C) and their suitability for teaching as poor (C); the school was 66% full.

In its own words: "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."

The nearest other state secondary schools to Penicuik High School are Beeslack Community High School (1 mile) and Currie Community High School (5.7 miles).

There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Penicuik High School.

7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Harlaw Grove (at), 180 metres away.

The primary schools closest to Penicuik High School are Sacred Heart Primary School (0.1 miles), Cuiken Primary School (0.3 miles), Cornbank Primary School (0.4 miles) and Strathesk Primary School (0.7 miles). In Scotland, secondary places normally follow the catchment area, and each secondary school has associated primary schools; Midlothian publishes both.