History & Ethos of the School

The Hamilton School of English was established in Edinburgh in 1983 with the aim of creating a safe, secure and happy environment in which young people could receive high standards of English tuition in a relaxed holiday atmosphere.

In 1990 Julie Darling took over the school and continued to provide an unforgettable holiday experience in Edinburgh, for thousands of young students from all over the world. Over the years Julie enhanced the reputation of the Hamilton School as an ideal setting for students to practise and improve their English whilst at the same time making new friends from around the world.

The ownership of the school changed in August 2011, with Julie Darling now taking a well deserved back seat role after 21 years!  Hamilton School is now owned and operated by David and Alison Orr, who are a family team and are also involved in running Glasgow School of English which was established by Alison’s father, Andrew Lennox, in 1997.

In 2012 Hamilton is offering an extended range of programmes to complement the Edinburgh Summer programme but the ethos of the school remains the same, which is to ensure that we provide a secure and happy environment for young people of all nationalities to learn English in Scotland in a setting where lasting friendships can be made.