State vs Private in Glasgow

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So, I recently moved to Glasgow and I've been slightly thrown by the fact that every single person I know sends their children to private school.

Are the state schools here that bad? What kind of reputation do they have? I'm pregnant right now so it's a while before I need to make a decision but I'm interested. Should I be planning for private school and starting to save now? I'd prefer a state school but obviously I want what is right for my kids.

Really? You can't have met many locals.

Which area of Glasgow do you live in?

Roman Catholic primaries are often cited as being superior.

State schools in East Renfrewshire - just south of Glasgow City are considered a cut above as is Jordanhill.

I'm extremely happy with the both the (state) primary that ds went to and the secondary he now goes to. He's doing his Nat 5s this year and I expect him (and his classmates) to get 8 good ones - and to go on and get 5 good Highers next year. In fact, he's already well into the Higher curriculum for both English and Maths.

Just as importantly, it seems to care for all the kids, not just the academic ones like ds - and also encourages a full curriculum, including things like public speaking, music, drama, a wide range of sports, D of E, other volunteering, international trips etc.

Good secondaries are Hyndland, Hillhead, Shawlands but even Hillpark, Hillview and Ross Hall (don't know the Northside/Eastend ones so well - just know the schools that kids at ds' rugby club go to) all seem to have plenty of kids that go onto real Universities.

I only moved here six months ago! I only know five families with school aged kids. I'm super happy to be told they are not representative.

Like I said, I would prefer state. We live in Hyndland, literally across the road from the primary school and that would be my natural choice but I was thrown by my friend who lives in the same road sending her kids to private nursery.

My father got told by his medical colleagues he was destroying my future by insisting on following his principles and sending me to the local state school .

We lived in Bearsden and the local primary was Bearsden Primary!

For the record, I got 6 x A Highers - as did at least 6 of my classmates (I went to Uni from 5th Year, so only knew my close friends' results).

That was a loooooong time ago but it just illustrates how some people have ingrained prejudices.

Hmm private nursery. Is that because they work maybe? I live in scotstoun and private schooling is definitely in the minority. However, a lot of people do use private nursery then use state schools...private nursery just means they are open 8-6 or whatever, not that they are getting a private nursery education iyswim.

People use private nurseries purely because of the age range and opening hours. It is difficult to get a state nursery place til your child is three. Glasgow is full of great state schools. People who choose private have a vested interest in running down state schools but you have to learn to ignore them. Only listen to parents who actually have kids at a school you are interested in. Or teachers who have recent knowledge.of the school.

Yup - state nurseries tend to just be for half days - unless there are special circumstances or you're lucky and they have got spare capacity - and only term-time.

You need to be sure to have a good childminder and/or flexibly working arrangements.

I've only known 2 people that went to private in Glasgow/surrounding. Both turned out to be utter knobs.
The primaries local to where I grew up & new secondary (amalgamation of 2 secondaries to one) have fantastic reputations & reports

Private nursery purely for the wraparound care as a lot are only morning or afternoon sessions in state nurseries and do not offer full day placements. Not sure why this is, I know live in England & get wraparound care in state nursery, just pay the extra hours (out with 9-3)

*now

There is s flourishing private sector in Glasgow. Near where you live there is Glasgow academy, the high school of Glasgow and Kelvinside Academy. Many people are extremely enthusiastic about the private sector. It's quite surprising. You also find that people will quite openly and unapologetically run down the state schools.

Mine are state educated in Glasgow and it's been great so far. Am waiting to see what high school brings.

Oh and kelvin park nursery is state funded and does extended hours if you are interested in that.

I agree about how some people just seem to want to run down the state sector.

I've had a few arguments with people on MN who refuse to accept that any state schools within the Glasgow boundary with the possible exception of Jordanhill are any good. Even when I supplied links about kids from state schools who'd been accepted to Oxbridge/Medical school they tried to discount them by saying "Ah but, that was just a conditional acceptance, they probably didn't get the results and didn't go" . For the record, they did

And this is despite not being able to cherry pick their pupils and having mixed demographics

This is something that's on my mind for DS in the future.

I went to school in East Ren and DH went to a dodgy school in north Glasgow before he moved to a private one so we've covered all angles! Fwiw very few of our friends were privately educated and quite a few were at schools that wouldn't be classed as 'good' and they're all in professional jobs so if the person has the right attitude it's not always about the grading of the school.

Well no it's not 'tip top' but op lives in the West End and the local schools will reflect that social mix. And that means that yes there will be children who are struggling and who are challenging. But that's real life.

GCC are wholly responsible for the overcrowding at Hillhead Primary. It's a scandal. They should have close the nursery.

You're right - it's not just about the academic ones at the "top" - it's also about the ones who struggle to achieve - are they achieving their full potential?

I've already mentioned that I'm happy that at ds' school, they do indeed try to do the best by all the pupils, working as hard to improve the positive outcomes of the non-academic kids as the ones destined to go to Uni and working to develop rounded individuals through sport/drama/music/DofE/volunteering and other extra-curricular activities. (I'd mentioned the Oxbridge example only because in one of the arguments discussions, the other MNEr refused to believe it was possible to go to a "good" Uni from a Glasgow state school).

So, while the school is pleased to have made the Sunday Times "Top 50 Schools on Scotland" this year, it's still working on ensuring positive destinations for all the pupils.

Like many Glasgow schools, it has to cope with a very wide demographic (from millionaire's kids, to those who don't know where their next meal is coming from), a number of Roma and asylum seekers and many different languages. Rather than seeing it as a problem, it's part of what makes it the dynamic school it is

Re the Rugby club - I think amongst the 200 kids at the rugby club (between 5 and 16), seven go to private schools . So don't let your prejudices get in the way of the facts

The rest are at a mix of schools across the Southside and East End, both Catholic and Protestant state primary and secondary schools.

I'd be looking at Hyndland Primary in the first instance as we're literally across the road.

Well hyndland primary and hyndland secondary are desirable primary schools. Hillhead is also good has had very good HMi in spite of its space issues. Notre dame also eel regarded.

And yeah, I'm fine with a social mix. I've been both state and privately educated and I would prefer a decent state school if that's available and I'd like to be part of a local community.

...posted before I meant to....

But what sport ds chooses to do does not alter the demographics of the school.

And anyway, what precisely are you trying to insinuate? Glasgow now has a number of schools that are SRU funded "Schools of Rugby". Even those that aren't official "Schools of Rugby" are playing rugby and entering tournaments organised by Glasgow/West of Scotland's Rugby Development Officers, who work with the schools to encourage the sport.

Sorry obs hyndland primary not a secondary.

Long day. And I'm not even drunk

Re Bearsden Primary: I was there over 40 years ago

But I did know that in the interim Bearsden Academy also got a poor HMI report (I think it was the headmaster after the one I had or even the one after that ). I've often argued that Bearsden Academy wasn't as good a school as the one my mum taught at (Clydebank High): fine if you were clever, like my friends and me, but absolutely rubbish if you weren't academic and motivated as they just left you on the scrap heap ignored you. In fact, my mum ended up tutoring my brother's girlfriend sister as Bearsden Academy refused to enter her for her English Higher (for fear she'd impact on their previous results). My mum helped her get a B - entered privately.