Is Hillhead primary still overcrowded and what's Dunard like?

[Emma1609]

Hi, I am moving back to Glasgow after 8 years in England. My dd is due to start school in 2018. I've been reading lots about Hillhead primary school being overcrowded and things like children queuing all lunchtime for lunch or for toilets, no communal spaces etc - which sounds awful! These are all old reports from 2014 so please can someone tell me what the situation is like now?

Also can anyone tell me what Dunard primary school is like? Its coming up a lot when looking at flats and I have never heard of it.
Huge thanks!

Don't know I'm on the Southside - but SIL works for the Education Department and I'm seeing her tomorrow (we're off to see Neil Diamond together ) so I could ask her.

She usually has good insights about the quality of the different head teachers - and that is so important for the ethos of the school.

Oh thank you prettybird I'd really appreciate that.

When are you moving? Registration for starting P1 in 2018 will be in January. Will you be here by then?

My house went on the market today so I hope I will be there by January, but if not I'm assuming she will still get a place in the catchment school.

I'm not sure how it works if you miss the deadline, tbh.

If you miss the deadline, I think the procedure is that the child gets a place in the next closest primary school with space. And if it's beyond the travel distance (sorry, don't know how far that is), you'll get free transport.

"Main" registration is in November, with a further registration period opened in January.

www.glasgow.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=18007

Spoke to SIL. She didn't really know Dunard - but that's a good sign she'd more likely know about it if there were problems

She'd advise against Hillhead. Although the headteacher is very good, it is an enormous in Scottish terms primary school and as you say, very crowded.

There is a new primary school being built in Maryhill (top end of QMD) ironic given that the original Maryhill Primary was closed only 11 years ago but won't be built in time for your dd.

The Council website is wrong/needs to be updated. There is only one formal registration period - in November. Any later, and you can't be guaranteed your catchment school.

As an additional point, I thought I should just check when your dd's birthday is. If you say she is due to start in 2018, then I presume she was born between March 2013 and February 2014. Plus if she was born in January/February 2014, you also have the option of deferring her entry into P1 until 2019. (Technically, also Nov/Dec 2013).

Hope that helps

My nephew is at Dunard and loves it! His Mum has absolutely no complaints and he’s very happy there.

Thank you for that excellent information prettybird :) and thanks kermitslovechild as well! I actually phoned the council to clarify and she said that yes, registration week is 6th November, which there is no way I will make. Not going to stress about it as there's nothing I can do about it. We would have moved earlier but i had a baby in July, then our kitchen ceiling was ruined from a leak which delayed us more!

We've actually just decided to go for the southside instead which I'm happy about, it was my dad who was encouraging me to consider the West end cos he lives there.

I can be of more help with advice on the South Side! (I'm in Pollokshields)

Oh great - what is pollokshields like to live? Keep seeing lots of lovely flats there.

Love it. Close to parks (Maxwell Park, Pollok Park, Bellahouston Park), good public transport (3 different railway lines going into Central), buses and the subway (10-15 minute walk from where I am). Good access to the motorways. Albert Drive is good for Asian shops (great value spices!) and also has the Hidden Gardens & Tramway (Art/drama space). Nithsdale Road has cafés and some more delis. Kilmarnock Road in Shawlands is more cosmopolitan in feel. More bars, eateries, cafés and shops.

Glendale Primary is very good - but is also very popular so you might not get in if you don't register at the right time. Strange catchment - funny dogs leg that means that some of its catchment is actually closer to Pollokshields Primary. We'd thought we were in Pollokshields Primary (which at the time was 98% English as an Additional Language) but found out that we were in Glendale's ("only" 60% EAL but an exemplar of best practice in coping with it).

Pollokshields Primary probably has a lower % of EAL now because Glendale hasn't been able to accept placing requests for years - but I don't really know now as ds is now in S6

Still keep in touch with Glendale (they're now in a fancy new building which they share with the Gaelic Medium Primary) and they still seem to be as fabulous as they were when ds was there. Plus my neighbours have kids who're there.

Shawlands Primary, Langside Primary, Battlefield Primary all seem to be good (from the parents I've got to know at the youth section of the rugby club).

Best secondary is Shawlands Academy - ds was a placing request (which to date they've always been able to accept). It does brilliantly with the demographic it deals with: not just a range from millionaire's kids to those whose families are struggling to eat, but also multiple (55! ) languages - about 30+% EAL. Ds has done well in his exams (as did many in his year) and is currently doing Advanced Highers and applying for Uni. (2 went to Oxbridge and others to med/vet school this year).

Ooh thank you for taking the time to write that prettybird, that's excellent info

I see you are going south side OP - but for what it's worth I still think very highly of Hillhead and would happily recommend it. The space problems are really a reflection of the popularity of the school

Thank you alicealiceinwanderland that's really good to know in case we do end up on the West end.