Moving to Glasgow from NZ with 16yo

[Tinofcurses]

I posted something similar in Education, but someone suggested I might get more info here.

I have tons of questions...

We're planning on moving to Glasgow from NZ at the end of 2020. ds will be 16.5 by then. He will have completed year 11 in early Dec 2020, with 2 more years of school to go if we stayed here. I'm thinking he should probably go into S4 in January, and then carry on from there.

Does that sound right/possible? Will he be super old compared to the rest of his year? If so, does it matter? How does the secondary school system work anyway? I went to school in England about 500 years ago, and ds has only been in the NZ system so far, so I'm clueless.

Also, any thoughts about which parts of Glasgow to look at? We're looking for an inclusive, mixed, non-catholic school, and plenty of shops, cafes and places to walk a dog. Ideally fairly central, or at least with great public transport (no car).

We'll be renting initially, and then wanting to buy a 2 bed flat or house with a budget of around 200-220,000 (is this realistic? I have no idea).

Actually, another property related thing...Do flats for sale in Scotland have rules about pets? I know it can be difficult to find a place to rent with a dog, but is it generally ok if you buy? We will be bringing our dog, but she will stay with my parents at first if we can't find a rental property with her.

Sorry, I did warn you I have tons of questions!

I'm not sure. I think 17 is old for s4. Many of the children will have started school at 4 and so will be 14 for at least half of s4. He will be in a class with predominantly 14/15 year olds so you may have to consider whether this is something he would be able to deal with. You might be able to consider the option of doing highers at a college rather than school. Many children do this instead of a 6th year. If you moved to Shawlands, Glasgow Clyde College have a campus in Langside.

You wouldn't describe Loch Lomond and the Highlands as wilderness??

Umm no one actually said that... but then no one on this thread seems to be letting reality stand in the way of opinion...

Loch Lomond is one of the biggest tourist traps in Scotland - at least where it is easily accessible from Glasgow. There’s a reason wild camping has been banned there.

I tend to consider wilderness as areas that aren’t on major bus routes and within easy reach of an ice cream van, water sports centre, and an Edinburgh Woollen mill. Loch Lomond may be picturesque and rural but wilderness it is not.

The Highlands are wilderness (at least in places). However Loch Lomond is not synonymous with the Highlands so I wouldn’t conflate the two.

Equally the Cairngorms are wilderness and very much in easy reach of Edinburgh whereas i’d Probably say the pentlands are not as they’re a bit too accessible (like Loch Lomond)

“You can get to Loch Lomond and the beginning of the Highlands so quickly!”

The edge of the pentlands is on bus routes... half an hour, quicker if you drive or you’re going from residential areas rather than the city centre.

And you go up the other side to get up north, so once you’re an hour north of Glasgow it’s only an extra 25 minutes from Edinburgh...

I mean Edinburgh has loads of downsides, I don’t even live in Edinburgh...can’t afford to, lol, so I’m outside it, but it’s definitely easy to get to actual countryside from.

“whereas i’d Probably say the pentlands are not as they’re a bit too accessible”

Nah, get off the bus a stop after the visitor centres or drive an extra 2 minutes and it’s deserted tbh, there’s a car park about 20 minutes from me that I’m often the only person using the entire time I’m there... and that’s without going really out of the way.

Nah, get off the bus a stop after the visitor centres or drive an extra 2 minutes and it’s deserted tbh, there’s a car park about 20 minutes from me that I’m often the only person using the entire time I’m there... and that’s without going really out of the way.

Oh I totally agree and I love the Pentlands I just don’t class places with car parks and bus stops as wilderness, any more than i’d Consider Loch Lomond so. Both are perfectly pleasant rural places conveniently located near major cities. Just a different interpretation of wilderness I guess

I would have thought s6 for a 17 year old...

Awful lot of oddities on here who have probably never been to Glasgow. Knife culture? Yeah, in the very rough areas maybe. As long as he doesn't join any gangs he'll be fine xD 12 years here, various places round the city, never witnessed a single crime. Well, tell a lie, did see a burned out car once and hear someone break a window. But, meh.

