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Original poster

Reasons to move to Glasgow (from England)

177 replies

Marmaladegin · 04/03/2023 22:06

DH has been offered a job in Glasgow. We currently live in a naice area in S England but it doesn't have great schools. Bar the chilliness, I love Scotland but not familiar with Glasgow. I'm Irish, DH Scottish. Dc 11, 10, 6. We like the countryside but would be happy to embrace the greater culture available in/near a city, as long as there was easy access to green space.

I'd be really grateful for any thoughts on pros/ cons of Glasgow with a family, and recommendations for areas. Budget would be up to £800k for 4 bed detached house if that helps.

OP posts:
Amortentia · 06/03/2023 21:24

but this wasn't started as a political thread and it's not fair to the OP or perhaps others who are not here for a bun fight

I agree, apologies OP for the slight hijack of your thread.

Puffalicious · 06/03/2023 21:40

Amortentia · 06/03/2023 21:24

but this wasn't started as a political thread and it's not fair to the OP or perhaps others who are not here for a bun fight

I agree, apologies OP for the slight hijack of your thread.

👍

Puffalicious · 06/03/2023 21:47

Rainbowshit · 06/03/2023 21:22

This is the current policy which talks about socio economic prejudice: blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/er/public/Williamwood/uploads/sites/70/2021/08/31090911/Standard-Circular-8a-Bullying-and-Anti-Bullying-January-2019.pdf

I have an updated draft in front of me that gives an example of inverse socio economic prejudice. It doesn't seem to be online though and I haven't been able to upload screenshots to MN for ages now. I'll post it once it's online.

Thanks for that. Seems pretty standard. GCC have a similar policy. However, I don't see anywhere where I've even come close to 'bullying' or a suggestion of bullying . I don't reckon an opinion can be bullying, can it? I'm allowed - as we all are- to have an opinion.

Please desist now. This wasn't started as a political thread.

I'm sure your DC are lovely, balanced individuals, as are mine. When they meet people of the other ilk I'm sure they'll treat them with respect. Result.

Rainbowshit · 06/03/2023 21:55

"Please desist now"

You think you're the thread police do you?!?!

Wonder why you want to move on? 🤔

You seemed pretty proud of your prejudice and the prejudice you instilled in your children earlier. Now you're asking for respect peace and love?!

Staggie · 06/03/2023 22:02

Puffalicious · 06/03/2023 21:47

Thanks for that. Seems pretty standard. GCC have a similar policy. However, I don't see anywhere where I've even come close to 'bullying' or a suggestion of bullying . I don't reckon an opinion can be bullying, can it? I'm allowed - as we all are- to have an opinion.

Please desist now. This wasn't started as a political thread.

I'm sure your DC are lovely, balanced individuals, as are mine. When they meet people of the other ilk I'm sure they'll treat them with respect. Result.

Show quote history

Ignore her. She has form.

🌹

Rainbowshit · 06/03/2023 22:05

Form for what exactly Staggie?

Puffalicious · 06/03/2023 22:07

Rainbowshit · 06/03/2023 21:55

"Please desist now"

You think you're the thread police do you?!?!

Wonder why you want to move on? 🤔

You seemed pretty proud of your prejudice and the prejudice you instilled in your children earlier. Now you're asking for respect peace and love?!

It's just a word. Do you prefer please stop? Sorry I offended you. Not any sort of police.

I'm not prejudiced or a bully, so please don't accuse me of either. I'm just someone who has an opinion - like you- who will fiercely protect the kids I teach.

I'm not engaging any more. Glad to see your different opinion though.

Puffalicious · 06/03/2023 22:07

Staggie · 06/03/2023 22:02

Ignore her. She has form.

🌹

Show quote history

Ahhhhh. I see.

Thanks 👍

Mammut · 06/03/2023 22:21

Oh for goodness sake I was quite enjoying this thread with reasonable views about Scotland portrayed for a change. I forgot that wasn’t allowed on Mumsnet.
One of the best things about Glasgow is that it is very socially mixed (including most schools) and racially diverse (for Scotland).

NeverApologiseNeverExplain · 06/03/2023 23:45

Exactly whereabouts in Glasgow will your DH have to go to work OP? If it's walkable from Queen Street station then you might want to look at living in Stirling.

