Moving to Glasgow Area from Gloucestershire

[BigStep]

I grew up and attended Uni in the Greater Glasgow area, but moved south after graduation more than 10 years ago (somewhat accidentally to be honest), but have always thought I'd move back. As both my husband and my employers have actively moved to home/hybrid working, realistically there is nothing really keeping us here, so we're actively considering moving up to the Glasgow area in the near future. We have 2 boys who would be going in to P4 and P2 when we'd be looking to move ( summer 2024).

Truth be told, I'm a little overwhelmed at the thought, especially as we haven't really narrowed down where we'd want to live. I've had a good old trawl of threads here for past advice and it looks like picking a school(s) and working backwards is the best way forward? I suppose my first question is, does anyone have any recommendations? Shawlands Academy seems really good, in that it provides a good education for all rather than good exam results? I currently live in a grammar school area where some schools have the reputation of having a mildly toxic environment in the pursuit of results, and I'd like to avoid that. What other schools have a similar environment/facilities/attainment?

My search area on Rightmove currently looks like East Dunbartonshire + Shawlands catchment area. I'm somewhat prejudiced against East Ren (I don't really know why, just dont fancy it) and I grew up in East Kilbride and don't really want to move back there despite it being a good option on paper.

Our wish list/requirements would be:
Ideally within 30 minutes of Glasgow City centre. Absolutely no more than an hour.
Good schools
Spacious house, so 3 double bedrooms, plus spare room, plus space for 2 home offices (or garden space to put one in).
Good access to parks, green spaces etc.
Community Centre/high street/facilities. I live in proper suburbs at the moment and it feels very beige.
I like both the idea idea of space and views and living in the middle of Shawlands (helpful)
Budget in the region of £500k +/- a little, depending on what we could get for the money and what interest rates end up doing.

Is there anywhere I'm missing or any hidden gems?

Apologies, the above doesn't seem like the most cohesive thing I've ever written, but gives a good idea of my general confusion and overwhelm!

TL:DR Tell me where to live, I'm overwhelmed with choice!

Bonus question is if anyone has any advice or experience of moving house from the English system to the Scottish, while considering school age children and being in the middle of a fixed term mortgage. The idea already makes me nervous...

All advice very greatly received!!

East dunbartonshire or East Renfrewshire both have good schools but you're prejudiced against east Ren so guess you're going north side!

Helensburgh? Quite a number of English families due to the naval base, so your kids might adapt better. Its about 45 mins on the train.

Oh, I hadn't considered Helensburgh actually. The Rightmove "Where can I live" algorithm didn't bring it up as an option so I'd completely forgotten about it.
Thanks, I'll add it to my spreadsheet!

East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Helensburgh have the nicest housing and best schools.

Stirling/stirlingshire? Most of the schools are decent - could do west stirlingshire physically closer to Glasgow or 30-45 minutes on train from Stirling/BofA/Dunblane. Plenty activities for kids/access to the countryside but still have town facilities.

Linlithgow

It sounds like you're pretty keen on Shawlands!

The school is great. Whole area has a lovely vibe and buzz to it, with main shopping and restaurants area. New places opening all the time. Great for families.
To get a house you'd probably be best looking at Waverley Park (in Shawlands) or nearby areas like Cathcart, Newlands, or Muirend.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/130247630#/?channel=RES_BUY

Would you consider somewhere like Inverkip? Lovely marina, sea views and big park at Clyde Muirshiel, it is Renfrewshire though!

Wouldn't recommend Helensborough. Have been told if you're not part of the naval base community or from the local area it can be quite isolating and hard to fit in.

I’d second the advice on the areas, don’t have experience of the school personally but love strathbungo, Shawlands and walking in Queen’s Park. We considered these areas and decided to be further out with less buzz and exciting shops restaurants etc, for bigger house, but I love to go visit. For your budget you should find what you are looking for there.

utter tosh. A friend of mine is English / husband in the navy. She made friends by joining the church, the NCT, toddler groups, dance classes, WI, going swimming at the leisure centre, and just bloody talking to people when shopping.
Its not hard.

