HighSchools Edinburgh and the Lothians

[user1465822873]

Hi

Looking to move up to Scotland from England, son will do his GCSE in May and June so then will start A Levels in Scotland. Not ideal however it is what it is. Can anyone recommend good High Schools in Edinburgh, West Lothian or East Lothian please. My daughter will go into 1st Year. Please any help and advice would be so so appreciated.

[sleepismysuperpower1]

hi! in Scotland the education system is different, in that the pupils sit nat 5s and Highers in the place of GCSEs and A-Levels.However, there are a few schools like fettes college in Edinburgh that sit A levels and GCSEs. As your daughter would be going into the 1st year of high school, she would have more choice as she could follow the Scottish Education system. Armadale Academy is in West Lothian and follows the Scottish System.

all the best x

[celtiethree]

I think Linlithgow Academy is supposed to be a good school. How old is your daughter, have you checked that she will definitely we S1 intake rather than P7.

In Edinburgh itself about 25% of pupils attend private school.

[Waddsup12]

That's a huge area.

Where do you want to live?

[PretendNothing]

This league table might be helpful for you:
www.heraldscotland.com/resources/files/74059

[user1465822873]

Hi there,

I know its a huge area Waddsup but still unsure, depends on housing and schools so want to measure up all areas. it wont be central Edinburgh as I cant afford that, that why prob be East or West Lothian, would love to live in Crammond but out of our price range for a detached four bed! Not sure how difficult the transition is going to be for my son as it is a worry, maybe college may suit better. I want to get a good idea of schools and nice areas to live.

[user1465822873]

That's a real helpful tool Pretendnothing. Thank you so much.

[Waddsup12]

Cramond is under the flight path & traffic is a bit bottlenecked. Lovely but...

Linlithgow is a nice to live, except for the landfill smell, which was much worse a couple of times when I last visited. Was talking to someone connected to the Academy & they were saying there were problems there.

I wouldn't live in central Edinburgh now. It was really residential but I would worry about transient neighbours.

I think I'd look at Craigleith, Ravelston, Balerno, Portobello or Joppa, I think. If somewhere is cheap, there's a reason.

You know about buying being different?

[celtiethree]

I think your son will be fine going into 5th year and taking highers. The only thing to be conscious of is that some schools may start their higher course before the summer break. You need to start thinking about 5 subjects rather than 3. I think college would be quite a difficult route, there isn’t the same concept of 6th form college, and community colleges are unlikely to offer the breadth of highers that would be offered at a secondary school. A school would also offer your DS the best opportunity to make friends within his peer group. A few pupils have moved into my DSs year this year (also 5th year) and they seem to have fitted in well.

[youmeandconchitawurst]

Agree with celtiethree. College doesn't work quite the same way in Scotland. If he's going into post-gcse in England he'll be going into fifth year, the year that kids in Scotland do their Higher exams. Depending on school and academic ability he'll be looking at between 4 and 6 subjects. It's not as "single track" as the English system so he'll probably do English, Maths and several others (it's pretty unusual not to sit English and Maths in Scotland IME but it's pretty unusual to do both in England). Good news is that he can specialise further in 6th year (or go off to college of he wants to do something vocational or an apprenticeship, but it's really not an academic route in Scotland the way that 6th form college is in England).

Can't help you with specific school choices as I don't know your budget or where you can afford. North Berwick might be worth a look, or haddington as they both have good high schools, not-impossible commutes to Edinburgh and a number of oldish estates where a four bed detached isn't going to break the bank (they also have naice Victorian detached that may well break the bank).

Good luck with your move