Schools - Hamilton Any Advice?

[JustStickItInTheAirFryer]

It's a bit of a long shot but just wondering if anybody on here happens to know anything about the schools in Hamilton.

I wasn't brought up here, but I have 2 kids due to start school, one in 2021 and one in 2023. Just now not possible to visit schools.

We're not particularly religious but they have been baptised so we are going to send them to Catholic school.

We fall under the catchment for St. Ninians Primary which seems like a nice school. I think I would be happy sending them there, but just want to make sure I've looked at every option.

The next two nearest would be St. Marks Primary (Earnock) or St. Peter's Primary (Fairhill)

Does anybody have any experience of any of the above schools that can give me some insight / info based on own experience?

Thanks in advance!

I haven't personal experience but have heard St Mary's is the most highly regarded catholic primary in the area

Its the high schools I’d be more concerned about

Thanks for the replies...!

All the primary schools above feed in to John Ogilvie, which seems to be a decent school(?)

Holy Cross - the other Catholic High School in Hamilton - seems to do better in terms of league tables, but not so much so that I would be able to justify the distance of sending them to a catchment primary school (and even if I did it doesn't mean they'd gain entry to the high school anyway, would still be placing request!)

I'm probably reading too much in to the Primary schools to be honest

They’ll be fine at primary school and from what I’ve heard, St ninians is a good primary.

The high school wasn’t great but I think it’s improving especially if the head teacher remains there (mr Morrison) although can see how likely that will be given his age. It may have moved on by the time your children start high school.

John oglivie has an extremely mixed bag of pupils. Some from very deprived areas, others not so much.

As long as you’re children remain on the right path, the school is big enough for that not to affect them.

No help with St. Ninians but I do live very close to St. Peters and St. Marks and although my DC don't attend I have friends and family with kids at both primary schools who says it's great.
As for high schools PP above is right regarding John Ogilvie, my husband attended this school and it is very much a mixed school with kids from all types of backgrounds. Hamilton also has another Catholic high school Holy Cross.

Apologies for any spelling mistakes or bad punctuation I have a new iPad and still trying to get in to the swing of it with my chubby fingers

Oh thanks for the replies! Sorry I didn't see the one sent the other day, but I appreciate all the replies!

They all seem like decent Primaries - might be easiest just to stick to the catchment school to be honest, but it was just in case anybody had particular feedback!

John Ogilvie seems to do okay in the league tables (moreso than the glasgow schools where we came from and where I went anyway)

It's just hard to judge when you're somewhere new - I knew all the reputations of the ones around where I stayed in Glasgow and which ones I'd have tried to avoid, but here I'm not sure!

Thanks again for the replies!

St Mary’s is the school everyone seems to want to get their kids into. I’ve heard St Ninians is a good school though so I suppose it’s up to you whether it’s worth travelling out with catchment. For me, I love being able to walk there and back and not battle with traffic every day!

Thanks @WeeM! I think St Mary's is just a bit too much travel for where we are, and then I'd have the stress of having to placing request Holy Cross in 7 years time to try keep them with their friends!

I had whittled it down to St Ninians, St Marks or St Peters... we think we will placing request St Marks, and I'd be happy with either of the other 2 if that doesn't get accepted!

Unless you're in the catchment for St Mary's it's very hard to get placing requests - even with siblings there they have been rejected.

This is where it's good to get opinions, because looking on the School Guide sites, St Mary's looks like it has a worse than average pupil to teacher ratio (20:1 compared to national average of 14:1)

But obviously it's a good school with an excellent reputation which isn't obvious on the information available online!

Looking at those St Cuthberts & St John's look the best in the area!

Does anybody have any experience of placing requests at St Marks by chance?

Sorry I don’t know anyone that has kids at St Marks. There are a lot of new houses up that neck of the woods though-I’m not sure if they are in that catchment but it could affect the placing requests if they are.

Depends where you are going to be living? I know the areas well, didn't go down the RC route but I do know that placing requests can be tough for St Marks. However JO is a decent high school. Remember that even if your children attend a feeder primary, it is still your address that determines a high school