East Renfrewshire Schools

[prizw]

Hi moms! We are about to buy a home in East Renfrewshire. The council have told us that our catchment non denom school is Giffnock which feeds into Woodfarm High School. Are these two schools good? Also we wanted to send the children to Williamwood but I believe we would need to do a placing request. How likely are we to get into Williamwood on a placing request (Williamwood would be 1.6miles from our home)?

Our other catchment denom school is St Cadoc’s feeding to St Ninians High School. We are not catholic so unsure if we would get a place?

[user1487194234]

I would not rely on a placing request for either If you want them to go to Williamwood I would move into catchment

[prizw]

We are in catchment for Woodfarm, just wondering if Williamwood is a better school and we applied on a placing request would we get in?

[user1487194234]

I would say Williamwood is perceived as a better school,whether it actually is for specific children is a different matter. I don't think you can rely on placing requests ,particularly for more than 1 child,and when your DC are still primary school age so things can change so much.From what I hear,anectdotaly ,placing requests in ER are getting more and more difficult

[prettybird]

Not sure if this article is helpful or not

http://themotherofall.net/2015/10/higher-education-isnt-for-everyone/

which mentions Woodfarm.

My impression from friends is that it is a perfectly respectable school - and there's a certain degree of snobbery, not the right word angst that results in the placing requests to Williamwood. The "good/better" exams results can also be explained by demographics and/or parental involvement/hot housing (which has its own potential disadvantages, as mentioned in that article and confirmed by my neighbour who is a 1st year tutor at Glasgow Uni )

Both your catchment schools are decent schools. You can always choose to put in a placing request to Williamwood when the time comes, but don't bear yourself up if it is not successful.

[WeeDoughball]

If you want Williamwood I'd move to catchment as placing requests nowadays are harder (plenty of kids in my year went to Giffnock and got williamwood but years ago). St Ninian's is excellent and I'd choose there over Woodfarm if you stick with Giffnock.

[prizw]

Thank you WeeDoughball. Is it possible to go to Giffnock Primary and St Ninians (both are in our catchment)? I don’t know you could mix denom and non denom.

[prizw]

Thank you all. Your advice has been a huge help.

[WeeDoughball]

I wouldn't expect it would be easy to mix non denom and denom. I was friends with someone whose sister did St Joseph's and St Ninian's whilst he was Carolside and Williamwood so being catholic isn't always a requirement if that helps.

[Nitrostormi]

I saw information about how many placing requests have been accepted by Williamwood on a website called Whatdotheyknow. It gave info on 2016 and 2017. Not sure if that will be helpful for you. Also, you can read about how they prioritize placing requests on the East Renfrewshire council website, I think.

[MintChocAddict]

My understanding is that you'd need a baptismal certificate for St.Ninians now. Placing requests in general are just going to become less likely year on year.
If you have a strong preference for a particular school the best advice would be to move into catchment.
Even if you got a placing request for a Williamwood feeder primary, you wouldn't have any right to a place in Williamwood without place requesting again during P7.

[ssd]

thanks for that link prettybird, it applies to me well.

[StylishDuck]

This might be totally outing but we live in the catchment for Williamwood and I actually went to Woodfarm myself. I don't know much about either school as it is now (oldest DC not even in primary yet) but from what I do know I'd be happy for my DC to go to either.

[StylishDuck]

Also how are your catchment primary schools Giffnock and St Cadocs? Are you not closer to Our Lady of The Mission primary?

[prizw]

Thanks Stylishduck! When I rang East Ren Council and gave them my post code those are the schools they said are in our catchment. Thank you was worried for nothing. I’m glad to hear these schools are good. Am relocating from London which is why I don’t know much about the schools.

[nononsene]

Placing requests are getting harder year on year in east Renfrewshire. If you want Williamwood then you need to be in catchment. I have several friends with kids at Woodfarm who seem very happy with it.

[Seniorcitizen1]

You wont get into Williamwood on a placing request - the school is full from catchment pupils. If you elect for non-denom for primary school you would need a placing request for St Nins, and it would be refused as school full from catchment pupils. Woodfarm is a good school and very popular with non-ER residents, although over time number of placing requests granted are falling and soon this school will also be full with catchment pupils

[PearsOfWisdom]

Another person saying that if you want your children to go to Williamwood you need to move into the catchment. Don’t rely on a placing request.

There are plenty other good schools in the area too.

[mytieisascarf]

You will not get into Williamwood on a placement request - it's chocca. Williamwood and St.Ninians are amongst the best state schools in the wider Glasgow area so they are VERY difficult to get into. Woodfarm is a good enough school.

[PearsOfWisdom]

Williamwood, St Ninians and Mearns Castle are in the top 5 schools in Scotland. Woodfarm is 19th and Eastwood 22nd.

So they are all good schools.


www.heraldscotland.com/resources/files/74059

[prizw]

Thank you all, invaluable advice. Much appreciated.