Current experience of Liberton High (Edinburgh)

[Scrapeagle]

DD needs to choose a school next year. Liberton is our catchment school but I know it's historically not been great and I know lots of school snobs who are freaking me out with their judgement, as though she might end up a failure.

DD is bookish, dreamy, and easily distracted. Kindness in her teachers is really important to her and she hates shouty teachers. She's very sociable, so likes to fit in.

If you have recent experience of this school, how have you / DC found it? How much low level disruption is there? Do children go on to good uni's as well as other positive destinations? Without knowing us particularly, do you recommend it?

It feels like such a big deal, and I want to get it right. Our house is amazing and in a unique place, so we won't move, but then I keep obsessing about school... Tell me the reality, and perhaps then I can think straight.

Sorry OP - can't really help with personal experience, but I'm in a similar situation (not for a couple of years though).

We have some friends who have sent their children to LHS and they have thrived. One is very sporty, and I think most of his social life is outside the school doing his sport - and the other is more artistic and is doing well academically. However, they are from a European country, where I think the "ethos" is largely that you send your children to the local school and they just get on and come out the other end regardless - maybe a more "hands off' approach to parenting than me (In a good way in my opinion - not neglectful or anything, obviously!). Both parents are academic and the children are all clever (the youngest is in a class with DS) and sociable - the eldest 2 are at, or planning uni.

Other friends are also sending their eldest DS there next year - they did have a look round at a few options this time last year, and thought the ethos of the school was pretty good, pastorally. Their DS has mild dyslexia and they thought the school was quite well set up to help with that.

They also considered another school - Beeslack at Penicuik. It's in Midlothian so out of catchment but there is a direct bus from Liberton and there seem to have been no issue with placing requests. There are two other families with high school children in our street, and they have both sent children there in the past 5 years. I think they felt it was a better fit for their children than Liberton - but I suppose it depends. The friends above who chose Liberton over Beeslack thought they felt similar to each other, but their DS wanted to stay with his friendship group and this was more important to them.

I have to say, personally I'm very uncertain - but I haven't really looked into the options in any great detail. I know there is a new school planned - but that won't be ready for 4-5 years, so after DS has to move. The academic results aren't great, obviously - and to be honest I'm not that concerned about that. I think a motivated child supported at home will do reasonably well academically anywhere - definitely not ending up a "failure" . But I do worry about the attendance/ destination stats and wonder if the "aspiration" side of the ethos is quite right. I think a lot will depend on the nature of your DD, and if she is bookish and quiet, and has a bunch of like-minded peers, I imagine she will be fine.

I have had thoughts of going private - though to be honest, we can't really afford it, and DH is refusing to consider it other than a knee jerk "snob" response. It's not a route I'd ever thought I would be considering, and I do have reservations in principle. And I'm not even sure it would be better for DS! DSs primary school do lose some children around P5 to the private sector, though not loads, and luckily none of his friends have gone. He does have quite a "nice" friendship group (yes, yes I am a snob) with parents who are having similar reservations and putting out the same feelers as to where people are thinking of going for high school! So I'm hoping things will be OK.

Anyway - in short, I'd like the same reassuring stories as you...

I'm not helping either but won't all her friends be going there? As a teacher it can be hard for a not-very-outgoing pupil to fit in when everyone else went to one of a few primaries. I've heard good things from a staff point of view about the school, but I don't know anyone with a dc there sorry.

Thanks for the responses, it's good to know I'm not alone. (I'd be interested in bad experiences too, best to know beforehand!). I hope it's just angst and she'll be fine wherever, it's just hard to stoutly maintain that in the face of people who have chosen private/ Gillespies etc and talk endlessly about how great it is.

Interesting about Beeslack as I had considered Lasswade (easy bus route for us) but it's very full. Also considered Holyrood RC, but it's a pain to get to and I doubt we'd get in, not sure how easy it is for a child to change school quickly.

Any one else, I would love to hear!

People usually back their own choices re schools, good at causing anxiety in other parents!

I'm not in Liberton, I have a similar aged dc that sounds like yours though. Have you made a list of what your dd is looking forward to about secondary and see how Liberton vs the out of catchment/RC options stacks up?

My dd wanted, for example, a school with a library, quiet spaces in break and not pushy on sports for children that aren't into it.

Can you look around secondaries as you can for primaries on their open days?

There is normally a visit for p7 parents. Won't be this year though, well maybe in the spring depending on Covid. I think Liberton was due to get a new building? If that goes ahead would mean everything shiny and new which is nice.

