GME Glasgow East

[bhytsize]

Hi,

Seen a couple of threads on here regarding GME and there seems to be some knowledgable people!

We're interested in sending our two kids to Gaelic School eventually (they're 2 and 1 ATM - oldest has name down for Gaelic nursery) but as non-speakers I was wondering if there's anything anybody could suggest I do at this stage to help them / me get a bit used to the language?

I know there's a bounce and rhyme style class in the West End and also in the Southside but there doesn't seem to be anything for babies / kids in the east end or around (ie going more towards Coatbridge / Uddingston way) that I can find?

Does anybody know of anything? Just feels like everything is concentrated in areas that aren't the easiest for us to get to.

Thanks in advance!

[weegiemum]

Hi there, I'm a GME parent with 3 kids in the Gaelic school (high school now).

When they were the age yours are now we lived in the Outer Hebrides, but they weren't exposed to much Gaelic until they went to nursery, and dh and I even now speak very little, though I can read it having done the phonics 3 times!

Its probably worth watching kids TV on BBC Alba, and it was suggested to us to have Gaelic radio on to get used to the sound of the language

Where are you hoping to send them? SGG is very oversubscribed these days and I don't know what the chances of getting in are - when our dc started it was much smaller, but they're in S3, 4 and 6 now!!

[AngelaPamelaSandraRita]

I see the Gaelic school bus in Dennistoun most mornings so there are families from there going to the school.

Uddingston/Coatbridge aren't GGC. I think there is a Gaelic school in Cumbernauld but I don't know anything about South Lan. I don't think you've got much of a chance of getting into the Glasgow G.S. without a Glasgow address.

[bhytsize]

Hi,

Thanks for the replies! We were hoping to send them to SGG, but I know that they are massively oversubscribed... We have a Glasgow postcode but because we're East End (Mount Vernon) it's easier for us to get to places outside of Glasgow (like Uddingston etc) than it is to get to the West End / Southside (which is a bit rubbish because it looks like any Gaelic classes etc are over that way!)

I know I'm thinking quite far in advance - which makes it hard to predict what the prospects will look like at the time - but I'm just trying to get an idea in my head of things to do to make it work!

Good to know that it shouldn't hold them back though even if they've only had a little bit of exposure to the language beforehand!

[MaybesAye]

Hi Bhytsize

There are some bounce and rhyme events in Airdrie and Tollbrae PS have a Gaidhlig feeder nursery that goes to Condorrat. Don't know if that's of any use. WRT to SGG/BSGG and the annexe/future Cartvale; if you have a Glasgow address and pay council tax to GCC then you have as much chance as anyone of getting your child into your (future) catchment school. As it stands people who haven't been able to get a Gaidhlig nursery place are not at a disadvantage. That may change. In the meantime get BBC ALBA on from 5 pm or via iPlayer for the kids programmes!

[bhytsize]

Ah thank you so much, I didn't know about the Airdrie classes... that's easier to get to for me on the train than across Glasgow. We do have a Glasgow address / pay council tax to GCC so I suppose it'll be luck of the draw when it comes time. As I say his name is down for the nursery but they don't start them til 3 so we still have a year to wait to see if he'll get a place there (and then the same again following year for kid 2!)

[weegiemum]

Is it the nursery at SGG? My ds and dd2 both went there and its great, really connected to the school, staff are fab!