Where to live in/near Glasgow

[longestlurkerever]

Dh applied for a job in London (where we currently live) but has been given an interview for one in Glasgow. It's not something we'd have seriously considered if it hadn't happened this way but the more we think about it the more it might be a good opportunity (if he were to be offered the job, obviously).

I am just at the daydream stage really but where are good areas for families in and around Glasgow? The job is fairly central and I'd be looking for one too (I'm a civil servant and would be hoping for a transfer of some kind). We are in the fortunate position of owning a house in London that has a fair amount of equity. We'd probably get about £950k if we sold it and but if we could reduce our mortgage and get something closer to 500 or 600k that'd be helpful. 3 or 4 bedrooms and a garden would be ideal. I can't decide if I'd prefer close to the city centre or somewhere further out with access to the countryside. Open to suggestions!

I have two girls aged 5 and 1. Any information about the school application process and childcare position would be really helpful.

Oh and I think we'd definitely want to be accessible by public transport - preferably on a direct line to Glasgow central, as we'd have family visiting quite often by train - but it looks as if the train service is really good all over

Glasgow has fantastic public transport: there's the Underground, low level trains & buses.

Would you be looking for state schools or private? If it's state, East Renfrewshire schools & East Dumbarton (Bearsden/Milngavie) are outstanding. Remember, state school places are allocated to those in catchment, so you are unlikely to get in if living outside of it. It's not an application process, like in England.

If going privately, I would consider Pollockshields, Newlands, Dowanhill, Broomhill, Hyndland, Kelvindale.

Lots of choice!

The herald publishes a list of the top rated high schools every year - if you want to think ahead have a wee look at that.
The south side is definitely on the up, but I'm not sure shawlands academy has a great rep even though the primary schools do well.

Jordanhill is fairly west end, big houses with gardens, short taxi or train backto the city centre, best state high school in the west (so I am told). Primary school catchment is small though and it's doubtful you would get in even if you moved right next door.

It really depends on what you are looking for. I live in Glasgow, Southside, and I personally don't like Newton Mearns/Giffnock etc and we are thinking of moving away from the area. There is very little there and mostly just housing although schools and amenities are excellent. If you can look further out try Kilmacolm and Bridge of Weir to the West. Dunblane and Bridge of Allan to the North or Linlithgow area between Glasgow and Edinburgh. They are more likely to offer what you describe as looking for.

Definitely have a preference for state schooling and not religious if possible. Thanks Doodles I'll look at those too.

Shawlands had a boost with the school of rugby going there. The middle class cohort are more in evidence now than before, but I don't see much mixing between class/race groups. IMO.

Schools, not houses,.should absolutely be your first decision and you may need to rent. If you are going state, decide on target secondaries then feeder primaries and that will define your househunting catchment. If state for primary but planning for private secondary you will have a bit more flexibilty. If private from primary you can live anywhere- however traffic is bad in the morning so not too far from school ideal. Statistically speaking East Renfrewshire and East Dumbartonshire state schools perform significantly better than Glasgow City schools (with the excrption of Jordanhill) but geography wise both areas are effectively part of the city. For country access, East Dumbortonshire might suit better.

Actually, ds (at Shawlands but no longer technically in the School of Rugby as he's in S4) does have lots of Asian friends (and quite a few Asians are in the School of Rugby )

He's now playing rugby with a club on the North side long story but he specifically comments on how "white" the team and their friends are - and that they are so aware of people's ethnicity than he is - whereas he says he just has friends - some of whom happen to be Asian.

I'd be interested to know why Running thinks that Shawlands Academy doesn't have a good reputation. It gets very good results for its (highly mixed) demographic, with good proportions going into HE and FE. In one of the various league tables (think it was the Sunday Times) , it came in the top 50 schools in Scotland. It doesn't show as well as in some other league tables, as they count the number of Highers that pupils do over S5 and S6 - whereas Shawlands concentrates on getting the best results for 5 Highers in S5 and then offering Advanced Highers across the full range of subjects in S6 - which aren't counted in some league tables

Personally, I think that the education ds is getting is better than the one I got albeit many, many years ago at Bearsden Academy - and I got 6 As at Higher in S5! He is getting a more holistic education; he will still get the good academic results but is also encouraged in his sport and other areas.

Agh, is tricky, isn't it? Very hard to plan your whole future around a school catchment, when you have limited info/hearsay to on and it's a leap into the dark anyway as dd is only 5 and I have no idea how academic she'll prove to be. So far she is bright, engaged , sociable and articulate but by no means studious and not always the best behaved....

Fully understand that's the game though, it'd be the same here. I went to a bog standard comp and did well though, so I try not to get obsessed, and diversity is good in my book.

We're Troon, lovely and coastal- good schools too, easy route into Ggow by bus,train and car.

Love this house

I'll admit that I only moved to the Southside (actually back up from England) because that was where dh lived.

