Moving to Edinburgh - ideas of best catchment area for secondary school?

[mumwithquestions1]

Hi there, can you advise me about good catchment area that also has a good sense of community in Edinburgh? We would like to be south side somewhere and out of the centre quite a bit if we can. We thought about EH10 and Boroughmuir High as it has good reputation but I do not really know as have not lived in Edinburgh before. We thought perhaps to try to live in Fairmilehead/Buckstone but it is expensive and not sure how much of a sense of community it has. Our child will be going into P5 and so we are concerned to be in a good catchment area for secondary especially. If you have any ideas or experience, I would love to hear from you. Thanks so much.

Also, just one other thought... would any of you - or have any of you - moved out to East Lothian? Just thinking that one can get more house for one's money quite often. BUT, I would not want a big commute to the city each day really, and I would want a good school ofcourse. Again (from league tables), it seems that North Berwick and Dunbar have the best state schools at secondary level - but these places seem quite far out. Mussleburgh and Tranent are closer to the city ofcourse, but not sure if those schools - are as good standard as the ones I mentioned in previous posts - purely in terms of exam results. Anyway, thanks for all your thoughts. I think I need to spend some time in and around the city and visit schools and get more of a feel for the areas also myself.

oh, and thank you coffeeCamelCase - what you say makes sense to me. Going for some place to live that we can comfortably afford sounds good - and for it to be in good catchement area. I take what you say also - most people would not say Currie or Firhill are just as good as Boroughmuir. So, then, still wonder whether to go for flat in Boroughmuir catchment or more for money home in Firhill or Currrie catchment. I know if Boroughmuir is so popular, the it must be over busy and that can also mean that some things like personal attention are compromised. Again the numbers do not tell you everything. thanks and great idea to visit the schools and even get a feel for the places at opening and closing of school times.

Not sure if it is something you would consider, but have you thought about the Catholic schools? St Thomas of Aquins is great (about the same percentage of pupils getting 5 highers as Boroughmuir) and the catchment area is huge - runs through the whole middle of Edinburgh.
Baptized Catholics get priority, but non-Catholics in catchment usually get in if they want. Some of the feeder primaries are stuffed to the brims (such as St Peters), but others you would probably have a good chance at.

Thanks HazelShade - that is a really good thought - I had not really thought of this option as assumed children had come from Catholic backgrounds. Am very open to this as I am Christian but not RC, so will check out the catchment areas for RC schools also - esp. in the nicer parts of the city. Thanks.

I would try not to fix your heart too much on Boroughmuir. Yes, it is a good school with great results - but to what extent that is all about the school is much harder to pinpoint. There are a lot more factors which influence how well children will do at school. The Boroughmuir catchment area is an affluent one and when you're looking at an overall level that has an impact.

I went to Balerno - I'd say it was a really good school, but it has a more diverse catchment area compared to Boroughmuir which is largely in a fairly wealthy area. Balerno has more of a mix - it has Balerno itself which is fairly affluent, but also has Kirknewton and Ratho which are more diverse mix and have some far more deprived areas. When I look at how the people in my year did exam wise, the results weren't consistent between the feeder primaries. I've got friends who went to Broughton (another school with a diverse catchment) who said similar.

You do need to try and look beyond the league tables iyswim?

When we were looking to buy, the high schools we were considering were, I think, Balerno, Currie, Boroughmuir, Gillespies, Firhill, Royal High and Craigmount mainly. There were others we didn't rule out, like Broughton and Trinity.

Both my kids are at Balerno High School and it's fantastic. The older one has additional support needs and the school are brilliant at supporting her, and she's doing really well. The young one is an outgoing sporty musical kid and she is absolutely thriving as well as doing well on the academic side of things. I can't rate them highly enough!

