Relocating to Glasgow, Need Primary Schools recommendations

[mithileshbhende]

Hello,
I am moving to Glasgow in September with my family. I have a daughter who will turn 7 next month. What are areas in Glasgow and around for decent primary schools I should be looking at? I am looking to rent an apartment for a reasonable price in that area and would like my commute to be around 45 min or so to the Glasgow City Center where my office is.

Please suggest me some places that I can search on rightmove.com for rentals considering good primary schools.

Thanks!

[prettybird]

Ask in the Scotsnet topic.

Glendale Primary in Pollolshields is very good and close to the city centre/stations/subway. Strange catchment though - dogs leg in it meant that although Pollokshields Primary was closer (but I didn't want ds to go there), we were actually already in Glendale's catchment.

Disadvantage is that it feeds into Bellahouston Academy, which I don't think is as good as Shawlands Academy (although when ds went to Shawlands he's just finished S6 , they were still accepting placing requests but I think they're nearly at capacity)

Shawlands and Langside Primaries also seem to be good (and feed Shawlands), as is Battlefield (which has a much more mixed demographic).

Not sure you'd get into Glendale though if you're not applying for P1 intake though But as it has quite a lot of ethnic minorities (which it manages brilliantly), there is a degree of movement so you might be lucky.

[mithileshbhende]

Thank you.
Is it difficult to get admission in a school if we do not make it on time? Or if they are full?
I thought everyone who applies in the school covered by the council area gets admission.

[prettybird]

You will get allocated a primary - but it might not be your catchment school if it is full.

So, in Glendale's case for example, you might then be allocated Pollokshields Primary.

Usually the schools will be helpful if you give them a call and will tell you if they have space in the relevant primary year (is that P3 in your dd's case?)

[mithileshbhende]

I understand now. Thank you.
She completed her 1st Grade in US. She will be going to P2.

[prettybird]

I'm confused. If she is turning 7 next month then she'd be going into P3.

Those who turned 5 since March will be going into P1 this August (along with any deferrals who turned 5 in November/December and more commonly January/February, whose parents decided it would be best to defer).

[mithileshbhende]

In US, to be in P1 she had to be 6 years before Oct 01. She just made it as she is born Sept 20. Now she would technically be going to P2, no?

[prettybird]

No - as I say, children who turn 5 between March 2018 and February 2019 will start P1 in August - ie those born March 2013 to February 2014. (I'll exclude deferrals to make it less complicated - but technically anyone not yet 5 when school starts in August can defer but in practice only those who turn 5 next January or February and more rarely those in December and November defer).

So this year's P2s (or those going into P2 in August) will be those born between March 2012 and February 2013.

August's P3s will be those born between March 2011 and February 2012.

There again, it gets confusing if you compare even with the English system: in addition to having a different (and strict) cut off date of 1 September, they have the non compulsory Reception year (which Scotland doesn't have) and then a further 6 formal years at primary and then 7 years at secondary. Scotland has 7 formal years at primary and 6 at secondary.

[prettybird]

Just thinking about it, part of the confusion is because your dd's birthday is in September.

In England, that means she would indeed be going into Y2 - as one of the oldest in the year.

In Scotland she would be going into P3, technically smack bang in the middle of the year but in practice (because of kids who've deferred) towards the younger end of the year.

Ds' birthday is in September too (he'll be turning 18) - so I know that he has more friends in his year who are older than him than are younger. Within the same year, he has friends who turned 18 last December and February this year and another friend who won't turn 18 until February next year!

I also have a MN friend in England whose ds' birthday is also in September, so the two boys are only a few days different in age. Yet her ds us only going into Y13 (Upper 6th) in September as one of the oldest in his year and will be sitting his A Levels next May, whereas my ds is off to Uni next month (), having completed S6 and having sat his Advanced Highers in May (results arrive on Tuesday - but he has an Unconditional offer anyway from Aberdeen Uni so it's really just a matter of pride )

I suppose technically you could keep your dd back in P2, but it would be highly unusual and I'm not sure the council would agree. The only similar case I'm aware of (for other reasons) involves an October birthday, a much older child and the fact that at the time they didn't speak English so staying in a lower year enabled them to learn the language.

[Luckymummy22]

If I was ever to relocate back to that area I would look at Giffnock area.
It’s East Renfrewshire so just outside Glasgow but it’s very nice. You will pay a premium but schools highly rated.

[shakeyourcaboose]

Or somewhere like Inverkip or West Kilbride? Both lovely and v easily commutable to Glasgow,!

[shakeyourcaboose]

What exactly are you looking for @mithileshbhende? Love a Rightmove search!

