Scotland vs Kent:What do I do with big schools move decision?

[scousemum]

We have choice between moving to Scotland (Perthshire, Dunblane probably)..and putting eldest DD in high school there (DS and DD2 to follow) OR move to Kent (somewhere between Maidstone and Canterbury). DD1 has got v good results in 11+ here in Northern Ireland. DESPERATE for ADVICE re.
How hard is it to get all 3 kids in Grammar Schools in this area of Kent?
We have house budget about £300-350 for 4 bed. Would we find anything in decent area?

Also re. Scotland - DD would be youngest in 1st year high (..should be going back to P7 but already done all the work because of NI 11+ test). Anybody rate high schools in Perthshire/Stirling area?

Have to make decision fairly quick. HONEST ADVICE VERY VERY WELCOMED!

Can only advise re Kent. Kent takes on average the top 25% into grammars and it is easier to get a place in east Kent rather than mid or west Kent. No idea if all 3 would pass, so you would need to investigate the non grammar options which can be very mixed in standards. Good luck with your very varied decision!

Dunblane High has got a very good rep in the area.... If you move to Dunblane all 3 of your children will be guaranteed a place...

re your dd... what is her dob? don't think she'll 'have done all the work' as children are taught according to ability. def better for her to be with childre the same age... you don't want her to be too young when it comes to making exam choices / going to uni etc.

I agree that it isn't necessarily in her interests to put her in high school as a newcomer to the area and younger than everyone else. Even if she finds P7 easy, it gives her a chance to settle in and some room to breathe and take up hobbies. It isn't all straightforward academic work, there will be projects she hasn't done and things she hasn't tried (things our school does in P7 include archery, pottery, trip abroad etc).

I think that you have to set your priorities and then it will be easier to make a decision. Dunblane makes sense if you like the idea of neighbours and friends going to the local school (one which it is perfectly easy to come out of with straight As if you are smart enough). It is also a slightly slower pace of life with fantastic outdoor activities nearby and much larger housing for your budget.

However, if you want to push academically and ensure all her peers are as academic. Not to mention the weather being warmer and less sense of being cut off- go for Kent.

Hi Scouse Mum,

Have you checked out the 11+ forum? It has area-specific threads and a lot of people on there can give you a ton of advice about the Kent Test and grammar schools (more than you would ever want to know probably!): www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/forum/11plus/index.php

I am in West Kent, so I'm not in a good position to advise you, but have you considered moving to the Cranbrook School Catchment Area to the south of Maidstone? Although this only goes from 13+, but it might be worth considering if you have three children.

I would second what Falafelle says re: East Kent grammars being easier to get places at than West Kent, which is hugely competitive.

Your house budget would be tight for a four-bed house in West Kent, but you can definitely get more for your money around Maidstone.

Hope that's some help.

Hi thanks indeed for all helpful advice..we are thinking more Scotland tonight..have to make decision in next day or so..very limited time to investigate options so you are invaluable.

ja9..yes, see your point about DD but spoke to one of the primaries in Dunblane, and they said there wasn't much they could do with her given what she covered already, and she'd be better off at high school. Can't remember the levels, but they said she would be the only child working at that grade and it was hard to accommodate that in the class. They do a very intensive years prep for tests in Northern Ireland, and cover some first year high school stuff. But, she's young for her age as it is..and not very street-wise, and I think she'd be better settling in before such a big move. Her birthday is beginning of March. Dead right about not wanting her to be too young for Uni etc. Thanks

Hippy Galore..I think you've summed it all up fabulously well thanks. I guess we do really value academic side of things..both me and dh have phds., but also want slow/outdoor lifestyle. Haven't budget for private schools x3! DD unfortunately has got her 'I'm off to big school' head on, so it would be hard to dissuade her from high school this year. Weather much nicer in Kent, don't think anyone would argue!! Are you in Scotland or SE..you sound knowledgeable about both?