After we decided to move from our great but one bedroom tenement flat in Shawlands, we spent 2 years looking for a house on the Northside (including putting in an offer on a house in Jordanhill which went for over 20% above the Offers Over price ) before deciding to look at the Southside. We found the house we're still in (17 years later! ) the first night out looking

I always thought that we'd move back to Bearsden/Milngavie to be close to my parents babysitters once we had a family and got closer m to school age but once I checked out the schools, I didn't feel the need to and Mum and Dad were only 20 minutes away for babysitting anyway leave our lovely house. We'd get nowhere near as nice a house and garden for the money - and I genuinely don't think that ds would've got a better education

Houston, Bridge of Weir, and Kilmalcolm are all nice - good schools, easy commute into Glasgow, but also within easy reach of the countryside and the coast.

I have a place in G11, love it.

I have a terrible reason for not thinking highly of shawlands academy!
I spent the early part of my 20's living in springhill gardens in shawlands partying with people who went to shawlands academy. They didn't have a great deal of nice things to say about it. I am sure there are many successful people who went to shawlands, I just never met any.

But saying that I went to lenzie academy, which was a very highly rated Dumbartonshire school, and hated it. My sister went and ended up in oxbridge. Guess it just depends.

Lots of £600,000 houses in lenzie OP, great road and rail links to Glasgow, Stirling and Edinburgh. Masses of public services (pools, gyms etc)

Hi op...I'm am ex Londoner, we moved here last year due to my husband's job and overall it's been really positive. We rented in the west end for a year which was gorgeous- just by the botanical gardens and the river, amazing walks and only a short journey into centre. It is very studenty though...

In all honesty, I wouldn't say public transport is that great, it's run by various companies, no travel card system for buses, it's a bit higgedly piggedly in comparison to tfl. Overground trains are great though and you can drive.

On the whole, it's a gorgeous city and people are so much nicer than in London, property is much more affordable and the proportions are fantastic. I'll never live with a low ceiling again!

We've just bought Southside where there's plenty going on, schools are good and it's great for families.

Fair enough.

I have no idea how old you are now, but the headteacher has been there for at least 9 years (I think more) and has worked really hard - along with her Senior Management Team - for the school. The results improve year on year and it takes turns with Hyndland to get the best (comparative?) results each year (a friendly rivalry except for rugby).

Most years there is at least one kid going to medical/vet school not that that in itself is an indicator of adding value and regularly has kids going to Oxbridge ditto .

My mum taught English at Lenzie (also many many years ago!) for a short period and absolutely hated it. Not the pupils - it was the teaching environment, which she found stultifying. Fortunately she quickly managed to get a promoted post at another school.

...but they've probably gone through numerous headteacher changes since then (let alone the rest of the teaching staff), so it's no doubt a completely different school.

My "complaint" about Bearsden is that it still seems (from talking with friends who have kids there) to have the same flaw it had when I was there: great if you were clever and academic (like my friends and me) but not so good if you don't fit that mould . But maybe I'm being unfair.

Going back to the OP, I'd agree with SDTG that Kilmacolm, Bridge of Weir, Houston are also worth considering, especially if you want a more rural environment. You're still close to the Highlands via the Erskine Bridge - but a bit longer of a commute into Glasgow. Short by London standards though

www.spt.co.uk/travelcards/

Travel cards for all public transport in Glasgow

For what is is worth I have heard Shawlands Academy is very good these days, much down to the Head Teacher..

If I had that amount of money I'd buy a cheaper house say £250k and use the rest for private school fees.

That opens up a lot more areas.

How about Alloway in Ayr.A very naice area. And near to Wellington School. And an easy commute into Glasgow. My friends live in Kilwinning and both kids go to Wellington.

beebee I'd do the opposite! 500K on a nice house in East Ren or Bearsden/Milngavie school catchments. Why pay for private schooling when state schools are excellent? Plus 250K won't go that far in most decent areas, especially for a 3/4 bed family home.

I'd prefer state schooling for ideological reasons as well as financial really, though I reserve the right to be picky 😉. My own school was a bit ropey in many ways but still managed to get me 4 As and an Oxbridge law degree, so I'm not that worried, but somewhere that doesn't make you feel bad for studying, and that doesn't have issues with gangs/violence would be preferable. I have always understood that the Scottish education system iis decent.

www.corumproperty.co.uk/html/property-view/seres-road-clarkston-glasgow~8918

catchment area for 2 of the top 5 state secondary schools in Scotland, 20 mins on train to Glasgow city centre, ten mins walk to train station, near great parks and five mins walk to town centre

www.corumproperty.co.uk/html/property-view/roddinghead-road-whitecraigs-glasgow~6825

catchment area in top 5 for state secondary schools again and easy links to Glasgow as before, 20 mins by car, 10 mins to M8