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Scotsnet

Welcome to Scotsnet - discuss all aspects of life in Scotland, including relocating, schools and local areas.

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Original poster

Do Scottish schools do visits?

21 replies

ILoveLouLou · 17/09/2016 17:34

Glasgow's enrolment was in November or December last year so it all seems to be approaching very quickly!

We're 95% sure that we're going to defer our Feb baby but I know that we still need to enrol. I would love a chance to look round the school but I've never heard of anyone doing it.

OP posts:

WankersHacksandThieves · 17/09/2016 20:42

I've had a visit to our catchment primary. Our children attended a non catchment nursery (at a different school) so we had a dilemma about whether to leave them there and make a placing request, go to our catchment or apply to a 3rd school. We emailed the head and she invited us in to have a look round and to meet with her. we went with the catchment school but may not have without the visit.

dementedpixie · 17/09/2016 20:46

We didn't visit ours - primary or secondary. Dd went to an out of catchment secondary school but it is actually closer than the catchment school! Just about everyone from her primary went there too so there were a lot of placing requests

AgentProvocateur · 17/09/2016 20:48

No, we didn't visit ours before enrolling.

WankersHacksandThieves · 17/09/2016 20:49

We didn't visit our out of catchment high school that my boys attend. We just applied after the open evening at our catchment High.

Nospringflower · 17/09/2016 20:51

We went and looked round local schools in Edinburgh.

LeonoraFlorence · 17/09/2016 20:54

Yes, you definitely can. Send the HT an email :) Out of curiosity, why are you leaning towards deferring? I was a DHT before becoming a stay at home mum and we have been deciding whether to send our Feb DD to school or defer.

prettybird · 17/09/2016 21:20

Contact the school and ask if you can visit.

FWIW, I have never come across anyone who has regretted deferring but have come across people who've regretted not deferring their child.

Because I do registration for the junior section of the local rugby club - and have a spreadsheet that calculates age from date of birth - I often have conversations with people about which year their child is in.

Original poster

ILoveLouLou · 17/09/2016 21:27

Thanks!

why are you leaning towards deferring? I was a DHT before becoming a stay at home mum and we have been deciding whether to send our Feb DD to school or defer.

DHT? Deputy head teacher?

TBH, we're looking at secondary and university. I have serious tiger mother instincts

No, in all seriousness, barring any big changes in her over the next 18 months, I know that she would cope absolutely fine with P1 and probably all of primary school. I am more concerned about her sitting exams and going to university or off to adult life aged 17.

OP posts:

prettybird · 17/09/2016 21:48

Ds' birthday is in September and although technically I could have deferred (and I'd have seriously considered it if he'd shown signs that it would've benefitted him), I was happy for him to start school in the middle/young end of the cohort.

It does mean that he needs to do a 6th Year, as if he went to Uni from 5th year, he'd be 17 for the entire year Fortunately he agrees (he's in S5 now)

I went to Uni from 5th year but my birthday is in April and because I was at St Andrews and it was nearly 40 years ago , it was assumed that I was 18 for the 6 months I was underage.

dementedpixie · 17/09/2016 22:05

I went to uni after S5 at age 16 (November birthday). Graduated when I was 20!

LeonoraFlorence · 18/09/2016 07:36

We are of the same thought process, OP. Feb DD would cope absolutely fine I know, she is no less ready than her two sisters were at this stage and they're doing extremely well in school (P2 and P3 at the moment). If anything she is more ready as she has been learning things along with the 'big girls'. I do worry about starting uni so young but my DH is a Feb birthday and it has certainly done him no harm :) It is a hard decision. One of my closest friends is a primary HT and she advised me to defer even before DD was born, knowing my end of Feb due date! My DD4 just missed the cut off for entry so that decision has been most likely made for us with her.

LeonoraFlorence · 18/09/2016 07:37

Yes, DHT is Depute Head.

Groovee · 18/09/2016 09:38

We have open days in Edinburgh where you can visit your catchment school while the day is going on.

Or just call the school to get one.

My dd is 16. She has a January birthday and we deferred. She's recently said she preferred sitting her exams at 16 instead of 15 and she has found changes easier than a few of her friends who are 12/13 months younger.

Original poster

ILoveLouLou · 18/09/2016 12:23

I went to uni after S5 at age 16 (November birthday). Graduated when I was 20!

One of the women I work with did this, except she's a January birthday. She's 21 now and absolutely miserable, which has actually helped me to make up my mind. She's desperate to travel but has got a mortgage and a car to pay. Too much too young.

OP posts:

TequilaBlockingBird · 18/09/2016 12:26

Yes I did a visit when I enrolled. My son's nursery also did several visits with the children who were going there, and to the other local primary that others were going to.

I think its fairly standard.

dementedpixie · 18/09/2016 13:08

What's going to uni young got to do with having a mortgage and car to pay ?

Original poster

ILoveLouLou · 18/09/2016 14:03

She got a job when she graduated and bought her house and car.

OP posts:

DanyellasDonkey · 18/09/2016 18:16

It's not really the norm to visit schools in our area - everyone seems happy to put their children to their catchment school.

My sister insisted on going round all the local schools, but she had recently moved up from England where everybody seems to do it

Beebeeeight · 19/09/2016 15:50

Someone on my Uni course went to uni at 16, got a 3 year ordinary degree at 19 then straight to a post grad masters at 20!

For girls, who have a limited biological clock the earlier they can get ahead in their careers the better imo.

For boys they have all the time in the world.

PiggyPlumPie · 19/09/2016 15:57

My DD was moved up from P3 to P4 after we moved up from England to Aberdeenshire - school automatically deferred her but she was way ahead so moved up at the October holidays.

She has just started uni at St Andrews and is not 18 until January. She has sailed through school and coped brilliantly with both the academic and social side.

We just asked for a school visit and they were more than happy to accommodate us.

dotdotdotmustdash · 22/09/2016 18:03

PiggyPlumPie Your Dd must be in exactly her correct year group, as my Dd (who will also be 18 in Jan) has just left 6th year and would have just started Uni this year (she hasn't as she has an overseas scholarship for a year).

My Ds is also a Jan birthday and repeated P1 when when we moved areas as he wasn't ready at 4.5 for school (he has ASD). He was much more confident at 5.5. I would always defer if given the chance.

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