Schools around Perth area

[boredbylaundry]

relocating to this area.. Not sure where exactly yet, looking at Milnathort, Perth, dollar . DH has his children up there and we would like to live close to them. Also love the place, DH from Scotland , visit every month, Have lovely friends up there and family. Love being close to Edinburgh and St. Andrews. Am self employed part time and I could work up there. Could get bigger house etc etc. fresh air etc etc

Have ds 9.
Diagnosed with high functioning autism at age 4 1/2 ... currently has a statement but I feel this is no longer a help to him or necessary. I feel it simply provides extra funding for his south of England state junior school ( mainstream ) I am seeking to have this removed as I feel it is now an unnecessary label and he doesn't like to be singled out. he doesn't spend time with a teaching assistant or like to leave the classroom. He told them 2 years ago he didn't want this anymore Thankyou.

His father and I were divorcing at the time of diagnosis... Home was a very stressful place for him ( sadly it was a domestic violence situation... Ex had mental health issues ) and we had to move and change schools a couple of times as a result. Ds and I talk quiet openly about it if he wants to. He doesn't have that much to do with his dad lately unless his uncle or grandmother are around as he had a relapse when he was staying with him

He really does seem to be .. If not " growing out of his asd" really able to manage it and people do not notice anything different unless I mention it. He sort of does a mild version of many of the asd traits .. does tend to fixate a bit on favourite TV programmes for example and likes to secretly " stim " or relax at home with a bit of running up and down if he has had an " overload day" He is most conscientious about not doing this publicly and tries to remember to go use the trampoline. Likes to eat lunch at the same time each day etc etc

Used to throw tantrums but hasn't for 2 or 3 years which makes me question how much was asd and how much was emotional distress. Having a great father figure in his step dad has made a huge difference.

Socialises well but not in large groups .. loves going to cubs, play dates, being with his step siblings (DSS 8, DSD 6) Very very Shy initially of strangers but covers it well . Good looking kid so this helps him I think.. He has learnt to be " cool" As a front. Unusually I think for somebody " on the spectrum" he has good empathy and is kind to other kids and people.

A happy little boy nowadays , school reports are good for behaviour and "performance" ( I hate that word being applied to children.. Hate it) Scores highly in maths and science... Sending him for extra coaching with his handwriting as was told this was below standard for his age... Have seen huge improvements .. But still a way to go.

He does seem intimidated by a large busy school. A strongly competitive environment wouldn't work. He likes outdoor group activities but not into competitive sports really.

I am looking for a good school for him ( as opposed to a good school if that makes sense ) I feel an independent school with smaller class sizes would be good and the fees are lower than in England so could afford it at a push.

Would he be able to get into an independent school in the area? Any that can be recommended? Before I start looking and applying should I seek to have the statement removed ? Is it recognised in Scotland. Would it help ?

Will he have to go through some dreadful interview where they are looking to see if he " acts different "??? Some stressful entrance exam ? He had a computerised mock assessment at a tutorial learning centre recently and they made it lots of fun so he was really relaxed... he came up with high scores . If the entrance was like that he would be fine. But being grilled by a stern headmaster?? He would go super shy.

Or are there state schools anybody would recommend ? Class sizes are my only issue ... . He finds 30 kids in a classroom hard to concentrate because of the noise level and I can't say I blame him... So I want to get him away from that.
Would he be teased because of his accent ?

I got a perspectus from dollar academy. I mentioned he had been diagnosed asd and she said he would have to sit an entrance exam . Yet our friends whose daughters go there did not have to do this .

Any advice most gratefully received. I simply have no clue.
Sorry it's such a rambling email banging on about my kid. It's just that finding the right school,comes before finding the right home. And he has gone through so much upheaval.

I think you have to sit an exam for Dollar in P6 onwards.

My DS is in P6 in s school in Fife and there is 14 in his class. So you don't have to pay, necessarily.

I think the High School in Kinross has s good reputation.

Thankyou primal lass
Wow .. 14 .. That's amazing
Yes I think the school in Kinross is new or newly updated

What age is p6 please ?

I'm from Perth and my lovely stepmum was teaching in special needs there until about 5 years ago.

In Perth itself the primaries are big, but in the villages, especially to the North (balbeggie, burrelton etc) the class sizes can be quite small with lots of individual attention. Most of them feed into the secondaries in Perth (there are 4 - Perth Academy (where I went!), Perth High, Perth Grammar and St Columbas's High (Catholic). Academy, Grammar etc mean nothing in Scotland, all state secondaries are comprehensive, it's historical naming).

I'd not go back there but that's partly as I come from there and need to be at a distance from my (lovely!! Honest!) parents, and my dc are very happily settled in Glasgow. But I have many friends who work/live/teach (I'm a secondary teacher myself!) in and around Perth. For smaller type schools you could consider Kinross, Blairgowrie or Crieff. All have more than one primary and smallish high schools. I've teaching friends in all of these schools (as well as Perth high and academy) who are very satisfied but still challenged in their careers, which is of course a good thing. My SM was a departmental head in Learning Support in a Perth school and she spoke very highly of her colleagues in all local schools.