People usually back their own choices re schools, good at causing anxiety in other parents!
Yes, this is true! People who have chosen private school or moved house to get into a "sought after" school aren't likely to admit it was a bad decision unless something goes very wrong . Though having said that, and purely anecdote, but the state school I have heard parents complain about most is Gillespies... mainly on the pastoral side (bullying not being properly addressed). Though that may just be because I have spoken to more parents from there than elsewhere!

There is a new building planned, but it's in the v early stages, and the consultation document suggests it won't open til Aug '25, which is a bit of a wait! So probably not worth pinning hopes on, nice though it will be.

If you’re considering Beeslack then please be aware that it’s not just out of catchment but actually out of authority too. There has been massive house building on that side of Midlothian and I’d imagine pressure on the role at Beeslack will be increasing as a result.

Not considering Beeslack as the buses are wrong, and probably not Lasswade as so popular. Is cross authority really hard, then? PP seemed to suggest it was fairly straightforward, I just assumed I'd fill in a placement form.

Thanks @Possums4evr, good to know staff are happy. That's got to be a good thing, and suggests behaviours isn't a huge problem.

@Scrapeagle

Not considering Beeslack as the buses are wrong, and probably not Lasswade as so popular. Is cross authority really hard, then? PP seemed to suggest it was fairly straightforward, I just assumed I'd fill in a placement form.

Sorry, didn't mean to imply out of authority was easy... As I said, I don't know about it first hand, but 2 neighbours have managed it for 3 children within the past 5ish years. For the first I asked if it was unusual or difficult and they said it was fine. But as mondaywine pointed out, recent developments in the area may mean it's not so simple any more as they can reach capacity from within Midlothian.

The roll at a Beeslack is pretty small in comparison to many other schools. The population in the area has risen so much that pressure will be higher on places. Out of authority placement requests will be the very last to be considered and not granted at all if the school is full.

I have child at LHS in S1. They are very bright and I had similar misgivings about the school. Honestly if we had 50% higher household income we would have tried to get them into Heriots at P7. However we ruled it out because although we could afford it now, there would be no provision for DH or I losing a job and nothing much extra going into our pensions. Given Covid and Brexit I think we made the right choice not to stretch ourselves just yet
The positives so far... my DC was being bullied and I cannot fault the school's response which has really made a difference. They acted swiftly and took my emails seriously, and ensured my DC felt supported and the situation has improved dramatically. My DC gets to stay with friends from primary school. I know local children who have gone there and onto great universities. Several teachers seem to try really hard to engage the children at all levels
There does seem to be a lot of disruption in classes, recognised by the teachers, and I get the impression it is worse for them since lockdown. At least one of DC's teachers cannot control the class and I am on the verge of another email complaint at how little my DC seems to being taught (rather than just copying down from the board) in her lessons. Luckily it isnt a subject likely to feature in my DC's career aspirations. If the bullying hadnt been addressed I would have taken DC out and found a way. I worry about Advanced Higher provision, possible private for them? but then they might be penalised by uni admissions compared with sticking at a school from a deprived area. My DC gets main social interaction from their sports activities outside school, and we take comfort in the fact there are lots of parents in this area who also care about their children's education but cannot go private (lots of scientists, university lecturers, senior NHS etc). A new school building won't change the variety of people in the catchment area and the number of kids that seem to lack basic social skills, manners and interest in learning.

Thanks @ApplePenPineapplePen. That sounds almost exactly what I thought it might be, some potential positives but some fairly weighty barriers as well. We cant afford private either, and I'm not sure the ghost of my lefty 18 yr old self could thole it either. And yet, and yet, the urge to have nothing but the best for your own child is horribly strong.

Overall, would you say DC is happy, even if you can see downsides? Do you think it will get harder as puberty and the desire to fit in gets stronger?

I am confident that my DC knows their own mind and is ok not fitting in with the majority, has always taken their own path and so with the help of similar friends and strong home values should be ok. They are used to being an outlier. Famous last words! But on that side of things I know people with kids at Watsons and Heriots and although they worry less about class disruption and subject options, they worry more about the prevalence of drugs and eating disorders and the bad influence of kids with money to burn and little parental control or interest... realistically teenage years will be tough wherever I think.

Now the bullying has been addressed, my DC comes home happy and counts Fridays as part of the weekend because they like their Friday lessons so much!

Thank you, that's really helpful.