Placing requests (williamwood, notre dame, jordanhill etc.)

Blottedcopybook · 19/06/2011 23:05

If she's really bright, why not apply to some of the private schools for the bursary/scholarship entry?

Sorry if that's a bit 'helpy' but it's what I was considering for my child and I wouldn't say he's exceptionally bright, just a bit of a grafter.

giggly · 19/06/2011 23:08

Can only comment on Jordonhill. If child born within the catchment area and name put on list after birth then you just might get in, then a sibling born outwith would get into secondry.

trixymalixy · 19/06/2011 23:09

Not a hope in hell. Sorry but unless you're in catchment for these schools then you are on a hiding to nothing. They are very oversubscribed.

prettybird · 20/06/2011 14:53

Have a look at Shawlands. Ds is bright (probably the brightest in his year but we will only say "one of the brightest...." to him, even though he is becoming aware that he can do more than his peers) and has just come home with an exemplary school report. We weren't comfortable with his catchment secondary (Bellahouston) and so we looked at Shawlands which is only a wee bit further, plus a teacher we respect at his school said "there would be more kids like him at Shawlands" (he's a nice kid and not at all street-wise). It has the added bonus that he would already know a number of the other kids going there through his rugby (not something that would necessarily be the case with your dd although I won't assume as there are girls who also play Minis' rugby at ds' club).

He's only in P6 but we've been to have a look around and were very impressed. What I particularly liked was their expectation that kids had to get good Highers at first attempt - re-sits are no good.

Within the last few years they've had kids going to Oxbridge and off to St Andrews and Glasgow Medical Schools.

darleneoconnor · 20/06/2011 15:07

scotch- how far ahead are you talking about? We went round all the private schools but none had any real strategies for coping with a very academically gifted child, eg Hutchie said they would do 1 'extension' lesson per week.

However if you are talking about jst 1-2 years ahead then going for a bursary/scholarship would be a good idea. What is your catchment school at the moment?

If you want Williamwood, you need to move into its specific catchment not just East Ren, but then you will get in unlike Jordanhill where even the catchment is no guarantee.

Is Notre Dame very academic? I've never heard it described as such.

Also are you aware of all the CfE changes that will happen by the time your DD comes to take her exams? SGs and Int will be gone and replaced by Nationals and atm no-one's very sure how it will all work,but it doesn't sound very good for academic children.

Original poster

scotchbroth1 · 21/06/2011 15:20

Thanks everyone. We are talking 1-2 years ahead so not some child prodigy, but it is quite a below average school for attaiment and the secondary sounds similar.

"Not a hope in hell. Sorry but unless you're in catchment for these schools then you are on a hiding to nothing. They are very oversubscribed."

I know this is true of Jordanhill but the other two? ND seems to have girls from all over the city with not much "catchment area" though maybe Catholic families would ger preference. WW, I know some kids have chosen between this and Glasgow schools, but that was a few years ago. Thanks for Shawlands tip. Will investigate.

The CfE is very unknown so we'll see how that pans out. As long as it doesn't go too far the other way of having rounded but unacademic children.

OP posts:

prettybird · 21/06/2011 15:57

Ds is supposedly doing maths a year "ahead" of where he should be (and we think he should be getting even more challenging stuff - but next year he will be getting the "headie" for maths as she takes the top P7 number group so that should shake him up as she loves her maths).

I did a load of research on Shawlands before going to visit - and came away very impressed. There will still be some bad apples - there are in every school - but what I liked was the expectation for excellence that was shown by the teachers.

The S1 trnasition teacher said that there was normally about a class worth's of placing requests into Shawlands and that to date they have always been able to accommodate them (even though technically, if you look at the handbook, they are now at capacity)

But capacity means nothing - ds' primary school is now 58 above the supposed maximum capacity it had when he started there and there are no new classrooms they are just squeezed in more tightly

trixymalixy · 21/06/2011 21:26

Op, you need to be a bit realistic about this. The schools you have listed are the top performing non fee paying schools in the area. Every parent will be wanting to get their child into one of these schools, that's why house prices in catchment of these schools are so expensive. That's why East Ren is so much more expensive than other south side areas and Jordanhill extortionate too.

Placing requests go on distance so if you're miles out of catchment then you will not be successful. If you have your heart set on your DD going to one of these then you need to be in catchment.

seb1 · 22/06/2011 14:32

Agree with Trixy this is East Ren stance on current agreement for St Ninians I think you will have to move to get in. Plus there is some new build going on in East Ren. all of whom will be taking up places.

prettybird · 22/06/2011 15:12

Just remembered that one of the kids from ds' school ( well inside the Glasgow boundary, close to the city centre but still South side) got into Williamwood on a placing request this year. Turned down initially, was going to appeal and just before the appeal, got accepted.