I'm not up to speed on translating an English statement into the Scottish system, but your ds might benefit from an IEP and it's worth talking over with the head/LS department of any school you consider. He sounds like he's doing well but there can be issues on transfer to secondary, but a primary should have the equivalent of a SENCO you can talk to - this might be the head or depute.

If you needed to go to a part of the country where an English accent wouldn't be an issue, Perth isn't a bad bet. Edinburgh might be better, but not much.

Another option might be Fife? I taught there for 2 years, great council to work for, well resourced, lots of village type schools away from Dunfermilne/Kirkcaldy/Glenrothes - think St Andrews, East Neuk (great high school in Waid Academy, in Anstruther) or maybe Auchtermuchty, Cupar. Close to Perth on the motorway.

If you do move to a Scotland, bear in mind the intake year is different. It goes by calendar year, not the academic year. You can't start any earlier than 4y6m and My oldest 2 dc were 5y6m at the start as they were born in Feb and you can defer for Jan-Feb birthdays. This meant a friend of mines ds, born in April, dropping back a year when they moved to Scotland (between p1 and p2 so not a big deal as p1 isn't as play-based as reception everywhere). My youngest dc started at 4y9m and she seemed soooooo tiny, even her going to secondary this August at 11.9 freaked me out though she's getting 2 service buses to school nae bother!

Hope this helps, I'm tired and rambling a bit!

weegiemum is right that in the outlying villages around Perth many schools are very small with small class sizes and, in some cases, composite classes. The local primary closest to me has less than 20 pupils in the entire school!

If you can afford to pay and think that this would be the right think for your son, then do look at Ardvreck. It's a wonderful (small) place and I've never heard a poor review. Lots of dens and dams and outdoor activities. The Headmaster (who is new this term) spent the weekend climbing Ben Nevis with some boys so definitely not a stand offish type who would give your son a grilling.

Independent schools in Scotland also have to offer substantial fee remissions to those who cannot afford to pay in order to retain their charity status so don't rule out Ardvreck on a cost basis alone.

I can second littlebird22 for Ardvreck, fabulous little school, very caring and very good with children who may need 'extra attention' for whatever reason. A real family atmosphere. New HM is very impressive! Def recommend you go and have a look or let your DS have a a taster day!

Kinross is a good secondary school but quite big and growing.

Perth city secondary schools are all quite big.

However if you move outside of Perth itself and look at Auchterarder or Aberfeldy, both of these are community schools with primary and secondary on the same campus, which helps massively with transition, and both are small schools with some significantly smaller classes.

i feel qualified to answer this as my DS2 has an Asperger's DX (but sounds very similar to your DS) and presently doing very well at Kinross High School. It isn't that big @900, the other schools near me are 1300 upwards. We actually live in Dollar but our kids have out of catchment places at Kinross. We have found learning support very helpful, although Ds2 is a bright boy who doesn't need much help in class (he is particularly good at science and this is a strength of the school) but he is allowed to use a laptop as he has problems with handwriting too. The main help has been in the provision of a sort of "chill out" area to be used by any child who finds the hustle and bustle of break/lunch too much, it has been a real haven for DS2 and other quiet children. Being totally honest, DS2 did have a few issues with a couple of mildly disruptive boys in his class in first and second year (he is sensitive to noise) but this is no longer an issue.

Class sizes aren't that different in senior school in elective classes and the classes get smaller the further up the exam ladder you go in both the state and private system, particularly if you chose "hard" subjects. DS was in a class of 12 for Maths one year as he was struggling and this boosted him a lot, he is now predicted to achieve a B (fingers crossed).

Dollar Academy is an excellent school with brilliant results, many of my friends' children go there. There is an entrance exam for Junior school upwards and not everyone gets in! (but an academic child shouldn't have a problem). The ethos of the senior school is very competitive and full-on, very sporty, and the pupils can be quite competitive with each other about social activities too (although this seems to vary between different year groups). I have a dear friend who has a slightly quirky but bright child with a learning difference who has found the learning support at Dollar well below standard and whose child has struggled to fit into a social scene with a strict pecking order (it goes without saying that there is an element of this at all high schools, but DS2 was supported to get off to a good start socially at Kinross and has a small but select group of (nerdy) friends).

Dunblane is, and always has been, a good choice (i went there a long time ago and it hasn't changed much) although these days it is Stirlingshire not Perthshire. Very good school, nice place to live, good range of activites for kids/teens and, crucially. good public transport. DH and I spend far too much time ferrying our teens between small Perthshire towns and villages. Glenfarg seems nice, small primary, Kinross catchment. Milnathort has nice bits...I could go on indefinitely, spent years mulling over possibilities before coming up with our compromise.

Kinross does have a horrible purple blazer though!

Lovely kind helpful people , thank you so much for this. Sorry for late recognition. Haven't logged in for a little while. Beyond grateful for each reply . X