to be so unhappy with my DS' education?

[leguinfan]

We moved up to Scotland last year, partly due to DH's job. One of the reasons we were happy to come was to get away from SATs and the way English education was going. I knew there were teething problems with the Scottish curriculum but I thought at least they were going in the other direction.

I can't believe the differences here.
DS' school is so full there is no library, no computer suite, no music room, no science room... every spare inch of space is used. He doesn't get any ICT time because there aren't enough computers for the whole class. Half of his P.E. time is taken up by this 'daily mile' which isn't physical education at all, ruins his uniform and just makes him wet and cold for the rest of the day. There seem to be barely any resources in comparison to the English school he was at. There are only 5 TAs for 14 classes!

He has lots of 'experiences' in everything but standards seem very low and the pace of learning is snail like.

I have made some friends up here and they seem to feel the same. All of the local schools are bursting so I don't think moving him would be any good.

My nephew back home seems to be doing far more. I am so worried that we've completely messed up his education by coming up here.

i've been wondering about the scottish school system. DD1 is at a "very good" primary which she loves. But is completely oversubscribed (so ICT suite and Library have gone) and very little emphasis on academic progress.

in terms of private schools, it seems that a lot of middle class parents can afford private fees. Probably as house prices are that much lower.

I heard Edinburgh closed a lot of its primaries then there was a baby boom and the ones left are bursting!

Science/music rooms aren't the norm in primary schools.

And Scottish schools don't use TAs to the extent English schools do but class sizes are usually smaller.

If the pace isn't right for your DC though you should ask to speak to the teacher.

If you are in a catchment for a good high school (broughton/ James gillespies) then don't worry too much about primary.

If you aren't in a good high school catchment then look into moving out to somewhere like Linlithgow or go private. (Private schools in Scotland tend to be cheaper than those in England)

Edinburgh has some of the best state schools in Scotland but I work with people who mainly privately educate their kids. Pretty much all of them were privately educated themselves and it doesn't seem to occur to them to state educate. My colleague tells me his kids need to be privately educated because they are like him and he was "wild" as a kid. He is very lovely but I think he thinks Grange Hill was a documentary. Big trend in going to the father's old school.

When I was growing up I came across hardly anyone who went to private school but in Edinburgh it feels like so many people do it that it's something to consider if you can - we have even through I am perfectly happy with the quality of the local schools, I know in my case I would just be being a bit of a sheep.

lightbulb it was a ridiculous move CEC. A simple look at birth rates and population movement would have made it obvious it was a stupid idea. I think more west Edinburgh schools (clerwood area) were affected than others.

House prices in many parts of Edinburgh as higher than much of England. You can move out and prices drop steeply but I have watched many an episode of "Location, Location..", covering lots of parts of England shouting at the telly "Is that all?".

It's something like 20% of children are privately educated in Edinburgh. Some primaries are just ... A wee bit weird. Completely rammed in P1 - 4, then half the roll disappears to private in P5.

House prices are dearer here than anywhere else in Scotland though.

Yy light there were loads of closures when DS was born and I remember all the baby groups being full and with waiting lists and just thinking 'really?'

How old is he and what month is his birthday in?

I'm asking because he may be at a different stage to your nephew if he is a different year group due to the different age cut offs for English and Scottish schools. ie I knew people who moved from England to Scotland who ended up being the oldest in their year.

Also 14 classes (2 a year) really isn't a big school. I know lots that take in 4 p1 classes a year.

I thought the daily mile was a great idea.

The 5 TA's won't be getting paid for by the budget for providing help for SEN kids. In Scottish schools there are two types of classroom help - a Classroom Assistant (similar to a TA, but never in charge of any teaching & technically should never be in charge of the children alone as that's why their pay is scandalous as they have 'no responsibility') and SEN Assistants. CA's go by school roll number, which can actually be a fucking nightmare if you lose a couple of kids because you can lose one of your CA's mid way through the year and SEN's are hired on specifics depending on time granted for children with extra needs, often the same person is hired for more than one child because full time 1:1 in mainsteam is like finding a four-leaf clover next to the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow (although quite how the one person is supposed to split her whole day between on the 0.whatevers each kid is granted I've no idea!)

No specific music room or science room is not unusual. Sadly losing libraries in not unusual either. My old primary had the local nursery shoved into two of their rooms when another school was closed, sorry merged a couple of years ago. The new housing estate and the 'if in catchment area you must give them a place' means it's now bursting at the seams. Music lessons and anything like that are either done in the class or the GP room. 14 classes is pretty standard. Remember they don't have the luxury of being able to say "we're only taking the first 30". My niece is in a school with four P1 classes and a P1/2.

If you are really unhappy have a look at other schools and see if a Placing Request is possible.

Sorry, SEN Assistants are now ASA's (Additional Support). We were SEN's when I worked over the border, but they've changed it.

light the closures were the same everywhere. Absolute madness. Where I grew up they closed one nursery, three primary schools (well they merged 6 schools - that way they have no compulsion to bus kids whereas if they shut schools they need to) and one high school. They declared that the housing that was being built would mostly be occupied by "single business people or couples"... Yeah. I know LOADS of single business people who are just snapping up four and five bedroom houses in nowheresville. And we all know that couples NEVER have children so there isn't now a plan to build a new primary and secondary school.

The irony is the most family orientated housing is on the site of the old high school. Idiots.

I went to 3 primary schools, in England in the dark ages.

Two had libraries, one didn't. The one that didn't had a 'reading' corner in the classroom with age appropriate books.

ICT didn't really exist, at secondary we had 1 computer in the entire school, I manged to get O Level Computer Studies and learned to code, there were 16 in the class.

None of the schools had a music room, one had an audiovisual room (used for music and watching films/anything noisy), the room was soundproofed, the rest of the school was open plan.

What I'm basically saying is the facilities do not make that much difference as long as there are some basics. Teachers make a huge difference as do other staff.

What is he actually learning? What are the 'experiences'?

As someone who hated school PE with a passion, I think the daily mile is a great idea.

My children's primary school didn't have any of the things that you see as lacking in your school. They still had a good education.

I am in England. My kids have been in 3 primaries.

All had a library (to varying degrees, some were poor) and an computer suite.

Never know a primary to have separate science and music rooms. Music lessons that were extras that parents we conducted in what spare room there was.

Most lessons took place in the one classroom.

PE took place once per week in reception and 2-3 times a week after that.

I don't know what the daily mile is, I assume that have to un or walk a mile a day? Surprised they do this in their uniform though.

But I do think it's a good idea, just not in a school uniform.

Dds secondary conduct fitness tests at the start of each half term. Which I love. Really pushes the kids to get fitter for next time.