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Original poster

Alva vs Stirling vs Wallace High School, placing request?

53 replies

graceandmercy · 14/04/2022 15:03

hi there, would seek advice from all regarding this. We have come to the stage of settling in hillfoots and the catchment high school be Alva Academy. Originally we plan to go for Stirling HS but just couldn't rent a place, needless to say purchase given the budget. What will be the procedure after I got my completion and utility bill on hand? I register with the catchment school ie Alva Academy online and then place my request with Stirling HS? for latter any comments regarding Stirling HS vs Wallace HS? my DS is age 16 as we move up to Scotland this June.

So far I have emailed with Stirling HS for our application and they responded very fast, but want to know more from parents' perspective which school is best for my DS (ADHD, talent in arts, rooms to improve academic wise , want to study art in future universities )

thank you so much.

OP posts:
Original poster
graceandmercy · 14/04/2022 16:15

ah also want to include St Modan's HS for comment. thx a lot.

OP posts:
BinBandit · 14/04/2022 19:53

Honestly, any of the 3 Stirling schools will be fine. I'd pick the one that's easiest to travel to.

I don't know anything about Alva schools

Lidlfix · 14/04/2022 20:29

Stirling secondary teacher and had 4DDs come through Stirling schools. Alva is by far the best Clacks school and the 3 Stirling schools are all pretty similar. Pros and cons to all 3. Stirling High very good with IT Business related subjects. Wallace is probably the most comprehensive school in Scotland with some of the most prestigious postcodes and some serious deprivation in the catchment. It is a school of sport , a really good HT was appointed about 10 years ago and transformed it. St Modans has the Autism provision for Stirling and also has large vocational education centre which is opening up lots of interesting courses. My pressing question (as your DS will be going into S5) will he be able to take the subjects he wants? The options have been completed and timetables are being made up as I write. Classes can be full especially practical subjects like Art. I would suss that out first.

Original poster
graceandmercy · 14/04/2022 21:23

@BinBandit if travel wise it must be Alva, but is it better to go to any HS in Stirling instead?
@Lidlfix as the earliest date we will move up be last week of June, so any chance I can get my DS to have a seat in art subject by then? will you suggest me discuss that with respective schools now? cos I am totally fresh to the curriculum there, not quite follow how to do that.

Btw, I just checked with the website of Wallace and found it a grammar school, does that make it very difficult to get an admission if academically not profound?

OP posts:
CuddlyCactus · 14/04/2022 22:27

There are no academically selective state schools in Scotland @graceandmercy. They are all comprehensives so admission is not dependent on academic ability.

Some schools still have Grammar in their name but that's just historical, left over from the days when they were a grammar school long time ago

Sleepdeprived42long · 14/04/2022 22:32

Need to remember that placing request may be refused if school is oversubscribed. And you will have to arrange and pay for school transport.

Original poster
graceandmercy · 14/04/2022 23:50

@CuddlyCactus oh thx for the info. As I went to the website of Wallace it states a need to pay an annual capital contribution, though not a big sum but that’s gave me an impression that it is kind of different from the rest.

@Sleepdeprived42long so you mean transport will be provided by school? If not by placing request?

OP posts:
Original poster
graceandmercy · 14/04/2022 23:54

Anyone has any idea how’s Alva academy doing? Want to know more about this school.

OP posts:
Bratnews · 15/04/2022 07:03

Hi, I think you’re looking at the wrong website for Wallace High. This is the right one. There’s definitely no requirement for an annual capital contribution.

www.wallacehigh.org.uk/

Original poster
graceandmercy · 15/04/2022 09:15

@Bratnews oh thx so much, just found out the one that I previously found was Wallace High School, in Northern Ireland....

OP posts:
CuddlyCactus · 15/04/2022 09:47

No don't enrol DS at school in
N Ireland @graceandmercy
That would be a bit of a commute from Stirling GrinGrinGrin

Original poster
graceandmercy · 15/04/2022 09:52

@CuddlyCactus 🤪

OP posts:
Bratnews · 15/04/2022 09:53

Can’t answer the questions re art at the schools you are interested in but this link on pathways to art school in Scotland is still relevant even though it’s from 2014. I’d say it’s correct for any of the Scottish Art Schools and also for England as well. Glasgow School of Art also offers good evening and weekend course for S5 & S6 students - easy to get to by train into Glasgow Queen St.

www.gsa.ac.uk/media/1038197/alternative-routes_presentation.pdf

Iamkmackered1979 · 15/04/2022 09:57

How is your child going to get to Stirling high? I live in Stirling, my son is at shs and we live in cornton and it’s a pia for him to get to. All his friends will be in the shs catchment area so it does make it difficult to travel from Alva to see friends. I know my son finds it difficult it’s an hour walk to school and miles from friends etc
Especially as he will be new into a class of established kids. I hope the move goes well.

