Edinburgh school search for son with ASD, lockdown panic!

[BlindingStrides]

Hello all, we are moving to Edinburgh later in the summer (fingers crossed) due to DH's job, and I had just started my research into the schools when lockdown happened!

My DS is 9 (10 in July), and is wonderful and bright but struggles socially and with some processing issues, we are looking for a mainstream state primary with strong inclusivity and pastoral care, that is friendly & does well with children who don't quite fit the requirements for state help but does require a bit of extra support from the school - plus in catchment for a secondary with similar qualities (ie. not worried about league tables).

I'm really struggling to figure this out without being able to get up there in person so any help or advice, no matter how small would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you so much in advance :)

Key thing about Edinburgh is to decide what lifestyle you want - suburban (probably bungalow!!) house with garden, lots of driving; central flat, good amenities but tricky to park; or out of town.

Once you decide this you can narrow down schools. I’m pretty certain you will find a decent school for any lifestyle.

I grew up in North West Edinburgh and my siblings and I attended several of the schools mentioned. One of my siblings still lives in bungalow land.

Personally Edinburgh Suburbs stifle me now and if I had your budget I’m aim for a main door flat in/around Marchmont or Bruntsfield and a car light lifestyle (your DH will probably need one to get to work...).. but it’s horses for courses. pick what works for you/your family.

Haven't RTFT but honestly I'd not stress about primary. You're going to have two years there and honestly most primaries in Edinburgh are fine. I'd focus much more on secondaries. Look for a school with a hub. Craigmount has one and is the right end of town for you, and if we'd been more on the ball I think we would have sent DS there instead of our local school, though it is massive.

I was going to say focus on the lifestyle too.

Decide what kind of family you are or want to be. It's great being in the city with restaurants and museums and parks but it's nice being in suburbia with fresher air, better parking and a garage with bikes and scooters that the kids can jump on and head of round the streets to see friends. I think if you are outside then you'll make the effort to jump on the bus into the city but you'll not to do the opposite. Third option is small town/village life. For that you could look at Linlithgow, Kirknewton, South Queensferry.

Then think about whether you want nice clean tidy new build, high ceilings and period features, quirky, old stone bungalow, 1960s wimpey or whatever floats your boat :)

If you are looking in town, remember there is a train station at South Gyle - it's a little walk from the main offices but I'd say maybe 15 mins? Could always get a folding bike and take it on. Think it's only about 5 mins -ish from haymarket?

I thought scotland you just go to the local school rather than pick and choose?

Yes branleuse. OP here is deciding which catchments she'd be looking to buy in. Technically you can apply to a school that isn't your catchment but in most cases in Edinburgh at the moment, those are unlikely to be accepted due to numbers.

S Gyle is impossible to get to on foot from rbs.

Is it? That must be new. I used to walk through from rbs to tesco in corstorphine passing the station on the way. That would be about 20 years ago right enough.

Is there some sort of underpass for that roundabout? I was hardly ever our before 630/7pm so walking wasn’t really an option for me safety wise most of the year. Even when I managed to get the shuttle bus that ran til about 6 I had a nasty incident once with an unpleasant man on the unmanned platform at S Gyle...

Can you cross that roundabout on foot somehow? To be fair the correct word is probably difficult rather than impossible! And depends on your risk appetite!

I can't remember facinated I never got the train but I was heavily pregnant at the time I was walking through (and I had sacroiliac hip dysfunction) so I don't think I'd be running across busy roads. I'd just walk right through and past the station from either drummond house or then the building over the road which I think rbs don't have anymore.

We were in the main hq building bit... I think now there is the tram stop into town on the north side of the a8 but it is still a walk along quite a secluded bit and over the bridge to get to it

I never really did it in the dark. I had a car share in and home everyday and worked early until 4. I'd just try to get some sun/air at lunch. :)

RBS have a shuttle bus to South Gyle station, don’t they?

not sure about a shuttle bus, but you can still walk and you don't cross at the roundabout, there is a crossing point just a bit to the southwest that takes you over to Gogarloch and you can walk through from there. The crossing is almost at the building I latterly worked from so I presume that's the way I went. Clearly baby brain stole the actual route from my head.... I remember the path between the station and Tesco more for some reason. Google maps says about 11-12 mins. Which fits as I used to take about 30 mins for lunch and I could walk through, grab a few bits at Tesco and be pretty much on the 30 minute mark.

Aha! Right, sorry OP for the derail!

OP is probably sitting shaking her head as to how her question about primary schools in Ediburgh good with ASD pupils has descended into walking routes from South Gyle station to RBS mainly commented by someone who lives in Stirling and doesn't work in the Gyle anymore... Welcome to Scotland!!!

Yeah, v Scottish! Wee trip down memory lane !

Haha - love it! A proper bit of local knowledge . You never know, we might end up around there and find this bit of info priceless!!

I really appreciate all of your input and help - the problem is that DH and I are city folk at heart but the kids are better with space... so a bit of soul searching is needed to really figure out what we need. All of your comments have given me loads to think about, I'll pop a cheeky update in here to let you know what we decide!

Thanks again, you've all been brilliant - a great intro to our new life! :)

Maybe your compromise is not Edinburgh then?

This in Linlithgow gives you access to the delights of a town for local pubs and restaurants, but with rural/suburbia too, jump on the train into Edinburgh Park/central edinburgh when you want to - character house as well.

www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/50262463?search_identifier=f530df0999ee6eca5f8ab2709780c23b

Woah, cheap!

Love that.

It’s lovely, but has been for sale for a very long time.

Comely Bank or Blackhall are on the right side of the city for Gyle commuting, and have a variety of house styles. Some tenement flats (you can get ground floor ones with a private garden). Some large victorian era houses. Also detached regular houses. You have some nice parks in the area, good schools, and only half an hour to Princes Street (walking) and lots of buses too. I would recommend these areas as good ones that are family friendly.

The thing is about Edinburgh is that it's quite small, so you're not that far from the city really. Fairmilehead for example is around 5 miles to the city centre. DH (normally) has a daily commute around the bypass towards the airport and while it can be horrendous, most days he finds it fine.

I'm very much a city person but live in the suburbs. We have the benefit of D.C. being able to walk to school, lots of outdoor space on our doorstep and the city centre with all it's delights is only a hop skip and a jump away.