Tell me about Glasgow private school

[PortiaPony]

We live in a rural area and our only local primary school is truely awful - bad behaviour, bad results and no before/after school provision as few people work so can do drop off/collect. We're toying with the idea of sending our daughter to school in Glasgow where we both work in the city center. There seems to be a lot of private schools, but i'm sure they all have their particular strengths and weaknesses - can anyone in the know tell me what the differences are between them?

I know parents who have children in Glasgow High, Hutchie and The Academy. All very happy with their choices, and have never said anything bad about any if the schools (apart from the fees!)

Sounds like your DD is very young - would moving to a nicer area be an option? Would probably work out the same as paying 13 years school fees.

I have friends who went to Hutchie, Glasgow and the Academy... all with mixed reviews. Its definitely not suited to every student. A lot of focus on results, the core subjects and creative pursuits take a bit of a backseat.

Depending on the age of your dd it might be beneficial to move to somewhere less rural. The schools in East Renfrewshire are all highly rated. And parts of it are semi-rural!

Moving is an option, but would be last resort. We have very particular requirements for our property - basically we breed horses pretty seriously we need to be rural, but we both work in Glasgow so needs to be within commuting distance, most properties with both of these boxes ticked are very expensive so hence living in a less desirable area (ex mining village, pretty but high levels of deprivation). We're going to attend some open days to get a feel for the schools which is how we chose her nursery, but was keen to see if anyone had any views on particular schools (like x is more academic, but y is more sporty/creative) Ta!

Actually, if I was going to go private, and if I was a catholic (neither of which I am!) I'd think about St Aloycious(sp?) in the city centre. It's a lovely school, and the children all seem really nice when I pass them on my way to work unlike some of the ones on the underground going to the academy

It has primary and secondary. Another alternative is a placing request. Children go to my DC's school fro. Far and wide. You wouldn't get transport though.

Hi Glasgow academy is v creative. Brilliant drama, art dept, outdoor education.
They also have a great music dept, CCF, debating, hospitality etc. it's an academic school but with a real focus on
Something for all.

The only problem is the expense!

When I am in Hutchy I never have to open a door myself, all the kids hold them for you and let you through. You can drop off from 8:10 and they have a great after school programme which runs until 6:00. They do a lot of extra curricular clubs during lunchtimes and after school; everything you can imagine from choir to knitting. They have music teachers who will take your child for tuition in a chosen instrument at an extra cost. Very encouraging of sport though do split pe classes by sex after, I think, year 3. They are multicultural, plenty of support staff; learning support, classroom assistants, playground monitors etc. Made on premesis school lunches available at cost in dining room or can bring packed lunches. Class sizes all seem to be below 20, though most years have 3 classes so a fairly big school. Head teacher etc always seem to know all kids names though which I really like.

If I had kids and the money and wanted a private education I would happily send them to Hutchy. The only thing that would put me off is the amount of homework which, tbh, varies from teacher to teacher. I don't think it is a huge amount but more than a state school, though I guess all private schools are the same. NINE weeks of summer hols is also something to consider when going private.

Know Craigholme fairly well and would not send there though would rather not say why on here!

Belmont is smaller and I know parents who are very happy with the school and have kids who love it.

Pretty much all I know about the academy is they do some lessons in Italian (optional) and the parking at pick up time is a nightmare!

Good post cake.
Yes the parking at the academy is a nightmare but you can now pay £1 and use kelvinbridge underground. Not ideal but I feel worth it for brilliant west end location. Great when they teenagers and for post school coffee.....if I didn't have a full time job!

I went to hutchie. They do invest a lot in drama, music and sports. The facilities are pretty outstanding. None of the staff are there anymore so can't really comment on that.

The other alternative is a placement request. Our catchment school is dire but we have got Ds1 into another primary which has a much better reputation

I went a visit to the academy and was blown away by it's facilities. We have put already applied for my DD to attend the nursery next year when she is three with a view to her going to the school.
I'm a teacher in east renfrewshire.
My daughter will hopefully go to the academy

Hi I went to Glasgow Academy. If I had the money then both my children would be going too. It really is worth a look.

Hoping to revive this thread as would like to hear any more views on these schools, especially their different strengths and weaknesses compared to one another. Thank you.

Kali attends The High School of Glasgow, I believe its a great school, they have really worked on her speech (interdental S and K/F confusion) and her confidence which has improved her learning, they put a lot of focus on academic work in the early years (KG-J6) but are very sports orientated in the later years, they also offer a variety of language tuition and afterschool and inschool clubs. All the staff are very helpful and extremely friendly! Kali really loves school and hates school holidays (as do I, esp summer 9 weeks is a killer) The fees are manageable, you can pay monthly, termly or yearly and it all costs the same. Uniform is expensive esp if like Kali your child seems to grow every few months but they ahve a thrift rack which allows you to save some money be buying spares from.

I went to Craigholme and really couldn't recommend it. I've been looking at Hutchie and Belmont for DS1 recently however. Liked Hutchie a lot, DS was very enthusiastic about it but it was SO BIG that I felt he'd get lost there so we declined his place. Went to check out Belmont and was very - pleasantly - surprised. Headteacher showed me around, the school roll is small and each child is known. Focus on holistic education, academia is obviously important but so are the arts and sports. Would highly recommend checking them out - especially now that they're co-ed.

I would visit all the schools and then make up my own mind. Each child is different and what suits one child doesn't work for another. Any good school will offer a day in school so your child can experience all the school has to offer. I would prefer a small school where your child is considered individually and gets plenty of teacher time. Small can be beautiful. Single sex education definitely has advantages but there are no boy only schools left in Glasgow. Craigholme still offers single sex for girls and the mydaughter website tells of the benefits of girl only education. It is all just a matter of personal choice.

Golly-Gosh This whole thread really confirms my worst fears of parents who seek 'private' 'special' education for their offspring. In Scotland the comprehensive system works well because people move to an area and make the most of their local school - supporting their local community in the process.

I just thought I'd chip in to this thread, as it's actually what brought me to mumsnet in the first place when I was looking for advice!

I have now chosen a private school for my DD (St Aloysius) but I found a few tips that I think might help parents along the way.

The first and foremost is do as much homework and research as you can before actually visiting any school. When you visit a school they are quite directional in the way that they show you around and pitch their positive points. It is best to know as much as you can going in so you can pick up any niggle/worry points rather than not be aware of them at all (because schools do a good job of sweeping bad points under the carpet let me tell you!).

For my search I looked at the schools websites and prospectuses. But I also found a lot of value in looking at 3rd party review sites of the schools which gives a less biased opinion.

uk.ratemyteachers.com/glasgow

www.educators.co.uk/private-schools-glasgow/

www.schoolsnet.com/uk-schools/best-independent-private-school/top-glasgow-schools/16180339/0/-3/1/71.html

Make sure you visit the schools more than once (especially if your first visit is at an open day). You should have access to wherever you wish to look and it is fairly normal to be able to have some time with the head teacher to ask any questions you wish to bring up.

At the end of the day it's really down to instinct, but preparing as much information as you can helps make the decision a little more structured, especially if you're torn between two schools like I was.