Edinburgh schooling options

[newtoedinburgh]

Just our luck to be moving to Edinburgh midst pandemic: I am trying to get a handle on schooling options for my two DDs who will (as far as I understand it) be starting in P3 and P6 next academic year - aug/sept 2021.
We are British but they have been in the Southern Hemisphere for the last 4 years - this means that my 6 year old (turning 7 in august) has only just started to learn to read. They start reading at age 6 where we are at the moment. She is sporty and very outdoorsy. My elder DD (age 9 soon 10) will be more in line with curriculum as she is that much older. She is bright and very artistic though, but as she has been in school down here she is used to very little academic pressure.
Both my DH and I went to private schools in London. At the moment we are open to all the options we can find in Edinburgh. Clearly it will come down to where has space for our DDs. We will not be able to visit before moving in July (IF WE CAN!) due to CV. We will be renting initially as we find our feet.
I know Steiner's are not popular on Mumsnet and I am pretty well versed in the reasons why. However, it looks like a potential solution as they start to read later & seem less pressured.
Are there any current parents at Edinburgh Steiner who can chat to me? If they do Steiner for primary can they get into more mainstream senior schools if they want to make the shift?
Or can anyone suggest other schools to look at? We are open to state options but I am concerned that the lack of outside space and large classes will be hard for them to adjust to....
Basically I would appreciate some local intel & ideas. Open to all at this stage. I guess our priority is finding the same place for both of them, Co ed, and easing the transition. Thanks for any help feeling very anxious about the whole thing to be honest.

Ah the daily mile - my DD's old primary was on a really tight city centre plot, hardly any playground at all. Their daily mile of doing many many laps walking/running round and round the school building wasn't popular! Would've been much more interesting at my own primary

My old primary in Edinburgh has been knocked down now and they are building housing on the plot. It had huge grounds, with upper and lower playgrounds, lots of concrete but also lots of grass. It also used to have access to woodland but they built another primary on that bit and started basically "wars" between the schools as a result of the "lost" bit of playground for generations of kids :)

I can remember getting sent off in pairs with a meter stick (wheel?) to go and measure round the perimeter and you could be gone for ages - it was pretty big. In the end, they expanded the "new" school and knocked down the old one. I am sure a lap of the playground would've be more than a mile.

DSs small city suburban playground didn't have a lot of green space but parent council "negotiated" hard with the local developers for them to hand over a patch of land that they couldn't build on (pipes?) and fence it into the school playground.

[quote Invisimamma]@holdontoonemoreday that must depend on the school. My dc are in p6 and P2 and before Christmas the p2 was outdoors about 70% of the week and the P6 roughly 40-50%. They are very focused on outdoor learning and have purpose built outdoor 'classroom' spaces. Full waterproofs are part of the school uniform. I love the ethos to have them outdoors whenever possible. Rain isn't a problem but high winds would mean they are inside. Each class has its own door onto the playground with outdoor access. Every school in Scotland should now be doing the daily mile everyday too. [/quote]
Sounds great! Don't suppose you can say the name of the school?

Did your old primary go up in smoke as well @WaxOnFeckOff?

@StatisticallyChallenged your message was very timely, spent last night reading all about St G's to my DH, it sounds rather wonderful. We definitely wanted co-ed but we are feeling much more open minded at the moment - partly. because we realise we won't have huge amount of choice.
It is the thought of choosing a school without ever having physically been there that makes me feel a bit queasy to be honest.
@Invisimamma would love to know which school this is..!

I'll second the comments on St. George's too. Mine are very happy there.

[quote newtoedinburgh]@StatisticallyChallenged your message was very timely, spent last night reading all about St G's to my DH, it sounds rather wonderful. We definitely wanted co-ed but we are feeling much more open minded at the moment - partly. because we realise we won't have huge amount of choice.
It is the thought of choosing a school without ever having physically been there that makes me feel a bit queasy to be honest.
@Invisimamma would love to know which school this is..![/quote]
I shocked myself by loving it - I was so sure it wasn't what we wanted as I'd always thought it seemed like a weird, old fashioned idea to separate the sexes. But actually it certainly seems to suit my DD very well - she's not a naturally sporty kid but she participates far more now without the boys dominating. Her confidence seems to have really grown too, she's very bright but barely used to speak in her old class where now she's much braver. Some of that will be class size too of course, and her old class had some quite obnoxiously characters in it and a bit of a discipline issue.

Tbh you'd probably be choosing remotely even if you were here just now thanks to fucking covid! I don't envy you that

Whilst it was probably set alight after it was abandoned, I think it was just down to it being the rougher of the available options. It was quite a big school built to deal with post war council estate full of young families and I guess the demographics changed as the families grew up. I don't live there anymore but seems to still be remembered fondly by all us ex pupils.

@WaxOnFeckOff

Whilst it was probably set alight after it was abandoned, I think it was just down to it being the rougher of the available options. It was quite a big school built to deal with post war council estate full of young families and I guess the demographics changed as the families grew up. I don't live there anymore but seems to still be remembered fondly by all us ex pupils.

It is where I thought - in which case my older brothers were ex pupils too and seemed to have good memories. It basically sat empty, got repeatedly vandalised and then eventually burnt down.

