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Welcome to Scotsnet - discuss all aspects of life in Scotland, including relocating, schools and local areas.

Original poster

moving 4 year old from English Reception to Edinburgh primary

51 replies

jaeno76 · 23/02/2023 11:08

Hi everyone, I wondered if anyone has any experience of moving their child from the English system to the scottish one and more specifically, how they adjusted to an Edinburgh school? Would be an in-year transfer so I would be at the mercy of the council places that are left which is a little bit scary. Considering independent as an alternative (Heriots) but would rather not pay for primary and also I don't think Heriots would accept an in year transfer. Does anyone have any thoughts to share about Edinburgh primaries and whether it would be a big shock after a small English village reception year?! thanks

OP posts:
Coolblur · 26/02/2023 09:57

Don't worry too much about the cultural transition for him, he will settle in quickly and be fine, particularly as he's so young. He'll starr school at the same time as everyone else so they are all 'new kids' together, albeit some may have been at nursery together, they wont all have been at the same one.
It's far harder when they are older (secondary age).

Original poster
jaeno76 · 26/02/2023 10:06

Was it nasty...how has it affected them? And how did you find the p1 curriculum compared to reception?

OP posts:
Original poster
jaeno76 · 26/02/2023 10:07

We would probs look to rent in a good catchment but rentals seem hard to come by... Or stay with family until we can buy

OP posts:
Original poster
jaeno76 · 26/02/2023 10:08

Re the social mix in the Edinburgh secondaries not being so good... I guess tjat is a downside of the large private sector. But then if we stayed local here it'd be a single sex grammar which is surely also not a great social mix (and I'd strongly prefer co ed)

OP posts:
WeCome1 · 26/02/2023 10:15

jaeno76 · 26/02/2023 10:06

Was it nasty...how has it affected them? And how did you find the p1 curriculum compared to reception?

Nastyish for the eldest, more observational and boring for the youngest.

The curriculum seemed very similar - ie phonics method used. They get through it quicker than in Reception I think as the children are slightly older.
Lots of topic work so hard to compare directly. Much more outdoor time, art, etc, but that may be school specific.

Original poster
jaeno76 · 26/02/2023 10:15

Thats all useful, thanks very much 😀

OP posts:
Original poster
jaeno76 · 26/02/2023 10:19

That sounds tough for your eldest. How did the school handle it? Overall do you miss life in England at all compared to Edinburgh?

OP posts:
liveforsummer · 26/02/2023 10:25

A July born 4 year old would not be able to start primary 1 this school year. It wound be august without deferring. Currently I don't think it's too late for late applications either - I think that's some time early March iirc but you do need an address to apply (however I knew I'd be moving to a certain area and the receptionist flagged this even though it missed the dates). Culturally you'll have no issue, Edinburgh is incredibly diverse anyway. He'll find it more relaxed if he's already half way through reception and many p1 classes are now play based too

Bea14 · 26/02/2023 10:28

As your little one is a July birthday they will be due to start primary 1 in August this year. If you moved now they would not be able to join P1 as they are too young, they would be entitled to free hours at nursery (1140 hours a year). Lots of great schools in Edinburgh. You would need an Edinburgh address to apply to your local catchment school. They have to keep spaces for pupils moving into the area so as soon as you have an address you would need to apply. Chances are you would get a place, especially for P1 as there's often a lot of movement before children start. You can apply to other schools outwith your catchment area but you would only get a space if there are lots of spaces available and you might not find out until much later as it goes to a panel, all other school places are issued first.
You could also apply to private schools too. I'm not familiar with their procedures.
My school has children from all over the UK, in fact all over the world. I've never known a child to be bullied due to being English. I hope that helps.

Southofthemeadows · 26/02/2023 10:29

On the accent issue, my DC went to Sciennes and then James Gillespie's HS, and many of their cohort had/have English accents (inc my own dc, despite being born and brought up in Edinburgh). It was never an issue - I haven't heard if any accent based bullying.

liveforsummer · 26/02/2023 10:30

jaeno76 · 26/02/2023 09:39

That is depressing about the accent thing! Is that in a private school or state? It seems so crazy in this day and age. Edinburgh is so international in many ways, but then you get this kind of thing 😂

Sounds crazy to me too. In DC's Edinburgh school a huge number of dc have English accents with a fairly middle class demographic my own dc maybe have a hint of a Scottish accent but not much. I work in a school in an incredibly deprived area and there is such a range of accents that nothing stands out. I don't think I've ever come across anyone noticing or commenting on accent across that pretty broad range.

WeCome1 · 26/02/2023 10:32

jaeno76 · 26/02/2023 10:19

That sounds tough for your eldest. How did the school handle it? Overall do you miss life in England at all compared to Edinburgh?

We don’t miss England.

I think it’s just girls being awful tbh. I haven’t mentioned it to either school. Maybe I should for the younger one.

