Thinking of moving to glasgow

[Flyingscotswoman]

I dont really want to go into why as I've discussed elsewhere on mn and don't want to out myself, but they are good reasons not just a whim. Thing is my daughter about to start s4 and therefore working towards exams. This is apparently irresponsible but is in fact partly so my daughter gets a better education away from a disruptive situation. OK best not say more.

Anyway, which are the good schools? Nicer areas to live in?

If you are wanting to be IN Glasgow, I can't recommend Shawlands Academy highly enough . Ds is going into S4 although he'd say he started in June and is doing really well. He's both academic and sporty and the school encourages both. What I like about the school is that it encourages the development of rounded individuals - expecting a lot of them academically but also looking at other life experiences (like DoE and other extra curricular activities).

Ds will be doing 8 Nat 5s, which is the norm at the school for those that are academically capable. He'll be doing 5 Highers in S5 provided he gets the results he's currently anticipated to get - again, the expectation from the school is that those that are capable should sit 5 Highers in a single sitting as that is many Universities will be looking for.

Shawlands itself is a nice area with a vibrant "centre". We live in Pollokshields and aren't actually in catchment (Bellahouston is our catchment school) but didn't have any problems with a placing request. Some of Pollokshields is in Shawlands Academy catchment (or shared with Bellahouston).

As a multi-cultural school, they will be used to new pupils arriving at different times so I'm sure your dd would slot in.

Thanks so much I'll check the school and areas you mentioned out.

Hillhead and Hyndland Secondaries on the North Side also have reasonable results. They include the West End.

None of them will come out "top" in league tables, although they do well in the demographically adjusted ones.

The important thing is that they all have high expectations for their pupils, whether its behaviour, or exam results and if your dd wants and is capable of doing, say, medicine, they will be supported to do so.

Shawlands usually has a few going to medical or vet school - this year, unusually, none applied, but it does have at least one that I know of going to Oxbridge.

At current school she's one of a few doing nat 5 for all subjects. She wants to study law.

There are lots at Shawlands doing all Nat 5s, so she wouldn't be alone. As I've mentioned, ds is doing 8 and he doesn't see that as abnormal.

In fact, I think he'll end up with 8 Nat 5s plus a Nat 4 in RME, as his school report seemed to suggest that he was already on track to get that, just in his "core" RME obligatory class.

I hear that Hillhead High School is on the up - a new head teacher is very focused on discipline which has helped. I am keeping an eye on the results as at the moment it would be our catchment school.

And Notre Dame high - which is single sex. Easier to get a placing request if you are catholic, of course.

East Renfrewshire schools are consistently top of the board for Secondary results.
Look at areas like Clarkston, Busby, Netherlee, Giffnock and Newton Mearns.