[mithileshbhende]

Thank you.
I am looking to move to Glasgow. So looking for nice primary schools and affordable rents.
I tried to look around in rightmove but dont know how the primary schools are in places where the rent is about £600 to £700

[Luckymummy22]

Give me an area and if I know it I may be able to say yay or nay. (Based on opinions of area rather than primary schools themselves)

[shakeyourcaboose]

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-to-rent/property-65971468.html. What about somewhere like here? Is close to several low level trains and this has links to school inspection reports, yes it is near Ibrox which would make it busy on match days though!

[RJnomore1]

Have you considered a bit further out?

I live in Ayrshire. Prestwick and Troon are lovely beach towns with good schools and local facilities and about 45 minutes direct trains to Glasgow central.

[prettybird]

I know people who have/had kids at the primary schools (Pirie Park, Craigton, Lourdes and Our Lady of the Rosarie) and were happy with the schools.

However , not sure I'd be happy about Govan High - but you'd have time to move Ross Hall is ok (I think there are better secondaries though) and Lourdes is fine.

Remember you'll be in the catchment of both a non-denominational and a catholic school, so if you're catholic, you have the right to go to either catchment school.

[Luckymummy22]

With that budget you have to be reasonable with expectations. You will probably not be able to get into one of the most desirable primary schools - but all schools should be OK. Especially primary schools. paisley / Renfrew worth a look as well as motherwell / Hamilton. You can get into Glasgow city centre easily and house prices are reasonable.

I think you may be best to look further out but if I worked on Glasgow I wouldn’t consider Prestwick/Ayr etc as I think it’s too far out (personal opinion only)

[RJnomore1]

It really depends where you work in Glasgow. If it is really city centre the train in from here is easier than driving from nearer. I worked in Robertson street for a while and it was a complete doddle to get to.

[mithileshbhende]

Thank you for all the responses! Appreciate it very much!

@LuckyMummy22: From the searches I did on rightmove until now, I looked at properties around the areas like, Clydebank, Battlefield Road, New Gorbals, Refrenshire, Newton Mearns. But for me they are still only names.
@RJnomore1 My office is at Waterloo Street in the City Center. About a 2 min walk from the Glasgow Central Train station. So I think the train connectivity would not be a problem.
My major concern is selecting the area with schools. I dont know anything about the areas in and around Glasgow but I will start to research myself when I get suggestions from you people.
I dont mind staying a bit far from City Center as you said. I will look what I find in Ayrshire. Prestwick and Troon. Thank you

@prettybird, Thanks. I will look for properties in the areas you mentioned. I am not a Catholic. This is one criteria I had not known. I will look for those areas that have non-Catholic schools.

Thanks for all the responses again!

Regards, Mithilesh

[prettybird]

You misunderstood mithile - all areas have defined catchments for both a non-denom or a catholic school, so you are effectively always in the catchment for two schools, one catholic, one non-denominational. However, some of the catholic primaries in Glasgow, especially on the Southside, have more Sikhs and Muslims in them than Catholics

BTW: Battlefield Primary has a good reputation and it also feeds Shawlands Academy (which is IMHO one of the best secondaries in Glasgow). Iirc, it is one of the few primaries which has a choice of secondaries which it feeds to (the other one being Kings Park Secondary, I think ). It's an old Victorian school building but I think it was recently refurbished.

I used to work in Waterloo Street (although my old office is now a hotel) and it was very convenient to get to. Dh also used to work in Atrium Court, which is also on Waterloo Street.

[user1487194234]

Are you going to be moving on again before secondary school
Most of the primary schools are fine ,but a lot of people prefer to move out of Glasgow for secondary education

[mithileshbhende]

@prettybird Thank you I understand now. I clearly had misunderstood this.
@user1487194234 I think I would have to move anyways as the accommodation right now is temporary. But I am okay with starting with an area outside Glasgow.

[Hanfleur]

Hi there!

We moved out to Neilston, a village just outside Glasgow 5 yrs ago and would really recommend it.

We have a great primary school of about 270 pupils and come under the East Renfrewshire authority which is widely viewed as one of the best. Because Neilston is outside the 'posh' parts of East Ren, the housing is really reasonable (you can easily get a family home for around £100k) and we have a train station that takes you into Central in 30 mins or you can drive in about 20 mins outside peak hours.

The school is undersubscribed being a village school, so you wouldn't have any problem getting a place.

I believe we have a P2/3 composite class (approx 25 pupils) this coming year which would be ideal for your daughter it seems. It is also looking likely that we will have a brand new school built within the next couple of years. Neilston Primary is a feeder school for Eastwood High which is a good school too.

There's a good community feel and we are surrounded by hills and open countryside despite being so close to the city. Definitely worth a look I would say!

Hope that helps and good luck!

[mithileshbhende]

Thank you very much! Very very encouraging to read this!! I will definitely check it out today.

[Hanfleur]

No problem at all! Not sure there’s a big rental market but worth checking. Let me know if you do end up looking this way as I have a good group of friends who are all incomers and always happy to welcome newbies! Where are you from originally? X