Glasgow is an acquired taste and even other Scottish people can find the culture hard going at times. If you live in Stirling you can choose between Glasgow and Edinburgh as your cities for going out depending on how the fancy takes you (each has its strengths and weaknesses) and Stirling town is a reasonable size with a lot of history and good schools, with really good links to the Trossachs and Perthshire.

SueVineer · 07/03/2023 15:29

Puffalicious · 06/03/2023 19:13

Sorry, I couldn't pass on this. Please don't generalise that in working class schools kids who want to learn are bullied and the learning is disrupted constantly. It's just not true. I work in it, so I know it's not true. No political dogma here. ALL pupils in ALL schools are supported and encouraged. Do you think we choose to work in certain places so we can sit back and let chaos reign; because it's an easy ride to just not teach; because we're crap teachers who can't get results so we hide in crap schools? Tell that to my Higher class who are working their socks right now. Tell that to the pupils last year who went to St A's/ Edinburgh/ Durham/ Glasgow universities for many courses including medicine and law.

Please don't write these kids off or the schools that teach them brilliant ly.

Ditto to the PP who referred to 'rubbish' schools.

Let's not do kids a disservice.

Show quote history

That’s crap. I speak from personal experience. The stats also show very clearly where the vast majority of kids doing well are going to school. It’s east Ren, Jordan hill etc. i went to one of these crap schools- I want better for my kids.

silly student politics and a middle class guardian reading love of the wc hero is all very nice. But those of us who have been at the sharp end of rubbish schools and low aspiration cant afford to indulge your fantasies.

SueVineer · 07/03/2023 15:32

Puffalicious · 06/03/2023 21:14

Can you screenshot the policy? Cos 'I smell shite ' (like a certain 'Chewing the Fat' character 🤣).

I expressed a desire not to discuss it because I feel there's no point: we, and some others on the thread, are at the polar opposites of the issue. This rarely bodes well. It's not about being called out and backing away- I have strong opinions I'll always defend- but this wasn't started as a political thread and it's not fair to the OP or perhaps others who are not here for a bun fight.

Let's agree to disagree. I'm all for peace and love.

Show quote history

Except towards “rahs” (aka children from a private school background in a rugby team…..

SueVineer · 07/03/2023 15:36

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

randomsabreuse · 07/03/2023 16:00

I don't know, posh rugby kids can be particularly unpleasant to be around, especially at university... Unless you like getting very very drunk and wandering around in your pants of course!

IkBenDeMol · 07/03/2023 16:11

I think what the spiky poster is objecting to is the use of the term "rubbish schools". And I sort of see where she is coming from. I am sure that the teachers in Cumnock Academy and Auchinleck Academy (right at the bottom of the league table) work just as hard and are just as dedicated as the teachers at Bearsden Academy or Cults Academy in the top 5 of the table. And that the facilities and fabric of the building is just as good.

What IS different is the socio-economic background of the pupils. In the top performing schools you have children from middle class backgrounds, with parents putting a huge emphasis on education, who know lots of people with Highers and degrees and professional occupations, who want to learn and not fuck about in class. IN GENERAL. In the schools at the other end of the table you have deprived areas, lack of aspiration, parents who aren't particularly well educated, attitudes that school is for mugs, discipline problems. IN GENERAL.

And for the hard of thinking - of course not every child in Cults Academy has PhD educated parents and always behaves immaculately. And of course not every child at Cumnock Academy messes about and chucks chairs at the teacher. But it would be a complete lie to say that the schools are all the same. A friend of mine used to teach at a school towards the bottom of the league table and left because he said if he'd wanted to be a social worker, that's what he would have trained in, not Biology.

Puffalicious · 07/03/2023 16:48

SueVineer · 07/03/2023 15:29

That’s crap. I speak from personal experience. The stats also show very clearly where the vast majority of kids doing well are going to school. It’s east Ren, Jordan hill etc. i went to one of these crap schools- I want better for my kids.

silly student politics and a middle class guardian reading love of the wc hero is all very nice. But those of us who have been at the sharp end of rubbish schools and low aspiration cant afford to indulge your fantasies.

Show quote history

Honestly, you need to calm down. Your blood pressure must be really high by now.

We disagree. That's fine. This is NOT the reality now. YOUR experience- whenever that was- is NOT the experience of kids in schools these days. That's like saying society just stays the same all the time.

Have your prejudices, but my son excelled in an ordinary school and the other is also on track for university.

Please leave me alone. The OP didn't ask for this debate.

