PRIMARY SCHOOLS N GLASGOW SUITABLE FOR THE BRIGHT CHILD

[kashy]

Hello Can anyone help with my school dilemma I am looking for a primary school in Glasgow Southside which can excell a bright child?

Whereabouts do you live? you need to find out which schools are within your catchment, or are you planning to move to the 'right' catchment?

I think generally speaking the best schools are in East Renfrewshire, but there will obv be exceptions in each local authority

Hi foosty I live in Pollokshields would obviously need to make a placement I need to find a primary school which has children of the same abilty as my child. Currently the school she is in the her class children are well behind and she is the only one at her level.

Have you spoken to the school about this?

Usually they would have an extended curriculum for the child which may be of some benefit?

If you're adamant that you'd prefer to move her, the schools in East Ren are at the top of the league tables but are very competitive entrance wise (catchments etc are very strict.)
I'd recommend speaking to your local council in Pollokshields first to see if there's anything that they can recommend.

I think you should be able to access HMie reports online of local school inspections.... You may need to google this or search through the Education Scotland website.

My knowledge is over ten years old but these may be on your list.. Shawlands PS
Glendale PS, The Gaelic School, Langside Primary, Kirkhill PS, Netherlee PS, Giffnock PS .

Pay and go to hutcheons grammar?

Which school is she currently at? Tbh I would be surprised that any primary school couldn't cater for a bright child - unless she is a child genius.

I know that the catchment primary schools around you aren't that great (except Glendale) I've got several friends in pollokshields who send their kids to Langside instead which is very good. My niece went there too until she won an almost full scholarship to Hutchie for secondary school.

To get into a school in East Ren you would have to move into catchment which may not be an option for you. Alternatively you could just send her to Hutchie where she'll be surrounded by very smart hothoused kids

If I was you I would be more concerned about secondary.The majority of people I know in Glasgow either move out to East Ren catchment or go private

Its pretty unlikely you'd get into an East Ren school now if you're non-catchment. I was talking recently recently to a family who are in the process of moving into the area and nearly didn't get their child into an ER primary until they could prove they had bought a house in the catchment.

If you moved into East Ren you'd be getting the best schools at both primary and Secondary (especially if you're Catholic - you could get OLM and St Ninian's!)

depends where you live
it's all about catchments
you don't pick the school, catchment picks you

why can't current school meet her needs?
what school response yo v bright child
why do you think another school necessarily better?

As everyone else has said, east ren have the best schools, but you'll have move into catchment as the chances of getting a placing request are slim to none.

she is the only child on her level the school is not prepared to give her challenging work as she would be doing this by herself there would be no class discussions . I am looking for a school who has children at her ability level and there would be a group and not just her working on that level.

have you specifically met and asked for additional help?
I don't see how changing school necessarily address this
and frankly you have no chance of place in popular school if not in catchment

I don't see how changing schools would address this either? I think you'll need to give her the education you feel she is lacking at home yourself, in addition to her school work.

How would you ever find out if a potential school had children at the same level as her? How old is she? Beer in mind that while she may be excelling just now, this could change as she gets older and other children 'catch up' to her. I remember being brilliant at reading and spelling in P5 and getting fed up waiting for the others to 'catch up' to me - that changed by P7! Is she all-round fab at every subject? Are you willing to move house?

If you're looking at p1 I can't recommend Glasgow gaelic highly enough. The bilingualism is a challenge and an encouragement to any bright child. However, they're so heavily oversubscribed now there's no places past O2 unless you are already bilingual (though last I heard it doesn't have to be gaelic!). My children go there (2 in primary, one now in secondary) and it's by a mile the best educational decision I ever made.

I do find it hard to understand why a school won't provide extension work if she's genuinely that exceptional, though. Could she get a private bursary if she's really that good? I'm talking from a teachers perspective and I've taught very gifted children encouraged well by even very poor state schools in Scotland.

HI Weegiemum apart from the gaelic school which schools would you recommend are good with more able children. Which schools have you taught in that have excelled children who have the ability.

The schools I've taught in have been secondaries, and not in Glasgow. But one in particular on a very deprived sink estate did fantastic things for able pupils.

I don't know much about primaries in Glasgow as our decision to choose GME was made when living in the wild north and we were able to transfer. I've friends with brighter-than-average kids doing well at Shawlands Primary and Tinto, both close-ish to you (we lived very close to you for a few years!) in fact one family much happier with the experience of going to Shawlands than they were in East Ren.