@StatisticallyChallenged they are in an all girls school now, definitely suits my littlest, the elder one has some real queen bees (very sporty) in her year & I thought co-ed would dampen that down a little, possibly not. She isn't particularly sporty but bright, arty, quite quirky. Do you think St G's accommodates those types?

Whilst I'd like to name the school I think that would out me. It's one of six primaries schools that got extra funding to pilot an outdoors approach a few years ago. Although the funding has gone they've stuck with the ethos of it.

[quote newtoedinburgh]@StatisticallyChallenged they are in an all girls school now, definitely suits my littlest, the elder one has some real queen bees (very sporty) in her year & I thought co-ed would dampen that down a little, possibly not. She isn't particularly sporty but bright, arty, quite quirky. Do you think St G's accommodates those types?[/quote]
My own school was co-ed but still had major queen bees, think they flourish everywhere!

Tbh your DD sounds like mine - and it suits her well. Her only complaint about art is that they try to actually teach them how to draw (nope, no idea what the issue is there!) But she has dedicated art class several times a week, plus lots of IT which often involves creative stuff that she enjoys. There's normally decent extra curricular arts stuff too - obviously limited just now.

She's P6 btw, probably relevant! I think she's currently in a class of 14

two girls who aren't sporty (well they aren't team sports enthusiasts) here too and love art and the outdoors - although my elder one is much happier to do sports now because the PE teacher has been so encouraging. The value add on the willingness to try sporting activities without fear of failure has been a surprise to us.

@potterspotter
@StatisticallyChallenged
Great feedback thank you! so helpful to talk to parents actually at the school!

[quote newtoedinburgh]@StatisticallyChallenged they are in an all girls school now, definitely suits my littlest, the elder one has some real queen bees (very sporty) in her year & I thought co-ed would dampen that down a little, possibly not. She isn't particularly sporty but bright, arty, quite quirky. Do you think St G's accommodates those types?[/quote]
I didn't mention St Georges earlier because you wanted co-Ed, but I would second it ticking most of your boxes.
Nurturing , outdoor learning, definitely encourages individuality, great art dept, drama (although not sure the drama is better than anywhere else), kids joining from overseas all the time. One of mine is NOT sporty at all and has been fine!. It gets good academic results but takes girls with wide range of abilities. Classes are small, we've never had more than 18, smaller in junior school.

For drama Erskine Stewart Melville seems the best. Great drama dept and children get amazing opportunities to take part in professional productions at Edinburgh Playhouse. Also Edinburgh tattoo. Has an excellent art dept too. It's also single sex at secondary though, and I'm not sure I'd say it's a particularly nurturing school.

They are both at the right side of town for you if you're looking at living between west end and airport.

Look at Blackhall, Craigleith, Davidson Mains, Murrayfield, Corstorphine, Barnton. All great family areas.

Sorry I'm rather out of date on nurturing state primaries but hopefully someone else can help

Statistically, maybe, named after a local pub?

I would add we didn't want single sex either. were worried it would be a bit "precious" - it definitely isn't! But St Georges ticked every other box whereas other schools didn't, very happy with our decision.

@WaxOnFeckOff

Statistically, maybe, named after a local pub?

Definitely a shared name...

@Sootess

I would add we didn't want single sex either. were worried it would be a bit "precious" - it definitely isn't! But St Georges ticked every other box whereas other schools didn't, very happy with our decision.

A bit precious- think you just nailed my original thoughts bang on. But you're right, it's really not

It's a small world. Sorry for the diversion OP! Groovee works in the general area Statistically. We are both members of the same Facebook group which reminisces about it but obvs don't know who each other is.

And here OP you are discovering that Edinburgh is a very small, interconnected place!

And I haven't lived in Edinburgh since the late 90s!

We are delighted to be moving there to be honest, very excited. Just feel like we are doing it with blindfolds on :0

I know which primary school you are on about @WaxOnFeckOff @StatisticallyChallenged.

My friend went there. I always thought it sounded grand.

@newtoedinburgh it can be worth sitting on state school websites. A lot of focus is on wellbeing and staff are really aware that children are experiencing lockdown differently. Lots of closing the gap teachers seem to have some nurture groups going.

St Georges was where some of my brownies went. I had a few from different private schools. Always found the St G's girls were more rounded and willing to get involved even if it wasn't their thing.

@newtoedinburgh
You should probably take a look at Clifton Hall. Small school in a country estate (it's a castle) just outside Edinburgh. Very near the airport.

Loads of outdoor activities, have the whole estate to roam.
Really good for drama, have visiting professional actors. One of the primary teachers and Headteacher put a play on at The Fringe most years. If there's children's parts then kids can get involved too.
The Headmaster is quite alternative, not out same stable as other Edinburgh private school headteachers but the parents all love him! No academic ( or any other) selection. He doesn't believe a child should " have to prove them self worthy of attending his school"

BUT it's small and has only one class at each level in primary and 2 at secondary so not sure you'd get place for 2 children. Neighbour of ours went there, he's left and at university now. They applied in P5 and he had to wait until P7 for a place.

Might fit what your looking for and Headteacher very approachable.