WeCome1 · 26/02/2023 10:35

liveforsummer · 26/02/2023 10:30

Sounds crazy to me too. In DC's Edinburgh school a huge number of dc have English accents with a fairly middle class demographic my own dc maybe have a hint of a Scottish accent but not much. I work in a school in an incredibly deprived area and there is such a range of accents that nothing stands out. I don't think I've ever come across anyone noticing or commenting on accent across that pretty broad range.

Show quote history

Well I’m not making it up! 😩

Mrsjayy · 26/02/2023 10:38

JobbieBobbie · 23/02/2023 20:39

Yes, I don't even think it would be a deferral in Scotland - he's just go next year.

Yeah wouldn't be a deferral he just would start P1 in August. Op you might get him into a school nursery for preschool .

liveforsummer · 26/02/2023 10:41

@WeCome1 I'm not saying you are but suggesting that this is an unfortunate exception rather than what is the norm in Edinburgh so OP needed be too worried. At age 4 he's fairly likely to pick up a Scottish accent anyway (although I know many who were born here and attended childcare from a young age who don't as they speak like their parents who have strong English accents. It's definitely not a given)

user567543 · 26/02/2023 10:44

Mine unfortunately still sound English despite being here since babies - we've had similar experience to @WeCome1 but we aren't good at fitting in particularly - I'd go for Gillespie and boroughmuir catchments for state.

Hellebore34 · 26/02/2023 15:19

Some schools might allow him to enter P1 now as they've done half of reception but really wouldn't recommend this as they would be unusually young socially. Just let him start P1 in August.

Re accents, we moved when kids were tiny to an area with a mix of people. Our kids never picked up a Scottish accent. Not a problem at all at primary, definitely a problem at secondary. 😥 Came as a shock, hadn't expected it at all.

Babdoc · 26/02/2023 18:36

DD is high functioning autistic and has an English accent, picked up from both her parents, although born and raised in Perthshire. The only anti English attitude she encountered was at state secondary school - from a teacher. DD called him out on it (“Would you have said that if I were Pakistani?”) and reported him to the pastoral care team. He apologised. The other kids weren’t a problem.

Original poster
jaeno76 · 26/02/2023 21:43

That is horrendous..good for her for calling him out so articulately on it!

OP posts:
Invisimamma · 27/02/2023 09:30

I live in a commuter town outside Edinburgh - there's plenty of English accents and it's never been an issue. I really wouldn't worry too much about that especially at age 4.

mibbelucieachwell · 28/02/2023 13:51

I live in a suburb of Glasgow.There are lots of English accents here and nobody thinks anything of it as far as I can tell.
Be prepared for your DC to possibly change accent! My DC moved from a different area of Scotland at the same age as your DS and had picked up the new accent by the end of a fortnight.

EnglishwithSubtitles · 14/03/2023 21:39

We've literally just done this, with DC1 starting P1 last August having already completed a year of Reception in England. DC1 has settled in well and made friends, absolutely no issue with the English accent and we are in a small town. The curriculum for Scottish P1 is very similar to English Reception so they have effectively ended up repeating a year. Scotland is much more play-based than the English primary school though and DC1 is noticeably ahead of their classmates academically. The teacher doesn't seem inclined to do much about this which has been frustrating as I have seen DC1's reading actually go backwards since we have been here. DC1 has been doing the same early phonics as the rest of the class rather than moving into harder reading book levels. It has felt like the decision has been made to hold them at that point until the rest of the class catch up. For some children that might be OK, but DC1 has been getting a bit bored. I'm not overly concerned as I imagine it will even itself out in time but if I could advise myself at this point last year, I would have pushed more with the school about how they planned to handle this scenario. I would also have given some thought to what other activities DC1 could do to keep them engaged in the mean time, eg. a club or something.

Cottagecheeseisnotcheese · 18/03/2023 16:46

if your son is 5 in July 2023 he will start P1 in august 2023, there is no option for a July birthday to defer as he will already be 5 he will be in the oldest half of the class not the youngest half
and he will be far too young for P2 ( in Scotland the debate for deferrals is Children born in jan / feb and occasionally December)

greenteafiend · 21/03/2023 07:25

Babdoc · 26/02/2023 18:36

DD is high functioning autistic and has an English accent, picked up from both her parents, although born and raised in Perthshire. The only anti English attitude she encountered was at state secondary school - from a teacher. DD called him out on it (“Would you have said that if I were Pakistani?”) and reported him to the pastoral care team. He apologised. The other kids weren’t a problem.

That is interesting - I have heard that children who are autistic sometimes retain parental accents even when these differ from peer groups. I'm sorry your son had that experience, and am glad the school reacted appropriately to your complaint.

Enidcat5 · 21/03/2023 07:44

My son's at primary just outside Edinburgh, he's never had anyone take the p out of his English accent. A lot of people in Edinburgh are English or have English accents. It's not generally an issue.

You will need to apply for catchment school once you decide where you're living. If you don't want them to go to catchment you'll need to apply for a placing request but you've missed the date for this August p1 class.

It's a great time to do the move, he can start p1 with all the other new children and he'll have a head start from having done a year in England. My son's wee friend did the same thing and settled just fine, she's at same level as the other children now.