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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

Moving to Scotland

34 replies

Shaks123 · 17/01/2020 03:41

Hi,I'm in a bit of confusion as my partner got a job in Scotland and we are in England.My DS is in year 10 and he is 14 years old now ,will be 15 this year August and it's a very hard time for us to move now .Is there a possibility for him to get a place at schools there as I have noone in Scotland to ask about it. If not ,we both have to stay in England whilst he works in Scotland .It's not a very good time to move for his year and I'm not sure if Scottish schools takes in year application .I'm also thinking to do back a year if we are going as he is also youngest in class..Any advices pls

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OP posts:

user1471519931 · 17/01/2020 03:49

Moving where in Scotland?

Redglitter · 17/01/2020 03:59

Scotland is believe it or not quite a big place. What area are you considering

celtiethree · 17/01/2020 07:18

Yes he will get a place, it may not be in his catchment school but the local council will offer a place - a lot will depend on where you are moving to.

From you post I think your DS would start S4 in August which is the year that they sit nat 5 exams. Your DC would not be youngest but towards the middle of the year in terms of age. They have different school starting ages in Scotland vs. England.

It would be v beneficial for your DS to move to Scotland and start school before the summer holidays - many schools start the curriculum for the nat 5 exams towards the end of S3.

If you provide a little more info on location then posters will be able to provide more specific advice.

PineappleDanish · 17/01/2020 07:26

It comes up time and time again on these threads but you need to get out of the idea of "going back a year". As the previous poster said, the education system in Scotland is completely different and the intake times are totally different too, there's a 6 months mismatch between the two systems. Your child would go into the start of S4 and be in the middle of the age range rather than the youngest. The kids do their first main school exams at the end of S4 so the sooner you can start organising the move and speaking to schools about subject choices the better. My DD is exactly the same age as your child and is discussing her options with school at the moment.

Yes Scottish schools do take in year applications and the Council will find your child a place. BUT you will have to be here and in a house here before applying.

Clangus00 · 17/01/2020 08:21

Where in Scotland?

TreeTopTim · 17/01/2020 08:28

It would help if you said whereabout in Scotland then people can advise on schools. Your ds is 14 so would be in S3, starting S4 and exam year in August (some places it's June, before the summer holidays)

Does your ds have an idea of subjects/a career that they want to do? Now is a good time to think about it.

Original poster

Shaks123 · 17/01/2020 08:59

My husband got job in Edinburgh but we are ok to stay one hour drive away from Edinburgh as long as we get good secondary schools.My son has already chosen Business,IT and geography as his GCSE subjects here and is completely settled in this school..So I'm in so much of a dilemma now on what to do.. specially at this age,is it going to be an impact for him?I'm not sure about it

OP posts:

PineappleDanish · 17/01/2020 09:05

It's going to be an impact at any age.

But you have to weigh that up with the financial and emotional considerations of being away from his Dad. And how long the move is likely to be for. Is it permanent?

An hour from Edinburgh takes in a huge area - Fife, Stirling, East Lothian, a lot of the Borders.

MakeMineALargeProsecco · 17/01/2020 09:20

What's your house budget, OP & that might give you some idea of areas/schools?

dancemom · 17/01/2020 09:25

I would second moving before August if possible, the S4 curriculum will commence around May so would be advantageous to be in school for then if possible.
Your son would sit around 7-8 National 5s or National 4s dependent on the level he is working at so would choose other subjects in addition to those you mentioned.

YappityYapYap · 17/01/2020 09:34

If you can get him into a school here before May, that would be better. There's exams here at the end of S3 (your son is the age that he will be in S3) to prepare them for their exams at the end of S4. Then he can do a whole year of S4. Also in Scotland, children aren't obliged to stay on at school after S4 unless they turn 16 after August, in those cases, they have to stay on until the Christmas term of S5. I think at least, that's how it was when I was at school 15 years a go!

His subjects will be picked up here with no issues as his subjects are fairly mainstream. If he was already in S4, I would say don't move but he is S3 and will have a whole year to prepare. If you can afford it as well, you can always get tutors to help him out a little bit more

Apolloanddaphne · 17/01/2020 09:40

Could you remain in England until your DS has finished his GCSE's then move to Scotland after that? We did this in reverse. My DH got a job in England which meant he was away during the week, coming home at weekends. This allowed DD1 to do her standard grades in Scotland. Then we moved to allow her to start 6th form.

prettybird · 17/01/2020 12:21

I'd agree that if you can move at the beginning of June, then that would be helpful as many/most schools start their S4 timetable then. Also, given that Scottish schools start their summer holidays at the end of June and go back mid August (I think Edinburgh might be later August), your ds would be mightily pissed off at having a truncated summer holiday!

