Gaelic vs private school, Edinburgh

[bluebert]

Hi everyone. This is the first time I have posted and was hoping to get some of your opinions on language immersion schools, versus private school, and which you think is better long term. In general, I'm trying to decide whether to send my daughter to the state primary gaelic immersion school, and gaining the advantage of an additional language, and all the other benefits of brain function that scientists are beginning to associate with bilingualism. Or to send her to a private school, with smaller classes, better facilities etc. There is no gaelic senior school here in Edinburgh, and so I'm planning to send her to private senior school anyway, but I am torn about primary.
For anyone that knows Edinburgh, specifically, my daughter has been offered a place in Heriot's, Watson's and Edinburgh Academy (and I'm torn about which is the best of these too!), and the gaelic school has just moved to a shiny new premises, which seems to have lovely facilities.
Any thoughts on any of this would be appreciated.

[Knowsabitabouteducation]

Immersion education is great if it's a useful language. Edinburgh has no heritage of Gaelic. It has always been an English-speaking city.

The independent schools you have chosen are all equally good.

[crazycarol]

I was put off Edinburgh Academy (for secondary) because as it was previously a boys school it still has a slightly higher percentage of boys, however that may have changed in recent years. Academically speaking there is not much to choose between the 3 you mention.

A lot of the kids who go to Tolcoss gaelic immersion at the moment go to Gillespies as they can continue with the language. Not sure if that will still happen when the new school opens as they are in geographically different parts of the city. I did consider gaelic immersion for dd but felt for her it was important to be at a local school and to develop local friendships.

[bluebert]

Thanks Knowsabitabouteducation, that's the conclusion I was coming to. So you would definitely put more stock by the fact that the language should be a useful one, not that it may make dd more adept at learning other languages later in life.

Crazycarol, it's funny you should say that as I was leaning away from Edinburgh Academy, but for different reasons. I actually went to a school that only began to accept girls two years earlier, but that was never an issue for me at school. And yes, local connections are important, but we have quite a few of them through nursery which we intend to continue. Also, we actually live about 2 minutes walking distance from Heriot's so it would be very convenient, and hopefully there will be other children from the area going there. We are favouring Heriot's at the moment.

[Erebus]

If you can afford private now, do it.

If your DC is going to fill her mind with a foreign language, it may as well be one that just might useful down the track, like French or Spanish.

I can see the point of Welsh medium schools in Welsh speaking areas but, tbh, Gaelic in an English city like Edinburgh seems to me to just be an affectation.

[Poisonduk]

My daughter has beeen in Heriot's since P1, she's halfway through S5 now. We haven't once had any problems with the school, they have been great and supportive throughout, we were referred to Support for Learning in P2 due to maths issues and the same child just got an A in her Higher prelim for Maths. I would never hesitate to recommend. Watsons is a bigger campus overall and less 'homely' feel. What I find refreshing is that the overall Head knows the name of every pupil on sight and can engage in conversation when he meets them outside school. As for language choices - in senior school they can opt to study Mandarin as well as the traditional big three.

[PhyllisDoris]

Blimey! Does anyone actually speak Gaelic any more - as a mother tongue?

I too can't really see the point in learing Gaelic, though don't disagree with the point that learning a second language has proved to be beneficial in all sorts of ways. Let it be a useful language though!

[daddy1973]

my kids are fluent having had all of their primary education through the language. some of their friends - it would be unusual for the families to speak english in the house or in the street to other gaels - so absolutely - you just need to get away from the central belt

[CruCru]

Out of nosiness, do you also have to commit to learning to speak Gaelic? It would be useful to be able to help your child with schoolwork - however, I'd think that having to learn the language as an adult would be a greater barrier to entry than private school fees.

[CruCru]

Ah, sorry I didn't spot that this is a zombie thread.