School ppl aren't gonna bully him cause of his accent. As long as he is pleasant kid he'll settle in easily enough. Might find himself a gf too pretty fast seen as he's 'exotic' haha.

200 grand?! I bought a 3 bedroom, large flat for 41k. So I'm sure you can get a half decent house for 200 lol.

“I just don’t class places with car parks and bus stops as wilderness”

I’m from up in the north of Argyll originally... there’s bus stops and car parks in the middle of nowhere there too, lol

There’s definitely bits of the pentlands that are not wilderness, by any definition, but loads of it is pretty wild, IMO anyway

I'd absolutely ignore the league tables btw, pile of pish.

If his birthday is June, then he might need to go into half way through S5. But the flexibility of the Scottish system means that he could sit his Highers in S6 (with a wee bit of a "run in" to them during the remainder of S5) and depending on his predictions and the results of his NZ exams, still get decent offers from Scottish Unis, as they don't assume anything higher than a Higher in 1st year at Uni (in fact, if you do Advanced Highers, some of the STEM subjects let you go straight into 2nd year). His Personal Statement in his UCAS application and the school reference would be key.

Where he might have a problem is accruing the necessary 3 years in order not to be categorised as an International student.

@Veterinari

You wouldn't describe Loch Lomond and the Highlands as wilderness??

Umm no one actually said that...

Check out Piggywaspushed Fri 06-Dec-19 16:28:36 in response to me saying that Edinburgh had areas of countryside as close as Loch lomond.

“with a wee bit of a "run in" to them during the remainder of S5”

He’d need to be pretty sure whatever uni course he wanted was ok with that, because I’m pretty sure that would count as doing them over 2 years... or he’d need to be doing something else in S5.

I too ignore the league tables - especially as the ones I've seen recently don't include the "Virtual Comparator" - the calculation of the "value add" a school is expected to deliver, given its demographics. Shawlands for example, is delivers above its Virtual Comparator.

All of ds' friends and classmates (they set for English and Maths from S1) have gone on to good Unis doing a variety subjects. (one went from S5 but the majority stayed on for S6)

The other question that is interesting to ask a school is what is the drop out rate at Uni. Shawlands has a very low drop out rate as they encourage and develop their young people to take responsibility and there isn't a great deal of tutoring or hot housing. So they have a good solid foundation for Uni.

This is one of the weirdest threads I've read on here!

The op didn't ask where she could move to that was out in the wilds, she asked for areas in Glasgow with decent schools and transport links.

The bonkers responses of how state schools are non survivable and how £220k wouldn't by a flat and be careful in case you are killed on your doorstep are madness. Not to mention the incorrect gcse advice.

Op I hope this hasn't put you off. Move to Glasgow, my dd survived state school, getting an unconditional offer to Glasgow uni, where she's doing great and has never been involved in gangs or knife crime and as a teenager has spent very little time in the wilderness, be that the wilds nearest Glasgow or Edinburgh

Gosh, actually I didn't call it wilderness. A poster who has lived in both places called it that. I just agreed Glasgow is nearer proper big wild stuff. It's all a bit tame compared to NZ, tbf.

Not sure what I have done wrong other than coming from Glasgow although I am in actual fact from Helensburgh, near the wilderness

tabulahrasa - that's why I said that his Personal Statement and the school reference would be key, plus the fact that the "earlier" exams would be NZ ones.

What the Unis prefer/expect (so I've been told) is Highers in a single sitting - which he'd still be achieving.

4 months to do a Higher from scratch would be asking a bit much and risk the very thing that you are worried about - having obviously to do/resit Highers over two years.

I struggled to "catch up" in 6 months before O grades when I came back from NZ (returning to my original year that I'd left 2 years before) - although I still did well (and went on to do well in my Highers). I don't think I'd have been able to go to Uni after S5 if we'd left it a year before coming back.

But Tinofcurses is best contacting the school (Shawlands is always very helpful and was very welcoming to the MNer and her dd from India who was thinking of moving here ultimately they didn't move ) and seeing if they are prepared to advise. I know that they've managed to be flexible with the "rules" in the past.

I agree it's bizarre and to be honest I've personally not helped. I definitely got out of bed the wrong side this morning!

