Single mum - London to Glasgow move with a 6 YO - Please help with school etc advice!

[thistledreams]

Hello,

I currently live in London and am planning to move to Glasgow in Spring/Summer 2015. I am a single mum with a 6 YO girl.

The move is for love, as my BF is from Glasgow and I have decided I would love to live in Scotland, esp Glasgow. I visit very often and have been for the past 2 years, it's time now that the relationship won't survive without us both in the same city! He has 2 girls from a previous marriage.

So my main concerns are schools. I have decided to live in the Southside mainly Newlands, Langside, Shawlands - I have also visited two schools, Shawlands Primary and Tinto - I LOVED Tinto! I have also been asked to consider Langside, Battlefield and Merrylee - Please can I get some advise as to which you would think is best in terms of ethnic mix, education, sports and other extra circular activities. (I am a Pakistani born woman, my daughter was born in London.

Also I am very worried about when to apply for schools as I can't leave London till June 2015 and I know terms in Scotland begin August. How and when shall I apply? Wont have a flat until July in Glasgow!

Also concerned about my girl having trouble with her English accent, is this something of a worry?

Please help!

S
xx

Any of those schools will be ok (although some people may say otherwise). They'll all be multi-cultural, with a significant proportion of Asians, so in that respect you shouldn't worry. I do't think she'll have a problem with an English accent - but that will depend on the character of your dd.

Merrylee is another new school (like Tinto) but Battlefield is due a major reburbishment. I suspect you might have difficulty getting into Merrylee as a late application though - it's popular because it is new and is already finding itself bursting at the seams.

Shawlands, Newlands and Langside all feed Shawlands Academy which has a good reputation. Tinto feeds Hillpark Secondary and Battlefield and Merrylee both (at the moment) have the choice of feeding to either Shawlands or Hillpark. I might be biased but I think Shawlands Academy is the better school but there again, I would say that as ds - 14 - is a placing request there Shawlands Academy is also a school of rugby (for both girls and boys) and places good emphasis on both academic and sporting values.

I live in Pollokshields and ds went to Glendale Primary, which was/is a brilliant school but again, one I douby you'd get into with a late application.

GoingGoingGoth lives in the Queens Park area and her dd (I think she's about 9) - is at one of the primaries over there, so she might be able to give you better advice.

The areas you have mentioned are all great- I think it might be a good idea to phone the schools directly and ask about late admissions.

I am just so stressed! Do you remember we spoke a few months ago about my moving to Glasgow in the summer with my 6 yo? I have seen all these schools now and none of them say there is any room in P3 in Aug and I am beyond stressed now, how does it work? I don't have a flat yet and don't even know how to rent in time for my girl to get in for start of term as we move in first week july (school will be shut!) - i feel n one is being helpful - maybe just Merrylee and Battlefield, but not sure about Battlefield, what is your opinion? Please help - lost!

I think you'll find that there is movement - particularly in those schools with a relatively high Asian population (that's what the head at Glendale Primary told me). I don't know what the procedure with waiting lists is - but is it possible to say to Merryless, Battlefield, Shawlands and Glendale that you want to be informed if and when space becomes available?

Don't worry about the English thing. Glasgow is very multicultural and English people are part of the mix. As a fellow Londoner I have never had any problems. And coming from London you will appreciate the fast cheap transport and friendliness of people up here.

I don't know about Southside schools but the quality of education in schools up here is very good in my opinion.

Hi there, Did you get your daughters school sorted?

Only now realised that I didn't answer the question about Battlefield: don't have specific experience, but the parents of the kids who go there who are also members of ds' rugby club seem happy. Plus the headteacher of Shawlands Academy (which is one of its feeder secondaries, unusually it has/had two) seemed to be happy with the quality of its education.

Hope you've managed to get things sorted.