Family Moving to Aberdeen

[nulaz]

Hi Everyone

I'm new here to this site. I already posted on here but the wrong thread. 🙃😂 but someone was kind enough to point this out to me. I am making the move to Aberdeen as a mature student to RGU Nursing. My biggest concern is school for my two daughters one is 8 and the other is 13 years old. We come from a lovely small village in Ireland. So moving to the city will be a big change for all the family. I'm not sure if I want to live in the city yet or somewhere not to far outside. Can anyone give me information on schools also do schools do after school care in case my classes run late also I will have placement to attend so childcare will be something I have to look into and good schools for them what kind of cost for school and childcare in Aberdeen. Any information anyone can give me I woul really appreciate to help me locate areas of living and schools. Thank you.

Are you planning to rent or buy, and is your course at RGU main campus in Garthdee or elsewhere? Housing is pricy here whatever you're doing. A lot of primary schools have after-school clubs, some have breakfast clubs, but they may also have waiting lists. The easiest way to do things might be to find a decent secondary with a primary in catchment area with after school club, as your eldest would be old enough to get themselves to school. It gets trickier if you are out of town re clubs/transport. Traffic can be awful from suburbs.

Cults is near to RGU main campus - decent schools (Primary and secondary), nice area but pricy.

Also, most of your placements will be based within the city, something to bear in mind when thinking about commuting from rural locations, plus take the weather/snow into consideration during the winter. It might be easier for all of you to be city based. Good luck with your training :)

Thank you so much for your replies. Yes maybe in the end it would be a better option to live near the university it is the main campus Garthdee campus. I'm going to rent my house back in Ireland so that will go toward my rent while I am in Aberdeen saying that it will only cover half my rent as rent in Aberdeen is high compared to my area in Ireland. It's good to hear of areas around my university. Obviously I'm checking online but it's hard to tell by just looking at areas online. Yes the older girl be well able to get to school once she gets to know the area it be a big change coming from a small village but exciting time as well. I'll look up cult. And I wont want to be travelling in bad weather conditions. Thanks guys for all your information. I'm looking so forward to get stuck in to my training 😀But getting the girls settled is top of my list now. and finding a place we can call home

Cults is nice, Airyhall, Hazelhead, Mannofield all nice/quiet areas with good schools. Garthdee is more mixed, it's a small council estate but a lot of houses now private/rented to students. Local primary middling, as is Harlaw (Secondary) - children all get the bus to secondary because it's in the city centre. Garthdee does have a great community centre though - lots of different activities. It would be a cheaper option for renting.

I was going to suggest garthdee too, have known mature students with young families rent there as cheaper and you can get a house rather than a flat! Some have drives or it's permit parking.
Stay away from Dyce unless you like sitting in a car park every day!
Bridge of Don is popular with families, oldmacher academy is the high school there and is supposed to be good.
Good luck with your course, rgu is fab!

Sorry, am bored this morning so did a quick property search on aspc.co.uk website - most properties are advertised there. There are some in Broomhill/Holburn Street area that would be near - good primary (Broomhill), Harlaw for Secondary. Lots of flats in Peterculter (Millside). Peterculter slightly further out than Cults, still nice but cheaper.

Wasn't Cults the school where the boy stabbed the other and died?

Yes it was whiskey but I'd not let that affect OP's decisions. It doesn't stop folk living in central London / Manchester / Bristol / any other area that crime once occurred.

OP - anywhere along the A93 (Cults / Mannofield etc) is a lovely part of town, and on bus routes. Although it would be the pricier end of town.
Garthdee, as mentioned, walking distance to campus. Girls would be on bus to secondary school. Cheaper part of town, walking distance also to Asda / Sainsburys.

Have a look also not the First Aberdeen bus routes ..... My bug bear about Aberdeen buses is very few cross the city, they come into the city and out again. But the route will show you what areas of town are directly linked to Garthdee by bus. From memory, I think it's a 1 & 2 which is most direct and start out the Bridge of Don / Danestone areas. So, that takes you all the way along King Street (Aberdeen uni area), into city centre (Union Street) and out along Holburn Street all on one bus. All other areas, you'd likely come into the city centre and out again.

PM me if I can help - I've done the move in the opposite way, Aberdeen to small Irish village!

Broomhill/Holburn Street are both great and on the 1&2 bus routes that go straight to the RGU campus.

Broomhill/Ferryhill Primary are decent enough and so is local secondary Harlaw Academy. Not excellent, but decent.

Well ye are all so good I would have been a long time trying to source all the information myself. You have give me lots of places to research. Im just in work now but will check all my information later!! Thank you

Drquin it was because she's asked about schools so maybe she might not like to put her kids there. I heard the bus drivers for the school kids to Cults Academy absolutely hate it and are intimidated by the kids etc. Same for Northfield.

Cove is a nice area to live ( on the edge of Aberdeen towards Portlethen) but would be a but of a commute however, plenty buses.

The newish flats of Bothwell road (Near beach) are nice and perfect for a jaunt to the beach and a quick bus journey to RGU

Feel free to pm rough address if you see somewhere likely, I know that side of town well. You want to have school/childcare close - e.g. so your eldest could walk youngest to/from club if you're on placement. Minimise the amount of trips to collect etc as Aberdeen can get gridlocked - it's busy! Stick to that side of town/river as crossing river is slow/jammed. Great Western road/Ashley Road primary also good.

Cults Academy is one of the top schools in Scotland. The stabbing was a tragic (and very unusual) incident. Primary schools near the beach are not great - quite a noisy/transient area.

Yes, I cant say I know anything about the schools at the beach.

I went to Robert Gordon's College, OP, which is a private school but central and very good resources/equipment. They have a primary school in the grounds too but I can't tell you the cost.

Cults, Milltimber and Peterculter. Peterculter has a village feel, DP grew up there, It's the sort of area people grow up in and then live in as adults too. There's a very small selection of shops but it's not far to drive to Westhill which has Tesco, Costco, Home Bargains and Costa opened recently.
We live in Westhill now, schools are excellent it has a swimming pool, shops. I love it here but it's too far for Uni.

Yes, I was suggesting these kind of areas as OP is coming from a small village - more urban areas might be a big shock ! Westhill could be doable - 1/2 hour to RGU, but could be tricky depending on where placements are. Good schools too.

OP, message me if you want, Broomhill/Garthdee were my stomping grounds before I moved to THAT LONDON

Thanks so much everyone. I have just emailed Harlaw and broomhill about enrolment for the girls. I did go on the Aspc.co.uk I came across a few houses in these areas but Westhill I came across some really nice places would it be doable taken in to account I will be driving , rents cheaper. Would it be an added stress to the fact the girls at school at getting home from classes and placement for them and the fact ill need a little part time. I am keeping the city option open and the outskirts of the city. I need to get planning I know the move wont be till August but moving 2 girls renting our own house here working and saving. it will be adventures few months ill have a good sleep when I get there when the kids are in school before mammy heads off to uni haha I plan of having a little few weeks before I start and have them settled in school. I'm really tryoing to make the rent of house in Ireland go a lot further so it wont run in to money worries while studying and away from home. Thank you all your all so good for taking the time.

Told you you'd get a better response over here!

Good luck with your move.