Wallace Is our catchment school but he was in s5 by the time we moved so wasn’t about to move him (he didn’t want that either) both are good, nice schools. No nothing about Alva or st Modens except it’s got the autism unit. None of our schools are selective you generally go to the catchment school or placing request. ususally by s5 there will be spaces. My younger son goes to high school this year and placed to shs awaiting decision. Hope wherever you choose works out well op

Sleepdeprived42long · 15/04/2022 19:45

@graceandmercy your DC might be entitled to free school transport to/from your catchment school (there is only one-sounds like probably Alva for you) depending on distance from school.

If you have successful placing request to another school, your DC will not be entitled to free school transport so will have to make arrangements for own way there and pay for it. Check out Stirling council website re placing requests.

I’m not aware that any Scottish high schools as specialising any any particular subjects. All schools should (in theory) provide a similar level of education to all catchment area pupils.

AnotherBrightSunrise · 15/04/2022 20:06

Only to add to the above - if your child is Catholic you will get transport provided to St Modan's as it is counted as your catholic catchment school. If you're not Catholic I think you can buy a place on the bus only if there is space (but maybe it's free now as buses are free across Scotland for under 22s, no idea, but probably still dependent on space).

Itsbackagain · 15/04/2022 20:14

Not helpful but if you haven't yet committed to Alva for housing I would literally chose any other town in the Hillfoots....... Yes, I speak from personal experience and left there 12 years ago for another village and have not looked back!

Original poster
graceandmercy · 15/04/2022 21:36

@Itsbackagain may I know more about it? Actually my yet to commit location is Tillicoultry. Has one property that is in Alva but I found the outer environment of this property not those I prefer.

OP posts:
TaraRhu · 15/04/2022 21:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
graceandmercy · 15/04/2022 21:44

@Bratnews thank you so much for the info, I saved the link for my DS reading. 😊

Thx all OPs for the input and help. Given all Scotland HS are comprehensive, so my question be, how will you choose if you were I? go to the closet catchment HS? (which will be Alva academy)? or to the closet HS in Stirling (if request be accepted )

OP posts:
Bratnews · 15/04/2022 21:49

Is it budget that is driving you to the Hillfoots? I’d aim to buy in catchment for either Stirling or Wallace. Placement request is great on paper but getting there for two years will be a pain unless you’re driving in for work.

BinBandit · 15/04/2022 22:18

There are no official rankings of schools in Scotland. There are some unofficial ones based on the number of passes at Higher but in many respects you can take that with a pinch of salt. Just because a school has a lower number of passes, it doesn't mean that it doesn't do well for it's pupils or that bright kids don't still get a decent crop of good passes. Added to that, the recent exam results were based on teachers estimates and whilst I'm sure that the teachers did their best for their pupils, it has turned these ranks a bit askew from the norm. Also the capacity for being in classes with low level disruption is reduced when you get to 5th/6th year exam classes.

Personally I'd be contacting Alva to see if they are able to offer the subjects that your son needs/wants and if not, I'd use this link to assess the easiest school to travel to. I suspect it might be Wallace. Then I'd check with Wallace to see if they are able to offer what your son needs/wants to study

www.travelinescotland.com/

Original poster
graceandmercy · 17/04/2022 20:30

@Bratnews u are right. Indeed I considered renting in Stirling first but just couldn’t beat it🥲.

@BinBandit agree with u and I have sent emails ti those schools, hope to get feedback from them after the holiday.

We are Christian and DS now is attending Catholic secondary in London, so that shall makes us capable of applying for St Modan’s am i correct? But during my last visit i came across a gentleman in bus stop who shared with me how good SHS was to his DD and He couldn’t recommend enough for the school. So all HS in Stirling seem so appealing to me (but indeed i am not the one who go to HS….)

Is it common practice for kids in Scotland to take school bus? As no such arrangement in London and DS just waked to school (14 mins walk).

OP posts:
BinBandit · 17/04/2022 20:46

The difficulty with people recommending particular schools is that most people only have experience of one and their experience may not be typical (either good or bad) and unfortunately we can't live life in reverse so sometimes we just need to decide without knowing if it's the best decision.

The way it works is that there are effectively 2 catchments. Children baptised and following the catholic faith have an allocated catholic school and an allocated non denom school. All children who live 3 miles or more from high school (unless it's changed) will get free bus transport to and from their school. There are less catholic schools so more children receive transport than generally as they are more likely to be further away. Children attending an non denom high school will also get free bus transport if they live more than 3 miles from school. If you live closer or attend a school more than 3 miles away on a placing request then transport is your own responsibility.

So, if your DC is a catholic and has the appropriate baptism certificate then he can attend St Modans without a placing request and would get free school transport. If they go on a placing request instead then they won't.

From Tilli and if he isn't baptised catholic, I would restrict to Alva or Wallace to be honest, the other options will be a pain to get to and from unless you or he drive daily.

El4nor · 17/04/2022 20:55

Alva to Wallace High would be a pain of a commute every day, they'd likely need driven there or several trains or busses I think. The road between clacks and Stirling get v busy. I'd check out the drive at school drop off time before committing. ( disclaimer I commuted through clacks regularly but it was 10 years ago)