There is nothing wrong with Glasgow and i'm sure OPs DS would settle perfectly well. I admit it would never be my choice but it's as well we are not all the same.

My only point was that although Glasgow is significantly closer to Berwickshire than NZ, don't underestimate the time involved getting to and from there if parents become infirm. It's tough even being a few hours away if they've fallen or are in hospital and you are going back and forward.

On that basis, i'd personally be choosing somewhere closer by if being tied to a particular place of work wasn't an issue.

I'd be interested to know whether the driver for city living is Ops own or DSs? If it's DSs then I'd be inclined to choose somewhere nearer parents with a decent transport links and if DS has a hankering for Glasgow then he could apply for Uni there.

I just think that the reason for moving here sooner rather than later is elderly parents so you could find yourself in a flat in Glasgow, DS off to Uni or out and about and in the meantime you are frustrated as you are still not able to give practical support to your parents.

If you move when DS is 16.5 then if you want to qualify for free tuition (if it even exists by then) he'll be 20ish before he can go. Also there are fewer places allocated for free tuition students and it ties him to Scotland for Uni. All things to be considered.

“What the Unis prefer/expect (so I've been told) is Highers in a single sitting - which he'd still be achieving.”

My understanding of it is that he wouldn’t be doing it in a single sitting, that’s why I mentioned it - otherwise you could do the higher course over 2 years with just one sitting of the exam at the end...

Basically they’ll need some proper detailed advice.

“The op didn't ask where she could move to that was out in the wilds”

Yeah, but it was an interesting tangent, lol

Jeezo! Just to clarify, living close to the wilderness is important for me (I understand that it’s not important for everyone) and Glasgow is definitely closer. The thread was getting a bit Glasgow v Edinburgh and I like both, born and brought up in one and live in the other. 2 hours from Glasgow you’re in the much underrated wilderness of Argyll, there’s nowhere like that 2 hours from Glasgow.

From Edinburgh I mean

Of course there is Aurignacian. You can be in any number of wild places from either city in 2 hours. It's a bit of a narrow view to consider the west coast as the only wilderness area. Not that that has any relevance to the OP so we still digress...

A friend studying in Edinburgh used to tell us of the horrifying journeys by car with her mum who would drive from Strathpeffer to Edinburgh in a smidge over 2 hours! Not to be recommended.

@WaxOnFeckOff yes I saw Piggy's post - which is why I responded to it directly in my post pointing out that Loch lomond and the Highlands are not synonymous.
@Aurignacian
The thread was getting a bit Glasgow v Edinburgh
Agree. To be fair, probs not helped by you making comparisons like:
2 hours from Glasgow you’re in the much underrated wilderness of Argyll, there’s nowhere like that 2 hours from Glasgow.

I assume you mean Edinburgh in the second part of that statement and have also never heard of the Cairngorms - pretty wild, containing Britains highest mountain range, and easily within 2 hrs of Edinburgh... And both considerably more wild than a Loch Lomond day trip

I do agree that Berwickshire is not particularly easy to get to from Edinburgh. MY DF is in Melrose. That's very nice. Even that feels a long old drive to lots of places. The school in Melrose is very good btw and my DF loves living there, having lived in Glasgow for many years. His DW is form Edinburgh and would countenance Glasgow no longer! Even thought they lived in Jordanhill (which you certainly cannot afford OP, I'm afraid)

“2 hours from Glasgow you’re in the much underrated wilderness of Argyll”

Um, I can get to Argyll in 2 hours... my mum still lives up there... I mean if I was starting inside Edinburgh, I’d have that time to add on, but then I’d not have the backroads and towns to go through to the M9 I have to go on from where I am, so I suspect it’d even out tbh.

It’s got nothing to do with the OP right enough, and I feel like the best thing about Edinburgh is how easy it is to get away from isn’t a huge selling point tbh, rofl, but it is.

It's a big area so I guess it depends where we are talking but could even be that somewhere like Dunbar might be a better bet or as you say, down into the lower Borders.

Maybe somewhere like Gala on the borders rail line or somewhere on the East coast main line. Maybe the OP would prefer the city life though so that's all speculation. :)