Liberton schools - Liberton and Gracemount

[katcoutts81]

Hi,
My husband and I are moving to Edinburgh with our 2-yr-old son. We're looking at properties in Liberton as that would be quite handy for my new work. I've heard good things about the primary schools - but not so much about the secondary schools although the reports are a bit old.
Can anyone advise what the secondary schools are like. One of the properties we're looking at is in the catchment area for Gracemount and the other is in the catchment area for liberton.

Thanks.

here is a good starter for Secondary School performance (more links included) news.stv.tv/scotland/205123-school-league-tables-exam-and-performance-details-for-edinburgh/

Neither Liberton nor Gracemount are particularly great (although I am going by numbers only, not experience). We considered Liberton and it would be great for work (plus we might have afforded a garden), but ended up buying in the Boroughmuir catchment area and are very happy with the school overall (one just done, one has 5 years to go)...

A friend used to teach at liberton - avoid at all costs!!!!!!!!!

We used to live in catchment for Liberton Primary (fantastic school) but moved because we were put off by Liberton High (secondary). I know a lot of Mums who have this same dilemma - really happy with Liberton primary school but not sure what to do when they move to secondary.

We used to live in Liberton but our catchment school was Gilmerton primary and Liberton High, not the best so we have had to leave a lovely house and moved to the buckstone primary & boroughmuir catchment. Very happy we moved as i have now heard of two gun incidents at GIlmerton primary

i have now heard of two gun incidents at GIlmerton primary

What the *?! Did that make the media? How horrible :(

news.stv.tv/east-central/227569-ten-primary-pupils-shot-by-pellet-gun-at-gilmerton-primary-school/

My friend has sent her son to Liberton High after a horrendous time at the Catholic High. She's found Liberton to be a far better school. Another friend is sending her son there next year and a friends twins start this year.

All schools have their issues. What one parent doesn't like another will.

Liberton Primary is better now they have got rid of the awful head but staff morale is still very low.

A friend used to teach at liberton - avoid at all costs!!!!!!!!!

Comments like this are just nonsensical garbage. Why should it be avoided at all costs ? Do you have first hand experience of this school ? Do you actually know anything at all about this school ? What did your "friend" say to you ?

My daughter attends this school, both my wife and I are on Parent Council and we have a fair knowledge of how this school works and who runs it.

The main problem with Liberton is the building itself. City of Edinburgh council have seen fit to demolish and rebuild schools originally built in the 70's - (Forrester, St. Augustines, Holyrood, Gillespies) under PFI schemes and older schools such as Liberton (1950's) and Portobello have been left to make-do-and-mend to a greater extent. Liberton has a very good head teacher, recently appointed.

If the OP would like more info, please PM me.

The main problem with Liberton is the performance of pupils when it comes to exam time. The design of a school doesn't make any difference to its performance! We based or judgement on the Grades achieved by the pupils and i am afraid that Liberton High didn't perform very highly in this. Hence the reason so many parents move or try for out of catchment and i have heard of numerous families in Gilmerton who have had to do this as they want the best for there childs education.

When Forrester appointed a new head about 8 years ago, they were bottom of the league tables. They have shot right up in the league tables. There is a high chance with good staff morale that things can change for pupils too.

When dd went to nursery Craigmount was the school we thought we'd send her to. (used to have the choice as primary was a dual feeder) I remember a friend and I saying that our girls would never go there. They're now in S2 there and top marks across the board. The staff have been extremely supportive when we went through a traumatic time last year.

So with a new head there is a huge chance of Liberton being a completely different school within a year or 2.

Well done to your dd. Did she do a mixture of Nationals and Standard Grades? Been speaking to my young leaders for brownies and they've got a similar variety of letter and number grades. I'm a Standard Grade person and still not getting the nationals!

Groovee, i have to admit to being a bit baffled by the ever-revolving door of qualifications & standards, however this might be of help :-

www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/58085.3588.html

FP - congrats to your DD, those are awesome results and an interesting combo of subjects!

and thanks for the link - with Persephone just out of school (Boroughmuir) and Tarquin going into S2, I'll need every help I can get

Catherina, thank you for your comments and for having a sense of humour ! On reflection, my reply to garnetmummy seems a bit harsh (it was written v. late at night) and I certainly didn't mean to come across quite so aggressively but her comments / perceptions on schools are so commonplace in Edinburgh it makes my blood boil. Obviously it's horses for courses but if parents don't support their local school and teachers then the perception of the state sector will never change. My daughter is part of a group of about 10 kids from school who hang out together, they all have a great work ethic and know that hard work brings rewards and they all have achieved similar exam results. It's not rocket science and why many parents seem to think that a private education is a 'magic bullet' to success is beyond me. However, I will concede that the state sector is miles behind in terms of facilities and the 'old boy' network has it's advantages, especially if you want to go into the financial sector.

Catherina, re. the 'interesting combo of subjects' - when DD was choosing her exam subjects at the start of S3, we tried very gently to steer her into taking another science but the lady was not for turning ! She doesn't have a clue ATM what she wants to do after school and she's quite mature for her age so can be very headstrong !! (Her Highers will be Eng., maths, biology, A + D, French). Seems to be a broad general coverage without any 'soft' subjects.
We recently came across a YouTube clip of Ken Robinson speaking about education and the common hierarchy of subjects in all education systems.
Definately worth 50 mins. of your time :-

My dd picked her subjects for S2 and I felt that was quite early. Especially now schools are not being encouraged to early presentation for exams. I didn't know until 6th year what I wanted to do and have a whole host of Admin and secretarial qualifications yet became a nursery nurse!

I did majors (German system) in English and French and minors in Philosophy and Biology and am now a Biology Professor ;)

Groovee, not quite sure what you mean by not encouraging early presentation. Perhaps individual schools view this differently as DD sat both Int 1 and Int 2 Maths in S3 and began Higher Maths at the start of S4. This means that she has 2 academic years to get through the Higher timetable.

Groovee - from what I hear re: paperwork in nurseries and nursing, admin and secretarial qualifications will be helpful (if I look at my overflowing desks at work and home I wish I had some more of those...)

Forrester always presented in S3 for SG but they've been told under the new CfE that they are to present in S4 for exams I liked the idea that they could spread the exams out more. It was working in the schools who were presenting early but as dd will be under the new nationals, at the last meeting they said they had spoken higher up and the S4 presentation was what they were being told to do.

Catherina yes the blinking paperwork. I feel like I spend more time on paperwork than actually being there for the children. My job has changed greatly in the last 20 years and possibly not for the better.