Secondary Schools Fife/Kinross/Stirlingshire

[oldmac]

I am hoping to get some personal insight from fellow mumsnetters about secondary education in these areas of Scotland. We are hoping to move in the next few months and while I have read all there is to read about particular schools, there is nothing like first hand knowledge. HMIE reports can tell me attainment etc but not what the school is really like. So I am looking for information on how nurturing, anti-bullying, encouraging, supportive, both academically and socially/emotionally, etc these following schools are and any other information that you think could be helpful in deciding between them.

The schools we are thinking about are Dunblane, Wallace High, Kinross, Madras College, Bell Baxter, Waid Academy, Balwearie and Inverkeithing.

[dotdotdotmustdash]

Bell Baxter, Waid and Madras are all really good schools in Fife with nice catchments, all are strong on music and community involvement. Balwearie and Inverkeithing are much larger schools with more varied catchments. I know Balwearie well, and it does well for it's high achieving pupils but it's not so strong for the below-average group.

My DC have just left a similar large school in the Fife area and have done well, but I would have opted for BB, Waid or Madras if I could have chosen to live in those areas (I couldn't due to jobs).

[OneMagnumisneverenough]

I've posted on your other thread but just wanted to add that placing requests to Dunblane have all been successful in the last 5 years and the were actively encouraging them. That could still leave you free to live in BofA and Stirling, just be careful where as the public transport is limited. Train is fine and it's about 15 min walk at school end. There is a bus that gives a similar walk to and from the school end but it runs up causwayhead and then right along by the uni and along Henderson street. It can be a fair walk to catch it if you don't live near the route. Ditto for BofA train station.