Puffalicious · 07/03/2023 16:51

And DON'T start on the crap about stats. We could be here all night debating why that is (like others have intimated: middle-class environment, tutors coming out of their ears, parents who can help with homework, an emphasis on education, safe housing, stable parenting...I could go on). It's not black and white.

Puffalicious · 07/03/2023 16:52

randomsabreuse · 07/03/2023 16:00

I don't know, posh rugby kids can be particularly unpleasant to be around, especially at university... Unless you like getting very very drunk and wandering around in your pants of course!

Quite. Unpleasant and completely unaware of their own unpleasantness.

IkBenDeMol · 07/03/2023 16:54

We all know it's complex. We also all know that some schools get a lot better results than others, and it's a perfectly valid choice to target one of those schools for your child's education.

Puffalicious · 07/03/2023 16:54

IkBenDeMol · 07/03/2023 16:11

I think what the spiky poster is objecting to is the use of the term "rubbish schools". And I sort of see where she is coming from. I am sure that the teachers in Cumnock Academy and Auchinleck Academy (right at the bottom of the league table) work just as hard and are just as dedicated as the teachers at Bearsden Academy or Cults Academy in the top 5 of the table. And that the facilities and fabric of the building is just as good.

What IS different is the socio-economic background of the pupils. In the top performing schools you have children from middle class backgrounds, with parents putting a huge emphasis on education, who know lots of people with Highers and degrees and professional occupations, who want to learn and not fuck about in class. IN GENERAL. In the schools at the other end of the table you have deprived areas, lack of aspiration, parents who aren't particularly well educated, attitudes that school is for mugs, discipline problems. IN GENERAL.

And for the hard of thinking - of course not every child in Cults Academy has PhD educated parents and always behaves immaculately. And of course not every child at Cumnock Academy messes about and chucks chairs at the teacher. But it would be a complete lie to say that the schools are all the same. A friend of mine used to teach at a school towards the bottom of the league table and left because he said if he'd wanted to be a social worker, that's what he would have trained in, not Biology.

You're not far wrong. I choose to work there- it's where I feel most needed, but I get why it's not for everyone.

Puffalicious · 07/03/2023 16:59

IkBenDeMol · 07/03/2023 16:54

We all know it's complex. We also all know that some schools get a lot better results than others, and it's a perfectly valid choice to target one of those schools for your child's education.

I understand that, it's just not for me. I believe in true comprehensives where you have a real spread of ability and backgrounds. I went to one and excelled, so chose one for my DC. It's just offering a different perspective.

Original poster
Marmaladegin · 07/03/2023 18:33

Wow! Did not expect my little thread to take off in quite this way. Particularly love those who have referenced a Glaswegian love of debate 🤣

Actually to wade in on it, I'm a teacher and am sometimes torn: I believe in state education and I know plenty of children who excel in "rough" schools... I also see the state system being stretched to breaking point, and do sometimes wonder if those that say things like "if they're bright they'll do well wherever" have actually stepped inside a poorly performing under resourced state school for a day in the last 10 years because it seems a remarkably out of touch perspective.

With that in mind, I know I said we probably couldn't stretch to private, but does anyone have personal experience of a Glasgow private school they think is fantastic? Just out of interest...
And thanks again so much to everyone that's replied in whatever way. Really genuinely helpful.

OP posts:
Piggywaspushed · 07/03/2023 18:42

I mean, honestly ( sorry dear puff ) Glasgow High is a brilliant school. It's not vair vair posh like some independent schools and was always quite proud of once being a direct grant school. But it is expensive... and yes, the disparities in funding are enraging .

But relocations can be risky schools wise , and so private might end up having to be an option.

I'm definitely about as far from rah as you can get. I'm practically a Communist!

pharmachameleon · 07/03/2023 19:49

My DS goes to Hutcheson's in the South side of Glasgow and I really rate it. It's in Pollokshields which is a beautiful area-lots of wide, tree lined avenues and 2 lovely big parks. 5-10 minutes from the city centre.
I'm not getting into the private vs state school debate. I did what is best for my DS given our circumstances. My DH was bullied very badly at our local senior school and he wouldn't be able to set foot in the grounds at all now as it would bring back traumatic memories for him. My DS plays rugby at his school so not sure what that says about us 😜

Puffalicious · 07/03/2023 20:25

I'm practically a Communist! 🤣 Piggy