So it is possible - but not something I would want to hang my hopes on.

trixymalixy · 22/06/2011 15:27

Yy prettybird, there is always a chance of a placing request if you're just outside catchment, but OP seems to think that you can just make a placing request to any school of your choice and get in. You are perfectly welcome to make a placing request to any school, but the main criteria of acceptance is distance. If you have your heart set on a good school then you need to move in catchment. I would hate for the OP to have a bit of a shock when it's too late to do anything about it.

Also you can only make one placing request, you can't spread your bets by applying to every school that takes your fancy. And you lose your place at your catchment school and if unsuccessful have to accept whatever place is free within your local authority.

prettybird · 22/06/2011 15:36

We'll be doing a placing request for Shawlands next year - but at least we are fairly sure of getting in (and we are likely to have grounds for appeal if we don't).

But given the distance we are from East Ren, I wouldn't have wanted to be relying on getting in to any of the East Ren schools. I was really surprised to find out that this kid got in as there are no siblings involved.

weegiemum · 22/06/2011 16:10

I totally agree with PB about Shawlands - we live in the catchment and there are some fabulous kids locally (including our Goth babysitter!). In fact, looking at behaviour in the street/local shops, I'd go for Shawlands over Hutchie every time!

Our kids will go to Ardsgoil Ghaidlig Ghlaschu as they are in the Gaelic primary, which is a wee gamble as the school is so new, and cleary thats not an option for you. We have neighbours in the Catholic system and tbh I think you would be very very lucky to get a ND place, they're like gold dust, and Jordanhill needs to be tattooed on your head as you are born in the lobby to get in.

I'd start doing what PB has been doing (we know each other off MN, my dd is on her ds's rugby team!) and looking around for "better" schools. Why not look (heck I sound patronising - I'm an ex- teacher!!) to broaden your dds education rather than force it on - musical instruments and extra languages can be really good for kids who are good at maths. My lot all play an instrument, are looking at second instruments and as well as being bilingual English/Gaelic also learn Spanish.

The CfE stuff is all so new no-one has any idea how it will affect exams etc but there is a great focus on co-operation/communication etc so a school which is part of its local community is going to be at a great advantage in meeting goals, and that being local to you will also help (can't remember why I know this).

Personally if I was in your position I would contact shawlands and go for a look round. Or anywhere else local to you? Also check which schools have specific interests (eg Bellahouston for sports). Feel free to PM me and keep posting and let us know how it goes (I have a -next year- p7, 5 and 4 so its interesting!).

prettybird · 22/06/2011 16:23

weegiemum makes a good point about extra-curricular activites. At your dd's age, that's probably where you can add most value.

Ds' rugby has really taught him to focus and that to be at the top of your field, you need to practice at it.

For the record, his current, very clealry visualised career plan is: Glasgow Uni to study Astronomy, playing for his local team 1st 15, before progressing on to Glasgow Warriors and Scotland he is currently refusing to accept his dad's vision of Sorbonne or MIT because we like Paris or Boston

trixymalixy · 22/06/2011 17:15

Totally agree with PB too (kicks self for moving out of Shawlands).

We're going to make a placing request for primary. We would have got into the school on distance with a placing request last year and previous years, so have a reasonable chance, but also have a back up plan. It's a good school, but not one that parents are mortgaging themselves up to the hilt to get into.

bethelbeth · 22/06/2011 20:15

Another vouch for Shawlands. It's an area that I am very fond of and I know the Headteacher quite well. Very impressive.

If we could have found a house to fit us all in for our budget in Shawlands then we would have moved there but we're doing East Ren instead for WW.

To be fair though DD is not even 2 so it could all change but we are hedging our bets early.

Snappyteabread · 07/11/2021 13:57

@scotchbroth1

DD is only 8 but we feel in no disrespcet she is well ahead of most people in her school catchment area, and this would probably be the case at Secondary unless we get a placing request. Our preferred would be Jordanhill but its hard enough for those IN the catchment area. Williamwood would be geographically better but we are not within East Ren border, just south side of Glasgow. Another possiblity is Notre Dame but that is a fair trek, and is all girls and catholic (we are not Catholics but not terribly bothered by that if the school are happy) We are loathe to fork out for the private schools if we can get a reasonable state school.

Has anyone else had experience of placing requests around here?

Interested to know how things turned out for your daughter. Where did she end up going and how did she get on?