Edinburgh's South Morningside Primary named Primary School of the Year 2026

What is the background?

South Morningside Primary School sits on Comiston Road in the Morningside area of Edinburgh, Scotland, and serves more than 500 pupils. Primary School of the Year UK recognition comes from Tes, the education publisher formerly known as the Times Educational Supplement, whose schools awards have run since 2009. The school already held Gold status under the Rights Respecting Schools framework before 2026, and headteacher Grant Gillies has led it since at least 2024, when the school first reached the same award’s shortlist.

What happened?

On 19 June 2026, South Morningside Primary School was named Primary School of the Year at the Tes Schools Awards 2026. The ceremony took place at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London and was hosted by comedian Katherine Ryan. The City of Edinburgh Council confirmed the win in a statement published on 22 June 2026.

The school beat seven other finalists named to the shortlist in April 2026: Ark Tindal Primary Academy (West Midlands), Ernesettle Community School (Devon), Lanchester EP Primary School (County Durham), Rush Green Primary School (Essex), St Barnabas CE Primary School (Worcestershire), Thorpe Primary School (West Yorkshire), and Ysgol Gymraeg Caerffili (Caerphilly, Wales). South Morningside was the only Scottish school on that shortlist.

How did it happen?

A panel of school leaders and education experts judged entries across 23 categories covering leadership, teaching, wellbeing, pupil outcomes, and innovation. The Primary School of the Year category, open only to state schools, asks judges to look for evidence that a school has sparked a love of learning, alongside strong parental involvement, school improvement, and pupil attendance.

Tes said the 2026 awards drew the highest number of nominations since they began in 2009. Judges praised South Morningside for “innovative work to encourage greater community engagement and inclusivity,” and for a child-led, creative approach that gives every pupil outdoor learning, sports programmes, and extracurricular activities, alongside targeted interventions for pupils who need extra support.

Headteacher Grant Gillies credited the result to years of groundwork: “This award represents all the amazing community partners we have.”

Why does it matter?

The win puts a Scottish state school in a UK-wide spotlight usually dominated by English entrants; only Ysgol Gymraeg Caerffili in Wales joined South Morningside as a non-English finalist this year. Tes chief executive Rod Williams said the awards “recognise the schools and teachers whose work is changing lives every day,” a description applied across all 23 category winners, including Heartlands Academy in Birmingham, named Secondary School of the Year, and Churchtown Primary School headteacher Jinnie Payne in Merseyside.

Councillor James Dalgleish, Convener of Edinburgh’s Education, Children and Families Committee, called the win “an incredible achievement which acknowledges the hard work of Mr Gillies and his team.”

What were the key results?

• South Morningside Primary School named Primary School of the Year at the Tes Schools Awards 2026
• Ceremony held 19 June 2026 at the Grosvenor House Hotel, London, hosted by Katherine Ryan
• School serves more than 500 pupils in the Morningside area of Edinburgh
• Beat seven other UK finalists named to the shortlist in April 2026; the only Scottish school in the category
• Winners chosen across 23 categories; 2026 drew the highest number of nominations since the awards began in 2009
• Second Tes shortlisting for the school: it also reached the Primary School of the Year finalists in 2024

What happens next?

Headteacher Grant Gillies credited the collective drive and hard work of children, staff, parents and the wider community.

The Tes Schools Awards are held every year. The 2026 ceremony took place on 19 June in London.