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Primary schools in and around Glasgow

6 replies

bobsmum · 01/03/2004 13:08

We're moving back to Scotland in October all being well. I know a little about the secondary schools in and around Glasgow - but that's years off at the moment, so I'm wondering more about possible primaries.

Ds will only be 2 when we move, but I guess time will fly faster than we think.

At the moment we're considering:

Jordanhill (in our dreams)
East Renfrewshire (ie Houston/Bridge of Weir etc)
Bearsden/Milngavie

I know the secondaries are all fine in these areas, but know nothing about primaries. Anyone? Other areas?? Dh will be working in the city centre, my mum and dad are in the west end.

OP posts:
suedonim · 01/03/2004 13:40

Have you checked the local council websites, Bobsmum? Many schools now have their own website, which might help you make a start on your research. Good luck!

JanZ · 01/03/2004 14:13

The primary schools are as good as the secondaries in general. I went to Bearsden Primary - which was a good school, and as far as I am aware (this was a very long time ago - but we were talking about this very subject last night at dinner at my parents, who live just outside Milngavie/Bearsden), all of the feeder primary schools to Bearsden, Boclair and Douglas Academies are good. So are the primaries in the West End although (according to my brother), some people are a bit snobbish abbut them, to justify to themselves why they are sending their kids to private schools.

According to my dad though, he was told by his (medical) collegaues that he was doing irrepareable damage to his children's education by sending us (0ver 30 years ago!) to the local schools. Bearsden Primary, for goodness sake! It still amuses my dad that my year at Bearsden Academy got the best results in Strathclyde - 5 or 6 of us got 6 "As" for our Highers!

I don't know so much about East Ren - although it generally has a good reputation and Bridge of Weir/Houston has the sort of demographics that would suggest good schooling. (and the house prices to match!)

A word of warning about Jordanhill - although I suspect you realise this already.... about 6 years ago we looked at a house there, looking for offers over £140k. It SURVEYED at £160k, plus the roof probably needed doing. We offered £160k (knowing that we wouldn't get it, but we'd already had to do the survey) - and we believe it went for £210k!

We ended up buying (a year later) in Pollokshields, where you can buy great houses for a fraction of the prices in the West End/Bearsden/Milngavie or further out (where we had spent the previous 2 years looking).

The only - major - problem is schooling. Ds is 3 and it pains me (politically) to say that we are having to consider private schooling. The problem is that round where we are there is a very large Indian/Pakistani community. That in itself is not a problem for me - what IS the issue is that 90% of the kids starting primary shcool cannot speak a word of English. There are three primary schools close by and we have heard that the headmistress at one of them (unfortunately the furthest away one) is brilliant (in fact she has an MBE for services to education), so we want to find out HOW the schools deal with those kids who DON'T need the extra attention to bring them on in English. I don't want my son treading water for those previous first few months in school. He's a bright kid and would get bored - and might start not to like school. But it may be that we are reassured once we visit the schools - and part of me would LIKE for him to have the opportunity to be exposed to other cultures and languages - as long as it doesn't compromise the rest of his education.

According to my child minder, Shawlands Primary has got quite a good reputation (it's just a wee bit too far for us) - although there are some Asian kids, there are not quite the same numbers/problems with integration.

What sort of price range are you looking at?

HTH

Paula71 · 01/03/2004 21:55

Bobsmum, I don't know if this would be any good?

www.parentzonescotland.gov.uk/

It doesn't grade the primaries but you can find out maybe a bit more information. Out of our local primaries we looked at the school websites and chose the one with better nursery facilities (they even have a little garden where children are encouraged to plant and care for the garden!)

As for that I am no help - we live on the other side of the country!

WestIsBest · 01/06/2010 11:22

JanZ,

I realise this is a fairly ancient thread now, but I was hoping you might be able to offer some advice.

We are currently looking at a house in Pollokshields, and having searched mumsnet I see you share(d) our concerns regarding primary schooling. Similarly to you, I have no reservations about moving to an area where I will be an ethnic minority but the impact of a large majority of kids needing extra help with learning English for the first time on the education of those kids who already have the language skills does raise some concerns.

I would be very interested to hear what you decided on for your son: one of the local primaries (Pollokshields/Glendale/further afield); going down the private route with 'Hutchy'; or a move on to pastures new for the sake of schooling? If you would be willing to share your experiences it would be a great help to me.

Many thanks in advance.

weegiemum · 01/06/2010 11:28

We live in the Shawlands area, most of the children round us go to Shawlands primary, including several teacher's children, and everyone I know is really pleased with it. In fact there are quite a few people we know in the area (in the Red Sandstone villas, highly paid professional types) who are very happy with their kids in the local primaries rather than Hutchy.

Our kids go to Sgoil Ghaidhlig Glaschu (Glasgow Gaelic). This is a great option if your kids haven't yet started school, the total immersion in a foreign language is brilliant and I now have 3 bilingual children. Transport is provided. We chose it as we moved from the Hebrides and dd1 was already in Gaelic education.

I don't know about other primaries in the area, I'm sorry.

WestIsBest · 01/06/2010 11:45

Thanks for that Weegiemum - hadn't thought about the Gaelic option, but definitely one to consider!

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