I need advice on the best primary schools near Glasgow

[gemandco]

We are moving up to Glasgow and have two children aged 2 and 6 so a good primary school is important. My husband works in bonkle so a 30min commute would be ok for work so could anyone advise us where to live. We currently live in whitley bay so have shops and amenities on our door step so need something similar. Any advise would be much appreciated.

Have a look at the village lenzie, great schools and beautiful village. Train station and only 6 mins into city and 30 mins to DH work!

Thanks, will have a look

I was going to suggest Lenzie too. It's a lovely place. Good secondary school as well.

Thanks again, we're going to rent but unfortunately there are no houses suitable in Lenzie (but will keep looking). I've got houses to see in newton mearns, Paisley, Eaglesham, East Kilbride and Bridge of weir. So any advise on these areas also would be great

Newton Mearns, eagles ham and bridge of weir have some good schools. EK and Paisley not so good.

Bridge of weir would be a shocking commute.
I would look at newton mearns - the new M74 could make this very doable.
They have some of the best schools in the uk!

Bothwell also has good schools and right beside the M74.

Thanks for all the advise. I looked at 6 properties on Friday but to no success, will keep looking for Newton Mearns as this seems to be a good area for schools and will have a look at Bothwell also.

First off - avoid Glasgow city - primary schools okay but Secondary's not (apart from Jordanhill which you have pretty much no hope of getting into).

Look at East Renfrewshire and East Dunbartonshire - they have the some of the best schools in Scotland. Both are physically part of Glasgow but not by council/political definition. There are other good areas outwith the city but these are the best schooling areas within it (though Glasgow conurbation covers a big area).

East Dunbartonshire is North of the Clyde, East Ren is south. Traffic can be quite bad so you want to be on the right side for work. Glasgow has a fantastic suburban train system for getting into town, but not so great for crossing it, so again you want to be on the right side..If working in town you will want to commute by train. In East Ren I like Giffnock (my fav) and Muirend. Not so keen on Clarkston. Newton Mearns is a funny one. Lots of new estates and the people can be a bit up themselves (but don't me put you off!). It is also the furthest out of town at the end of the train line. Don't know the north so well but the old bit of Lenzie is nice as is a lot of Milngavie (pronounced MILLGUY!) and Bearsden but lots of 1970 (but nice) estates..

There are quite a lot of Catholic schools in East Ren - again some of the best in Scotland.

Best high schools are: (East Ren - Williamwood, St Ninian's, Mearns Castle High School. East Dunbartonshire - Douglas (Minlagvie), Bearsden Academy, Lenzie. Once you've found and area that suits you can then work backwards through the feeder primaries. Scotland is all based on catchment - it you live in the catchment the Jan before intake you are guaranteed P1 entry. Catchments on the council websites. For entry into other years you would need to call the school

Read this and follow the links to all schools

Good luck - I've just move from the West to Edinburgh and it was a nightmare deciding where to live as we were doing a P1 entry - I feel your pain!!!

Sorry just read that your DP will be working near Wishaw. You will really need to consider the commute. The East Kilbride expressway (links EK to M74 at Hamilton) can be a total carpark in the morning at the M74 junction at Hamilton. You will have to do the morning run to see what it is like.

I would consider Carluke - schools are okay I think (will need to check) it would be very easy commute and it is on the train to Glasgow so you could get train in at weekends if you wanted. Would avoid battling across East Ren, South Lanarshire,

North Lanarkshire has quite a few rough spots so you will need to consider carefully.

My advice would be to find an area you like, with a manageable commute, and a house in it that you like and can afford.

While we have the ability to choose an alternative school (ime, it's more usually for practical reasons than from perceptions of which is the "best" school), there is less emphasis on our ability to choose up here in Scotland. IMO, that means parents, on the whole, feel under less pressure to make the "right" choice of school with all that that seems to imply. Remember that the children who live in the area you like will, mostly, go to the local school and will have done so without their parents giving it a second thought.

Agree with MsHighwater, I would for the area you like every time.

I think the OP problem is she just doesn't know the areas at all - it is a vast area to cover - basically the whole southside and south lanarkshire sprawl too - with many nice (and horrible!) pockets.

Also I think it is different when you basically can pick anywhere and any school. Most people have a house, have kids, then send them to the local school. If you can choose where to live, why not choose the best school you can for your kids? (if the area and house prices are right too of course).

We were in this predicament (and it is a real predicament) and thought sod it, see that nice, brand new, great reputation primary - I want my kids there, rather than the 1970 tired building no grass, (but still good rep) primary down the road....

Point taken, Miomio, but OP presumably has a budget for the house and mentioned she has houses to see in a number of areas. This will help to narrow down her choices. You gave her good advice about the practicality of commuting from some of the areas which could help to narrow it down further.

I get quite bemused by some of the discussions I see about school choices in England. I wanted to point out that the whole angst-y business can be avoided.

I wouldn't stress too much about the primary school. As MsHW says, most people send their kids to the local school and don't think much more about it. I'd look at the secondary schools and work backwards to a primary in their catchment area.

I come from Newton Mearns, it's a really nice place. I went to Mearns Primary School and have very happy memories from there. (it was 30 years ago though!)

Yes NM is nice . I have just met a few funny people there and I am particularly tainted by one woman who harassed me in the carpark in The Avenue shopping centre - sat in her X5 revving her engine whilst I struggled to get DS2 into his carseat - there were plenty of other slots for her to park in - she didn't really need the slot next to my car - she was just a bitch!! So now I think people that live in NM are knobs (irrational I know!!)

To commute from NM to East of Wishaw would be a right pain in the ass though - I did Southside - Motherwell for 6 months and it was god awful - stationary traffic from Hamilton turnoff on the Expressway to M74 every morning..

It does have a Waitrose now though now and is very handy for Silverburn and Wagamamas!

Thank you all so much I am still continuing on my quest which seems impossible !! I've looked at all the areas suggested and the problem I have is that there are no suitable properties to rent in these areas and when I do find one they are then let out, so I'm a little frustrated. I've now got a couple of properties to have a look at on Sat just outside East Kilbride, areas are nerston Village, Jackton and Westwood. I've also seen somewhere in Cathcart but again I don't know what this area is like and the schools.

you will need to come up and look about lots. glasgow off mon- wed next week so thurs- fri are normal days.

if it were me i would let the schools and commute drive me to doable areas. go through the secondary schools then make a list of feeder primaries. that will give you areas.

the better secondaries are not in glasgow city (cathcart) but in surrounding areas. dont know other areas im afraid. it is good to be on a train line into town for socialising - there is a vast suburban network so its not difficult to be near a station.

also can dh ask future collegues / get suggestions from new manager etc. they will know what commute is like in the morning....