Moving for S4 would help give him the foundation in the Scottish curriculum before going into S5 and starting to study for Highers. There is flexibility in the Scottish system which means that you can go to a Uni after S5 based on your Higher results (although that is less common nowadays) or do more Highers and/or Advanced Highers in S6 (Advanced Highers are the equivalent of A Levels) - or more/re-sit Nat 5s.

The other thing to reassured you about is that Scottish schools go all the way through to S6, so you don't need to worry about looking for a "6th form college".

BrokenWing · 17/01/2020 15:36

Starting S4 in August and picking up the bits he's missed of the Scottish Curriculum could be tough.

Our school started NAT5 work after the Easter holidays.

Prelims (think you call them mocks?) at ds's school were in December (some schools are January) and exams will start end of April.

Also you need to watch for subjects/columns, not all Scottish schools have a Computing Science option, ours doesn't.

prettybird · 17/01/2020 16:07

....but it would still be easier than doing it after the Nat 5s, going straight into Highers. Especially as technically, Nat 5s aren't "necessary" to sit Highers (the initial theory was that those sure of sitting Highers would bypass Nat 5s and concentrate on Highers but in my opinion correctly most schools felt that pupils needed the experience of sitting formal exams before doing the much more important Highers).

You're right about Computing Science - ds was able to do it at his school (iirc, there was more than one teacher of it but he didn't rate his particular teacher ) but I know that there is a shortage of teachers.

Original poster

Shaks123 · 17/01/2020 17:57

Oh thank you so much dears..I was so confused and worried. Now I have got so many options in front of me after talking to you all..I hope I make the right decision..I will be discussing all these with my DH today and see what we can do abt it. Of course,I would need your help again when I reach there as well:-)

OP posts:

IM0GEN · 17/01/2020 17:57

OP - here are my general comments that apply to MOST state schools in Scotland , not all. So read with that in mind -

Your son might be able to go into S3 this summer. It would make him the oldest in the year by about 4 months - the oldest children in that year group will be turning 15 around Christmas . These are the pupils who started school a year later than average, which is quite common here.

That means he would be starting the main part of the curriculum for Nat 5 ( like GCSEs) with everyone else. Although many schools will have done about 3 weeks work in June, before they stop for the summer. So ideally I’d move him then.

He would have to do these subject here

English
Maths
At least one modern language ( which one depends on the school )
At least one science
A social subject geography / history / modern studies

Plus a selection from other subjects . Business and IT would fit in ok for most schools.

He will have to do PE , RE and PSE but not as exam subjects ( unless he wants to do and his school offer the first two at Nat 5 level ) .

I’m afraid there’s never an ideal time to move a 14 year+old from one education system to another.

wakemewhenitsallover · 17/01/2020 18:07

Edinburgh is a wonderful city. I'd move there in a flash!

What's your approximate budget? That will help us let you know which areas you might want to look at.

Meltedwellie · 17/01/2020 20:51

I would suggest moving to Berwick upon Tweed so that your son can stay in the English system for his GCSEs. I did this in reverse and thought well how different can it be if they’re doing the same basic subjects. The answer is very different and it didn’t work out well for us.

MakeMineALargeProsecco · 17/01/2020 21:16

Don't some of the private scoops do the English curriculum?

Original poster

Shaks123 · 17/01/2020 21:55

My budget for a house/month is £ 1200-1400..

OP posts:

wakemewhenitsallover · 17/01/2020 22:07

There's a handy tool on the ESPC website which shows you school catchments.

They don't really do rentals on that site unfortunately, but nevertheless it's really useful to see where the school catchments are.

As you may know, the system is different in Scotland in that everyone has 1 local school which you're in catchment for (and also possibly a local church school). The school will try their best to fit everyone in, within catchment, there's none of this competing to get into schools with our neighbours like in the English system. You can request to be placed as a different school, but the norm is to go to your catchment school.

Enter a school name here to see the map of the catchment area:

espc.com/#schools

wakemewhenitsallover · 17/01/2020 22:15

I might be a little out of date, so those currently living in Edinburgh might like to correct me, but as far as I know, some high schools with good reputations are:

James Gillespie
Boroughmuir
Royal High
Craigmount

Drummond doesn't have brilliant results but recently the middle classes seem to be sending their kids there (no idea if that's what you're after!) and are saying it's less pressured that say James Gillespie, but that kids can still do well there

On the edges of town (so you'd get a bigger place for your money):

Currie
Balerno
Firrhill
Queensferry

Also, down the road is Penicuik which is very pretty and easy commuting distance. (Beeslack school)

There are probably other great schools I don't know about!

celtiethree · 17/01/2020 22:21

In Edinburgh there is a significant % that go private in the region of 25%. On your budget and commuting guidance I’d look at Linlithgow or toward Stirling: Stirling High/Wallace High/Dunblane High

wakemewhenitsallover · 17/01/2020 22:23

Stirling's beautiful (and the OP could get loads for her money) but it's a heck of a commute, isn't it?

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