Thanks for schools advice around Kent Falafelle and WKMum. Have checked out 11+ forum..scared me to death!!?? Thought it was hard enough here..but sounds much more oversubscribed in Kent. In NI if you score high, no problem getting into grammar of your choice.

Appreciate all ideas and thoughts and taking the time to reply.

HATING having to make this decision. Horrible responsibility as a mum to make 'right' choices for everyone, without crystal ball!

If she sailed through the 11+ in NI I can't see her having a problem in East Kent (i.e. if you tick over into the Canterbury catchment areas).

Poor you, ScouseMum: I don't envy your decision, but the fact that you are on here trying to get informed and work out what is best for them is a sure sign that you are a great mum, and they can be thankful to you for that (although they probably won't be, right?!).

FWIW, I would advise you to go to Scotland, if you can get your kids into a decent secondary school there.

The GS system in Kent is fraught with issues and even people who have lived here for years find it an absolute minefield! ProfessorL is right that West Kent is much worse than East Kent, but even so it can be a bit hairy, and some of the state comps are not fantastic, should any of your kids not pass the 11+.

I am thinking that if your kids are moving to a completely new area, where they won't know anyone at first, then they might appreciate the fact of all going to the same school, and being there for each other, which might well not happen in Kent. (As you will probably have seen, some kids have to travel on the bus for miles to get to school, which can be unsettling if you already know the area, let alone if your new to a place.)

Also, I might be wrong, but I think you would get more for your money in Scotland house-wise?

I would say: buy some good raincoats and head north!

I went to Dunblane High and I can highly recommend it!
Weirdly I now live near Maidstone , and I know that it is much more difficult to get into a secondary school here - having to apply etc. A friend of mine's son applied to several places and now has to travel over half an hour by bus to get to and from school.
When I went to secondary school in Scotland, there was no "applying", you just went to the school that was in the area - it was a fantastic school, great teachers, amazing outdoor space, good discipline, and though this might not be important to you, the majority of the 6th year went on to university.
The school has been rebuilt since then but it looks even better than it was when I went.

I think you are much more likely to find a property in your budget too.

Good luck and give me a shout if you need any more advice about either area.

Thanks again everyone..

WKMum..we are heading North I think! Completely agree with you, ordering five sets of waterproofs!!!
I don't mean this in boastful way, but all 3 kids seem bright enough to pass 11+, just worried about all the stress if they pass and still don't get to the school they want. I would like them all to go on to Uni, and academic stuff is very important to me..just don't want to be stressed to the hilt as a family achieving it. Really love open space and countryside, and think we might relax a bit more in Scotland. DH always had a bit of a hankering for 'Garden of England' though..we miss England a lot being here and it makes us nostalgic (maybe with rose-tinted specs?)!! Thanks for your ever so thoughtful reply, it's helped me a lot. Just felt totally on my own and swinging madly between options..desperate to do right thing..(and no..kids have no idea what it's like (lol))..been awake 2, 3 , 4am for ages, head spinning. Having someone just focus and support makes huge difference ..would like to send big hug for all kind words x

Hi TheChicOfit wow..Dunblane to Maidstone!! Funny to know both!!! I've had a look at Dunblane High website..and yes, the newbuild seems super. Pleased to hear school is good...kids would be heading to grammar schools if we stayed in NI, so yes, would strongly like them to be working towards Uni. I can't get work in NI so have to move, Scotland job prospects much better and DH has job offer in Glasgow (also being head-hunted by Kent..hence the decision!). Living around Glasgow is not really for me..so we thought Perthshire would be better for us and hoped Dunblane might be good with school and train links. Might get back to you for further advice? Thanks for being so helpful

I'm going to phone schools in Scotland again today re. issue for eldest DD going back into P7 vs moving up to high school.

Need large cuppa and several deep breaths first though.

Thanks again mums (and/or dads?)

Good luck with everything, Scouse Mum! I really think you are making the best decision for your family: fresh air, green space, bigger house (probably) and all the kids in the same school, so no mad multiple school runs. And no running the risk of one kid not getting into GS (though sure you are right that they are all geniuses!) and feeling like a 'failure' compared to their siblings - I've seen that happen a fair bit around here, sadly ...

