Moving back to Glasgow area

[Tullula]

As it says... we’ve lived away a while, and are thinking about moving back in next few years.

Areas I’ve thought about are Newton Mearns and Bearsden. Possibly quite contrasting? I don’t know as I haven’t lived in either.

I lived in the West End of Glasgow when I was young, but to get a house and garden there, as we would like would no doubt be astronomical, so I don’t think that’s possible.

Anyone that knows the above areas? Good points / less good points? Was wondering what public transport was like - into city centre. Or ease of getting to the airport? Or into the countryside?

We won’t need to consider schools as the children are all grown.
Thanks

Also have a think about Jordanhill or parts of Broomhill - near Victoria Park. Agree parts of Pollockshields are a good shout.

It depends on what you're after: a villagey feel, everything on your doorstep/5 mins away, or a suburban feel.

Titsbumfannythelot (love your user name ): I would dispute your apparent concern about schooling in Newlands/Strathbungo Shawlands Academy is an excellent secondary, producing well rounded individuals, many of whom go on to do well at Uni by also developing "a healthy mind in a healthy body" encouraging sports, music and artistic endeavours.

By all accounts, Langside and Shawlands Primaries (the respective primaries for Newlands and Strathbungo) are also good (can only comment indirectly as ds was a placing request as we are in Pollokshields and Bellahouston was the secondary that ds' primary fed into)

Sorry pretty, didn't mean to diss any schools, concern was the wrong choice of word. Forgive me, I've been with a bunch of 7 year olds all day.

TBF it is not uncommon to be concerned about schools in Glasgow
Obviously lots of kids in Glasgow do really well but to pretend that lots of people don't vote with their feet and move to East Renfrewshire or East Dunbartonshire so kids can go to Williamwood or Bearsden Academy is not helpful or fair to people looking to move to Glasgow

If your dcs will be at uni and school places are no longer a worry, I'd consider Lenzie. It's ten minutes into Queen Street on the train. Obviously you can then walk to Strathclyde or Glasgow Caledonian or hop on to the underground to Glasgow Uni. It's obviously ideal for teens who want to go out at night as well. (Speaking from experience!)

We r in the Mearns, it's a nice area to live, but so is bearsden. But I think if u don't need a certain area for wchooos then you could get a lot more for your money in other areas

Schools not wchoos

I agree - a lot of people do indeed move to East Ren/East Dunbartonshire "for the schools". But imho they are doing so on the basis of pre-conceptions and assumptions

I have been told by two different sources (one who works in the education department and another who works at Glasgow Uni) that while East Ren gets "good" exam results, they also have high drop-out rates at Uni. In fact, my contact at Glasgow Uni, when I said that I'd been told that East Ren had a high Uni drop out rate but that I hadn't been able to find the evidence to corroborate this, told me, "East Ren doesn't have a high drop out rate......they have the highest drop out rate"

I know that ds, when he was writing his UCAS personal statement (for a high tariff course) was insistent on (and encouraged in doing so by his pastoral card teacher) including evidence of why he would cope with the rigours of Uni.

That's interesting PrettyBird. I actually remember when I was at Glasgow (early 90s) one of our lecturers saying that Glasgow had one of the highest dropout rates in the UK and he believed that was because there very little support in place. I do remember it being very 'sink or swim.' Some people will thrive in that others won't. I wonder if that is still true today.

Just had a look on rightmove out of curiosity. You could have a 4 bedroom Mews cottage in the Park district of the West End for under £450k Op. Big enough for now and better than a "family" house in the burbs in a couple of years when the DC are properly away.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-51229389.html

Failing that Bishopton has lots of large new family homes in your budget and is near the airport and 15 minutes by train to Glasgow. Close to Braehead (shops / arena / indoor snow and ice) and Erskine Bridge for "Up North". Also a good plan for the future as part of the Clyde regeneration area including the new bridge and also properly in the countryside.

Further into Glasgow Crookston also has lots of all mod cons family homes and ticks the same boxes, but is urban rather than country. Added advantage of being on direct bus route for QE Hospital and the West End.

@howabout - very pretty cottage. This has all been food for thought. Thank you

Maybe East Ren has such a high drop out rate because they put higher numbers into Uni because the Dc are achieving higher than what they would achieve at an average school. So that in a more average school the DC going to Uni would either be the very able or the ones that work hard independently so those will either find the course relatively easy or are used to working hard whereas in the East Ren schools and others, there may be DC who are achieving the required grades just by the osmosis factor or because of low levels of LLD etc. They neither find Uni easy or are used to working hard independently?

Sorry for the derail OP - I'm sure you will find what you are looking for :) I'm just now a bit concerned as DS has an unconditional for Glasgow Uni (we don't live in East Ren but he does go to a high achieving school) which he might take.

