Anyone else enrolling their child for P1 next week?

[suzikettles]

I knew that Glasgow school enrollment was in January but sort of assumed I'd get a letter or something...anyway, I checked the council website just there and apparently it's next week.

Do you have to make an appointment or do you just drop in to see the school secretary or something ? I'm not bothered about seeing round the school as it'll be closing and ds will be going to the new Hillhead Primary in the summer.

At least that's what I'm assuming (see, there's those assumptions again). I need to phone them don't I...

My niece is in p7 at langside and it has been fabulous for her. I would have considered it if we didn't both work but I just can't justify the extra travel and the childcare hassles that it would entail. Lots of my friends from pollokshields are desperately doing placement requests for langside

Just a wee tip - Tinto Primary is next door to Netherauldhouse church and they do a really good "for a donation" cafe on a Friday morning which I have been to with a friend a couple of times. The scones are divine!

thanks for the link:)

I know weegiemum. We have been to some fun days there and the baking is fabulous. Our cm runs the toddler group there. Everyone at the church is so nice it almost makes me want to rescind my aethism

A very good friend of mine is the children's/youth worker there which is how I know about it.

And boy can those women bake! Scones! Mereingues! SHortbread! Etc!

I think Langside is a good school but the HT is just a little OTT :)

I have heard great things about Tinto, I just had a bit of an emotional reaction to it after I visited. The new school looks fab. We are very close :) I'm on A Road, opposite the park. Where are you?

Thanks weege, I've never been to the church, will give it a try :)

something not completed related but looking through that handbook at holiday dates this year- am i reading this right- for easter- they are of the first two weeks of april, back on the 18th then at school til the thursday then of school until the following tuesday then the following week they have a day of aswell????

Yup!

I don't know about Glasgow schools, but in Edinburgh they've had a fixed "Spring Holiday" for a while now. It means that the fortnight's holiday always happens at the same time with the public holidays sometimes being a week or so later, or during, or just after depending on when Easter falls.

I know where you are. Walk past your house on my way into shawlands. We are on H road (parallel with NA road) so very near to you. Am hoping it is good for her and my ds who will be starting at the nursery next year.

Am also planning on sending him to the outdoor kindergarten at pollok park. Does anyone else send their dc?

hey kir, i must hit you up for your dictionaries etc... think the classes start on the 22nd, fancy doing something eftir?

Mmm, nearly :) She's not one for listening....Do you know her?

H road is nice nuigirl, we put in an offer on a house there before we bought this one.

As long as I have been teaching/had kids the Easter Hols have been the first 2 weeks of April, no matter when Easter is, and no matter where in Scotland I have been. I think it has to do with the exams starting at the end of April (Standard grades).

Didn't realise there are so many of you close to me, I'm right between Pollok and Maxwell parks. We're in the Shawlands Primary catchment but don't go there as I said.

Darlene I think I know who you are talking about. I don't actually go to the toddlers as my cm takes my ds but I think it is a friend of a friend. Does the older siblings name begin with an M?

Weegiemum - I was brought up on the other side of maxwell park and my parents live on F road looking onto the railway tracks.

Didn't realise that there were so many southsiders on mn.

Another southsider here nulgirl :)

For your friends in Pollokshields, the other option for placing requests in Glendale Primary. It may not look much but it has a tremendous atmosphere and the teachers are brilliant.

The only problem might be that it is stuffed full - every year about half of its intake is placing requests but so far they have been able to accommodate them all.

It is due to be replaced by a brand new (and bigger) school with a Gaelic medium unit attached to it (so the south side kids don't need to ravel across the river to the GM School), opening 2013 IIRC.

Hello all the Hillhead Primary mums, my dd starts there in August too. (I'll be the basket case with tears tripping me on the first day ). We have been in and met the Head Teacher, Mr Donoghy - he is LOVELY...and yes from what we saw the kids love him. He described how he has a very open door policy with the kids, they even come to his office to show him a new dance move they have learned or to ask random questions..! I think the new building will be fab too.

magbags i will also be a basket case! ds isn't wanting to go, hes not going to know anyone there so hes not going to go easy:(

Prettybird - do your kids go to Glendale? One of my friends lives just up the hill from it but is actually in the catchment for pollokshields primary. What is the ethnic mix like? I love the fact that Shawbridge is so multi cultural and there is such a mix of different languages ( i think they estimate 30 different languages spoken at home) and cultures. I think my friend is concerned that pollokshields primary is so mono- cultural and that her ds will not be able to socialise out of school with the other kids

She should do a placing request for Glendale. It is something like 60% ethnic minorities (remainder English speaking), majority of which are Punjabi Muslim but languages spoken include Arabic, Russian, Polish, French (including Tunisian French), Spanish....

It is managed very well: they have a Diwali Assembly, and Eid Assembly, a Christmas Assembly - and this week they have Burns Assmebly, so they learn about the cultures within the local community.

There is a mix of backgrounds - mostly from the tenements but also a fair proportion from the "big houses" in West Pollokshields (and also many of the tenements are "posh", multi-bedroomed ones). It gets very good results, especially taking into consideration the proportion of those that start with no English and/or are on free school meals.

Becasue of the proprtion of EAL (English ans an Addtional Language) kids, there are a lot of extra resources (bi-lingual teacher, EAL teachers) but the school is an exmaple of best practice in doing "team teaching" in that these extra resources don't wrok in isolation but are an integral part of the classroom approach.

She should visit the school - if she goes inside, she'll see how every sqaure inch of the school is used and there is a real vibracny and enthusiasm amongst both the staff and the pupils.

To date, all placing requests have been accepted - although it is now reaching its limit.

warning for all those that are enrolling at hillhead- its chaos lol i went today- went in at twenty to so ten mins late, there was about 30 or so people in front of me and after waiting 40 minutes only about ten of them were seen to and i had to give up and leave as i had to collect dd from her school!

luckily though the headteacher said i could speak to the head at dd's school and enrol ds there which i did :) so if your in the catchment for k-h school then you might be better trying there:)

Thanks kirmcc - good tip! I'll make sure I'm there sharp on Thursday.

kirmcc dh was in the chaos today too! I'm hoping we will chat to some people at the pre-start visits, I guess most will be in the same situation. Welcome to email me if you fancy meeting for a coffee before then - then the kids would have at least one familiar face when the time comes!

yeah coffee would be good- or even some organised meeting in the park type things:)

did your hubby get any info? i never received anything- thought there might of been a handbook or something but nope:(

Dh got some questions answered by the HT but no info to take away. Yes, a handbook would be good actually. I might call them and ask about that...will let you know.