Come to think of it, if work didn't keep us in the London commuter belt, I might join you!

Why not post back here after the move and let us all know how it went? Thinking of you and big hugs right back!

Aaaaww thanks WKMum

Just looking into putting house up for rent here as the market's totally dead..and we can't sell it in reasonable time.

Don't know about them all being geniuses!!??..they would like to think so (lol)..but there's always the risk of having a bad run before tests (DD got awful dose of swine flu in middle of tests)..and DS has started to tease DD saying that he'd get better marks than her when he does test..so it can all get horribly competitive between siblings, even if they do well. And yes, certainly, one of the others may have not got into a GS.

Just had a hard run of things here..and really want to strike a balance when we move. We would have had kids at different schools here..and mad runs or long bus journeys (DD was going to girls grammar about 10 miles away), so I know exactly what you mean.

Trying to plan a bit to distract from fretting. Will defo post back after the move and let you know how it all works out! Probably posting in the meantime to problem-solve all the snags we come up against, haven't even started to worry about what we do with the dog yet !!!

I went to Dunblane High too, great school, and a great place to grow up. It has a countryside feel to it, but being on the edge of the central belt, you are not cut off at all, good train links to Glasgow/Edinburgh, Stirling nearby.

Although it was a little while ago (am 32)I remember the school as being strongly accademic - most people assumed they would go to university, and did. The town is fairly middle class and expensive for Scotland, but you would get a reasonable amount of house for your money.

Grandhighpoohba I probably know you - I am 30 so would have been there at the same time as you !

Small world huh!

We have some friends who live in Dunblane and I must admit I do envy the quality of life they have. DH had an opportunity for a job in Edinburgh a few years and we would have loved to have taken it but the DCs are too old to be uprooted now (they are all teenagers) unless we really had to move. We are committed to the London commute as well.

Dunblane is lovely and a lot of people move from Edinburgh to there because the schools have such a good reputation.

Although I have to say I lived in Hythe for a year and loved it down there too but don't know anything about the school system.

OK - Dunblane isn't Perthshire - it's STirling. Housing is pretty expensive. Outside Dunblane towards Perth there are a few villages with good primary schools which feed to good secondaries. ie Blackford, Auchterarder (Auchterarder High - good reputation) Greenloaning, Braco (Crieff High used to have a poor reputation but much better now). Housing is (slightly) less expensive out of Dunblane and you should get a 4 bed OK

TheChicofIt thats whay I thought too. I would bet you a tenner you know me, but am staying incognito!

at your Glasgow comment, you haven't read this then?

Personally I think you are crazy to be considering commuting from Dunblane to Glasgow. That road is a nitemare, do you know about the 10 mile roadworks and 40mph speed limit policed by average speed cameras?

Glad you said that Grandhighpoohba - me too !

Thanks for all comments and thoughts:
We did consider East Dunbartonshire..and Bearsden Academy, but housing seemed very expensive. DH planning on getting train into Glasgow..so roadworks not a problem!He's happy enough to commute. Also looked into East Renfrewshire, but Estate Agents told us everyone breaking their necks to get into Williamwood and house prices are rising. Have nothing against outer regions of Glasgow, perfectly fine..personally, just prefer bit more countryside if we have a choice. We need to be near a train station, so some of the more rural places outside Dunblane would not work for us. Useful ideas and thoughts though, as we're not settled yet and still thinking things through.

It's pretty common for people to commute from Dunblane to Glasgow everyday.
Dunblane is lovely village like but not too cut off.

Linlithgow has good schools and good for commuting to Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Dunblane by train is an easy commute to Glasgow. I quite often go the other way - from Glasgow to Bridge of Allan or Perth.

Housing in ED is going for less over the offers over price than it used to (does that make sense?) so don't rule it out. Lenzie has a good school as well as Bearsden, and a very good catholic school if that's your thing.