Hi, anyone could give me some advices about the schools in South and east Belfast?
I recently moved to Belfast with my 2 years old DD. DH still works in Finland and commutes every two weeks, and hopefully we will reunite later this year or the next year.
Now we're thinking about buying a home here. We'd prefer south or east Belfast, mainly because dd is non-white, so somewhere more mixed would be better, and also because I work in the city centre, need to be easy to commute.
DD is 2 years old, so we probably need to consider her preschool, primary school, and even post school if we decide to buy a house. I've heard that the good schools are alway oversubscribed, and you have to live pretty close to secure a place, is it true?
Buying a home is a big commitment for us, so we'd prefer the one that is within the catchment areas of good schools, especially those usually have better results in the transfer test. Is there any schools in south or east Belfast we should look into and keep in mind when we view houses?
I was also told that for getting into a grammar school, you need to pass the tests. Are the scores the only requirement to get into a grammar school? Does it mean a prep will be a good choice?
I am a bit overwhelmed, too many things need to consider when buy a home, especially with a kid but without much knowledge about the schools as a new one here.
Thank you very much in advance for any advices!