I can't thank you enough gomez for taking the time to share this local info with me. You know we are in a bit of a quandry here as if we were to take the house in C'head, I need to get kids to R'side and then BACK along C'head road to the university in BofA where I am a (rather wrinkled) student. It seems that I would be stuck forever in a loop... however I'm going to have a look at this Cambuskenneth option with DH this weekend and see if this might be an idea. Thanks for the advice... and it's encouraging to hear your views in R'side primary and that it seems good. All I really want is a good all round education for my kids and I'm not hung up on getting the "best" in terms of postcode education, because as you rightly say, it doesn't always add up. Certainly BofA class sizes are full to capacity. I just wish R'side was a bit more accessible for the end of the catchment I am looking at.
Does traffic get going from around 8 am then? And I suppose teatime rush hour will be v busy.
Can I just ask you what your experience of the out of school care is - how does that all work. I am a student now but only just as I've been a FTM for the last 5 years and have always been their sole wiper of tears/bottoms/cooker of fishfingers and have not had to rely on childminders etc and out of school care.
You are right you can get more affordable housing in BofA but I was kind of (stupidly) looking for a more substantial older type property. I haven't looked in Riverside - you have just moved there recently I take it? Has it got a good community life to it?
I wonder if anyone has any knowledge of childminders in Causewayhead who go to Riverside anyway with their kids?
Colette, you know we had a good look round Cambusbarron and it seems fine and there's some really nice housing with family types down near the playing fields at the bottom - and is always referred to a "sought after locale" in estate agent brochures because it borders on nice parts of St Ninians and is just separated from King's Park by the motoway. It's got a good community feel and community centre and a nice wee truly "villagy" pub in the centre. The primary school is right up the top of the village on the hill - you would have to look at finding an HMI report for it but from what I remember nothing in what I read about it struck me as being terribly bad (and not terribly fantastic either though but I could be wrong). The school did look like it needed a lick of paint but that is NOT an indication that teaching excellence and good ethos is lacking tho'!
Re: the youth thing, it seems to be everywhere you go and you definately need to look out for quiet spots and blind areas to busier streets because that is where they congregate - ie what may look like a quite little idyll may in fact be a haven for louts and ergo a total nightmare for families who want peace!!!
I've asked several local people what it's like living there and everyone has said it's lovely, quiet and tranquil. I was also speaking to a young student on my course from Cambusbarron and she is just not far off the age of the type of kids that hang about causing trouble and she said that there was none of that in Cambusbarron. In fact, me and DH have driven round there at night time to see if and where there are trouble spots and we saw nothing.... we are nocturnal property sleuths as we don't want to get stung again!!!
Hope this helps. If I think of anything else, I'll post it. Thanks again gomez and colette for your messages and support. Night night from nightingale99