I hope you find what you want. I assume you're already stretching her "laterally" at home with things like music/art/sports/maybe a second language?

Glendale also excellent i head and aren't they getting a shiny new building too?

Ds went to Glendale and has just started at Shawlands Academy (as a placing request) and is in the top stream for Maths (they haven't yet streamed for English). Before they streamed, he and a friend of his were having a competition with the maths teacher they had then (they now have the head of Maths) to see if they could keep on finishing the work he gave them and ask for more: they won! :) He seems to be doing really well generally looking at his homework .

In P7 at Glendale the headteacher would take the "top" group for Maths and stretch them a bit. I will however say that in two of his earlier years I did have to question the school as he (and the others in his group) was getting bored in Maths (to be fair, the head teacher was always supportive)

The one subject I hadn't been sure about the quality of at Glendale was French but maybe that's because I have a degree in French but ds tells me that they were way ahead of the kids from other primaries, so he is currently finding French a doddle (and I haven't been tutoring him in French at home - he's only now starting to acknowledge that I might just be able to help him a bit! )

However, all of this is a bit academic as Glendale is chocablock and unlikely to be able to take a transfer - although you can always ask unless it is the school you are already unhappy with Other schools I would recommend, from seeing well-motivated kids at the Minis Rugby are Shawlands, Tinto and Langside. Some of them might have space.

Tbh it is unclear what the age the op's dc is and what level they are working at. Unless they are off the scale then most primary schools should be able to provide a good education. My dd goes to Tinto which has got lots of smart switched on kids who are working to their appropriate level. Shawlands and Langside are very good as well. My niece has just started at Hutchie secondary on an almost full bursary after attending Langside and having no additional coaching. She is top of her class at Hutchie so obviously received a very good education at Langside.

Pb it was you I knew who raved about most things Glendale!

Also didn't realise you studied French, you dark horse you!

Sorry not to be at rugby this year but we're so busy and with me not being too well something had to give! Hope ds still liking secondary - dd loving it, ESP the bus pass!

Sorry for small hijack!

(I understand re the rugby. If any of your kids still want to come, G, mum to B, who lives near you has said she could give them a lift)

went to a scheme school some fab motivated teachers
and Some who should have packed it years ago.tired and jaded
A good teacher makes all the difference and can be v uplifting

Scottishmummy you're so right. Scheme schools in scotland (ime mire than in rest of uk) are more likely to be staffed by people truly committed to working with kids from that background. Since I started teacher training (and I'm talking Jordanhill, 93) I've seen scores of examples of this. Worst teachers I met were in a school famed for it's fab reputation!

I would agree (speaking as one!), that most teachers in inner city schools are highly committed to doing our best for the kids we teach but sometimes we have to teach in situations where it is difficult for us to meet the need of every child in the class and unfortunately it's the clever and well behaved kids that tend to get 'left to it'. I assume Kashy's daughter is at Pollokshields Primary, which is a school with over 90% EAL (English as an additional language) pupils, and a high turnover of pupils coming into or leaving the school during the academic year. Some of the pupils who will join upper primary classes during the year will not have literacy in their mother tongue, let alone English, which means that the classroom teacher has to spend a huge amount of time supporting them to integrate into the class. Bilingual support services have been cut back in Glasgow, including the shameful loss of the Bilingual Support unit at Shawlands, meaning that all Glasgow schools are feeling the effects of having pupils go straight into classes with little or no English. There are also an increasing number of children with additional support needs. Teaching in this situation is difficult and rewarding and most of us love our job and do our best with it but would we put our own children in the schools we teach in knowing the problems they will face and the barriers that there will be to their learning simply by being in that class - no, we wouldn't.

Kashy, if I were you I would consider placing requesting my child to Langside (Glasgow) or to one of the Woodfarm feeders in East Ren (eg Braidbar, Giffnock or Thornliebank). Remember that a school can only refuse a placing request if to accept it would necessitate that they have to employ an extra teacher. As your daughter is already at school it is likely that she would be able to secure an upper school place in most schools, including those in East Ren - it is a myth that these schools are at capacity - that only applies for P1/S1. You would have to submit another p/r for secondary but your chances will be better if your daughter has attended a feeder.

Good luck!