You say you grew up in EK and aren't keen on there but have you considered the rest of Lanarkshire? North/South?
Motherwell, Hamilton, Blantyre, Bothwell, Uddingston, Bellshill. Lots of building going on at the minute in the area for property and good schools too. Not too far from Glasgow with good transport links.

I live in east Dunbartonshire and it’s great. The schools are good and although academically driven, I don’t think it’s pushy/detrimental.
im in Bearsden/Milngavie area and you could struggle to get what you want for 500k but Lenzie/bishopbriggs would be ok. Although Bishopbriggs Academy is oversubscribed at the moment but unsure re primaries.

We’re close to Loch Lomond/mugdock as well as the city. Killearn/Drymen are lovely villages and Balfron high is a lovely school so you could add that? only about 40mins to City centre and 25mins to Bearsden/Milngavie for shops etc.

Some schools in Stirling aren’t great, so if you look more towards there, keep it rural- think Dunblane.

Not really sure what you are talking about re Stirling schools, with the notable exception of Bannockburn, the rest are all about a similar level to Shawlands in terms of academic results (not that the OP is prioritising academics) with a few being above that (though the tables still seem to be very fluid since the estimated results years)?

Hello! It might be worth articulating what specifically puts you off moving back to EK to make sure that's what you would get from a new place?

Of course it might just be a feeling of not wanting to go back to where you started, which is more psychological and totally understandable, but it was just a thought

Have you included Pollokshields, Maxwell Park, Strathbungo and Newlands in your "Shawlands" search? You could get a decent conversion (half of a Victorian villa) for your budget, which would also give you a decent sized garden.

Our house (catchment is Glendale Primary, which is excellent, and we put in a successful placing request for Shawlands Academy) is an upper conversion: 3 good sized bedrooms (2 in the attic floor) plus a a study (which was the kitchen when we moved in). The dining room could be another double bedroom: the kitchen is a dining kitchen anyway and the living room is big enough to take a dining table too if wanted.

We have an enormous back garden: it's technically split left and right (ie our side is up to the weeping cherry) with our downstairs' neighbours but in practice dh looks after most of the grass and I look after the border on the left and my raised beds. Front garden (just grass) is communal. We have vague plans of putting in a summer house/office in the back garden.

I believe it's currently worth about £450k - a similar house close by was sold recently which has a smaller garden.

I used to work in that council as a teacher in secondary. The more rural schools and Stirling high were reasonable straightforward schools to work in but the others had more complicated issues. Everyone has their own priorities but I, personally, wouldn’t have wanted my kids there after working there and still hearing from previous colleagues.

There are issues in lots of areas of Scotland caused by deprivation and cultural issues- I’m not laying blame. But these do exist and stating them as true doesn’t mean I’m having a go at some people who go there and who, I’m sure, ar doing well.

But, others prioritise other things and I know that you could get a lovely house there for 500k.

Hiya,

No advise on area but I just moved from England (Buckinghamshire) to Scotland (Fife) with my daughter who is in P6.
We also can from a grammar school county and school which was very heavily results based so moving to a school that is so relaxed is a massive adjustment.
I got her to try a few different clubs to try and widen her friendship circle but on reflection wish I had just been more laidback as she found it quite overwhelming.
Next step is for me to make friends..

That's rubbish. I moved to Helensburgh ages ago (not Navy) and everyone is friendly. None of my children ever had a problem either in school or out of it.

Same here

Regards to schooling: there was an article yesterday about Glasgow council cutting school time on a Friday. And the implications of teaching posts etc. Sounded horrific with implications for our young people.
you won’t find the same structure up here in primary as exists down south. There’s no strict prescribed syllabus or levels. Depending on the school there’s also limited reliance on phonics.
I’m sorry this sounds like such a negative post regarding education, I love loving in Scotland but I am concerned about the academic quality of my children’s education.