Hi Wax. I am Glasgow graduate. One of the reasons it had a higher than average drop out rate is that it operates a comparatively more "blind" applications process (get the grades get an offer - heard rumours they don't even read personal statements). On the upside this means it far outstrips all the other "Ancient" Unis on social inclusion measures, but the downside is that it may not be weeding out candidates with exam results which "flatter" as effectively.

In terms of support there was plenty available even in my day, but there is also a massive social scene which can cause distractions to the less academically focused.

We live close to East Ren so DC have loads of friends who have been there all the way through or have transferred in. Also sometimes do joint school things with them. They definitely push more but I wouldn't say the DC are spoon fed or under prepared. (I left mine where they were because they thrive in a mixed rough and tumble environment. I have self motivated outgoing girls though so I may have felt differently if I had boys open to peer pressure etc).

Thanks howabout very kind of you to comment. DS is very quiet and has a lot of social anxiety. He is naturally quite clever and exceeded the requirements for Glasgow (and most places), he doesn't need the AHs he is currently doing either. I think he has a reasonable work ethic and certainly he has never missed homework, ever and seems to do enough study though not as much as he should. I think my concern would be less about the social scene as he'll live at home and travel certainly initially (his choice) but more about his slipping through the cracks as he will not ask for help as he doesn't really speak until spoken to. he doesn't cope well with rough and tumble and was bullied in primary which also caused some of his anxiety issues hence the fact that he attends a school with very little disciplinary issues etc.

He still has 4 applications outstanding but he is perfectly happy with the Glasgow offer should no more be forthcoming.

Sounds like he will be fine Wax. My DD1 will be applying next year and looking forward to finding a few more studious geeky types like her. Not sure how that's going to work out if she suddenly discovers the need for a belated teen rebellion.

I second Houston... it’s easy to get into town, airport and Braehead are nearby, good schools & community and countryside on your doorstep... see also Bridge of Weir & Kilmacolm...

howabout Technically I should have DS2 applying for Uni next year but that's not looking likely at the moment!

DS1 will need some girl to take him on as a project :) He is house trained and can cook a bit....:o

I thought one of the reasons for drop out was the high number of tutors used to coach through exams and then uni being a massive shock.

wax, I'm having issues with Dd and her applications too, the way she's going shell be doing fanny waxing at Clydebank college, I could bloody strangle her!
And after me spending months getting her into Hyndland, arrrrrggghhjh.

Oh dear Brillo, I suspect my issue might be different though. DS2 having been a clever boy all his days suddenly seems to be not so clever and not very motivated, he has no idea what he wants to do and will struggle to get enough qualifications for anything including fanny waxing :o it looks like he may not be Uni material. Also looking like he may not be any kind of material. I adore him from the tip of his head to the bottom of his toes and he is amenable and polite and no trouble in the slightest and asks for nothing, but he honestly needs a good shake. He is sitting 4 highers (2 of them crash) and resitting his Nat 5 Maths and he could fail the lot. His music teacher told him he has skill and talent but he's chosen what he wants to play and it's too high a level and needs to marked at that level and as he's not been learning long enough he is making too many (mainly timing) errors. If he'd choose easier stock pieces he could get an A but stubborn guts doesn't want to do that so is on course to fail!. Reports from every teacher say that he is a delightful boy but....(insert subject here) isn't his forte. Gahhhhh!!

No idea how he is ever going to support himself.

I feel your pain.
They are so frustrating, and why listen to parents, what would we know?
Dd's attendance isn't what it should be, she's (still undiagnosed) ASD, has a chronically ill Mum and was in care for 14 months, and yet the guidance teacher has no knowledge of it because Dd won't talk about it.
The guidance teacher will know about it tomorrow, as will the Deputy Head.
The wrath of Miss Brillo will be unleashed

Good luck with that. Today/tomorrows issue for us is that he has his English prelim at 9am, he is supposed to use ICT but he doesn't have the individual timetable telling him which room he needs to go to. I suspect this is because once again they have fucked up and forgotten that he is supposed to use ICT. He was supposed to go to the office today to ask but forgot. I phoned at 4pm when we got home and kept trying but just kept getting the answer machine, I left a message the first time asking for a call back/text but nothing so suspect office was closed at 4. His English teacher commented that she doesn't know which way up his paper is as his writing is so poor and seemed surprised that he is meant to use ICT for precisely that reason. So anyway, now he has an exam in the morning, probably doesn't have ICT arranged and even if it, he has no idea where. He usually gets to school just after half 8 but I think i am going to have to be late at work and try to take him in early but suspect office will either be empty or the right person wont be there. They only went back to school on Monday so there hasn't been a lot of time. Just the right way to get yourself in the right frame of mind for an exam eh?

Omg, that is a nightmare, good luck to you and DS2 sorting that out.
I sometimes want to just curl up and say, no, no, I spent 6 stressful months getting you in there, now sort it out yourself, but of course I won't.
A year and a half and she'll be giving fanny waxes at Uni and it'll be much easier to support her then.
Untill then, send gin