We live in Buckstone, DD and DS went to Buckstone PS, and now at Heriot's. Buckstone, while admittedly expensive, is a lovely, family-friendly area. There is a good community feeling, and the school is central to that. Many of DC's friends are now at Boroughmuir, and most of their parents are very happy with the school. I know many families nearby with kids at Pentland PS /Firrhill, too, and they love it. The catchment area for Firrhill seems to offer better value for money in terms of house prices. Good luck!

You will get an awful lot more house for your money in Tranent, PrestonPans or Musselburgh, while places like North Berwick are almost as expensive as Edinburgh (and a bit too chi-chi for my taste). I wouldn't move to Dunbar if you had an Edinburgh commute, although perhaps the new Borders railway would make this easier?

Schools in East Lothian are very similar to Currie/Firrhill I'd say, in that it's a very mixed catchment, community school, etc. North Berwick v. high achieving - would describe NB as somewhere where people buy a house rather than an education iyswim, but it's very 'yummy mummy what do you mean Torquin hasn't started private French club?' there.

In East Lothian there's less 'brain drain' away at secondary than in the city - my friend has a boy in P5 at Bruntsfield and half his class will leave to start the private schools in P6.

Peebles is also popular for out of town, but there's no railway and you're looking at at least a 50 min drive, depending where about you need to go in town, of course.

Have you thought about further South - Queensferry, Ratho, Kirkliston?

Hi and thanks for all your thoughts and in put. Really, really helps so much. There seem to be quite a few good options. I think because I am not in the area, that I have looked too much at league tables and websites and need to visit soon to get a good feel. From the discussion, I have a better idea of the areas and schools to go for to the south of the city. I want to now, just check out East Lothian - to see if it is a possible option.

As LonnyVonnyWilsonFrickett says, "you can get a lot more house for your money in E. Lothian" - except N. Berwick. I take your point on this and that schools are mixed catchment and could be similar to Firhill and Currie, and I could have more house for money. BUT, are the schools good? Do you others have any opinions on good place in E. Lothian with not a too long commute and priority of good school? Myself and husband do not want massive commute and would like to be near train line if we were in E. Lothian.

I am unsure about Tranent and Preston Pans and the catchment school, Ross High (although I am sure many do great there). Again, just from League tables (sorry, but that is all I have to go one as I am far away) - Ross High, Mussleburgh High - are not great- although these areas are not so far from the city and easy commute. BUT school results improve when going out towards Haddington. Then, the best in terms of results is N. Berwick. I laughed at the comment about N. Berwick being yummy mummy! Still might be ok - good school.

Yes, Peebles is lovely. I would love to live in Peebles, but too far for me to commute each day really. I wonder if the Borders rail line will open up some nice areas with good schools - to live in and for easy commute? That is a good point also Lonny...

Also, how much of an issue is it in Edinburgh - the whole private school/state school divide? I mean do kids/young people get labelled as soon as they are asked what school they went to in Edinburgh and is there any disadvantage? Is it better to go out a bit to E. Lothian to avoid that?

Thanks everyone and hope the discussions are useful for others as well as me :)

I don't think that the private school divide is that significant really - I've never been disadvantaged by not having attended private.

One thing to consider when thinking of East Lothian is when your Dd is a teenager, how much there is to do and how much they can get around independently without you having to be a permanent taxi service. I know living in the city is fantastic for my teens as they use the great cheap Edinburgh bus service to get around themselves, there are cinemas, restaurants, bowling, shopping with their friends, and there are endless opportunities for sport, music, theatre etc etc whatever hobby they might be interested in.

The divide is there in some circles, but it hasn't ever affected me or most of the people I know.

Tranent, PPans are essentially dormitory towns now - lots of housing, designed for commuters. The seaside towns have managed to retain their village-y feel.

The thing about most of the schools in East Lothian is that they're just 'the local school' - it really is as simple as that. I would say 95% of people just send their child to the local school, there isn't the angst about out of catchment that you get in a city. There will be a few who send to private and a few who send to the nearest Catholic school, but apart from that, everyone just goes to the nearest school kind of thing.

I agree that you're getting a bit fixed on exam results - you need to come and see the schools.