Australia to Glasgow

[Hub005]

Hello. We are moving to Glasgow shortly…my daughter is going into S5 (15 in Dec). I’ve been in contact with a few schools - they have mentioned that she could possibly start Highers…I thought maybe she’d do National 5’s ? I guess we can always see how she goes…she’s quite bright.

I need help with schools. I’m coming over in a few weeks by myself to look at accommodation and also schools. We quite like the west end area and the schools in the East Renfrewshire seem good ? We will most probably base our selves in the school catchment.

Any honest feedback on the following schools:

Hyndland
Woodfarm
Notre Dame
Woodend High
St Ninian’s, Giffnock
Williamwood High

I just want to narrow down schools to visit - it’s only two years. She super sporty (goes to a football school in Australia) and will definitely play club football busy she also wants to be an engineer.

ALL feedback appreciated !!

Do you mean she turned 15 in December 2023 or that she will turn 15 in December 2024?

Sorry - that was very unclear. She is 15 and will turn 16 in Dec 2024).

East Renfrewshire is seen as being full of 'leafy suburbs'. I've not taught in the area, but it's often said that the good results are because of the catchment. (I had a colleague who taught at Williamwood some years ago.)

Able children normally take Highers in S5. If they were already in the Scottish system, they would have taken and passed their N5 exams in S4.

You may already have this, but just in case: https://datamap-scotland.co.uk/2023/07/scottish-secondary-school-league-tables/

From that list st Ninians. Look at their Twitter for feel for sport. I think perhaps only the private schools really push sport to a great degree and even then not girls football. In state schools kids more likely to be affiliated to great out of school sports clubs do ask around about those?

Sorry can't help with those schools as I'm not in Glasgow.

As she's a December birthday she can go into S5 in August and be amongst the youngest in the year or go into S4 and be amongst the oldest.

If she goes into S4 she will do Nat 5s and will do Highers the following year.
If she goes into S5 most of the year will be doing Highers, with less academically able pupils doing Nat 5s.

If you’re here soon, would it not be better for her to start S4 and do Nat 5s? High might be a bit of a jump. She can then move up next year and start her Highers. She will be an older S4 but that’s not uncommon.

I’m heading over solo in a few weeks to look at housing and schools by myself. my daughter will be in Glasgow to start the school year. If we took sport out of the equation (she will play club football somewhere) any recommendations on schools ?

Also - just confirming…you can get your learners license at 17 (this is 16 in Aust).

What age can you get a PT job ? She’s worked at McDonalds in Aust since she turned 14.

If starting S5 it will be highers.

Part time jobs, some are 16, some are 18 depending on the business. Very few at 14 but it's not impossible. I'd prioritise settling in and making friend, not a job unless it's essential.

Driving lessons from 17 with a provisional licence.

I'm not overly familiar with those but none of them are terrible. Easy Ren schools have good reputation.

Will you be hiring a car to get around, as some of these schools are only a few miles away from each other, but I guess you know that.

From looking at the league table provided by another mn'er. I would delete Notre Dame and include Mearns Castle and Bearsden instead. ( does Bearsden come under East Dumbarton ? and maybe it's too far out for you ? )
Tho that league table is 2022, so things may have changed for 2023. ?

I think it's down to location - do you want to live in the Southside of Glasgow ? or West end / nearer the city centre ish.

Both are very different.

I believe Williamwood and Mearns Castle say they are non denominational, St Ninians states it is Catholic. - if any of that makes a difference to you ?

I've taught in 2 of the 3 east ren schools and know staff and pupils at third. All academically excellent with plenty extra curricular stuff available in and out of school in the area. You must make sure to live in catchment and house prices have a premium. Demographic therefore predominantly middle class. St Ninian's is Catholic. Notre dame also Catholic and single sex. Unless you are Catholic I would choose one of the non-denominationals. Hyndland I don't know much about other than their unusual lack of uniform. West end is a very different location choice for a family to east ren suburbs. Woodend I've never heard of? Neither has Google.

As DD is a December birthday S5 (younger end as it runs Mar-Feb) I would strongly recommend enrolling her in S4 after the summer. She won't seem out of place age-wise as many Jan-feb birthdays defer entry. S5 is the toughest year in the Scottish system - the most important exams and it's short.

She will miss the start of the exam year as it's not August, it's June. Scottish schools 'bump up' to their new year and courses after the May exams so she will miss a full month of teaching. They finish the course by April. It leaves her no time to acclimatise to a new education system. Depending on how well the nat5/4s on offer match her prior learning it gives her and teachers time to work out what's best for her s5 year.

Good luck - it's a big move!

I know it’s not ideal to start in August - but there is nothing we can do about that. We will definitely find her a tutor to try and get her on top of her workload.

I have now booked a flight and will be there in three weeks - so will meet with some schools to discuss all of our options. Subjects etc.

We are only there for two years - so we don’t really want to be too suburban - maybe the city fringe (I guess) we were there at Christmas and enjoyed the West End. But the good schools seem to be East Renfrewshire yet we did like the look of Bearsden Academy too ?

it’s all very complicated trying to make these decisions from afar and the school system is so foreign.

We just want her to go to a good school that will support and encourage her. She started school at an all girls Catholic school but moved to a state football school for grade 9 in Australia. We aren’t against Catholic or non-Catholic. Probably not all girls though…

I appreciate all the feedback - so thank you.

Have you thought about Jordanhill? They used to accept non catchment children into S5. They have a good mix of academics and sporty.
Could you afford private for 2 years? They will definitely have more sports options than state schools.

Jobs for 16 year olds hard to come by. Would she consider Saturday job in a hairdresser? Hard work but possibility of tips.

We did email Jordanhill and applied for S5 - they said they could not accommodate her subjects. I would assume her subjects are pretty standard. I’m sure we’re probably in the top hard basket. Understandable.

I have read Hyndland has no uniform. Is it classified as an alternative school ? The head teacher has been fantastic with her communication.

I think we’ll concentrate on school and football straight up and I’m sure we can sort a PT job out down the track.

We could do private but I’d like to explore public first. It’s now time for her to buckle down and concentrate more on academics and less on sport (whilst at school).

Have you thought about Shawlands Academy? Some lovely places in its catchment (Shawlands, Newlands, Strathbungo, some of Pollokshields..) although it has a very mixed demographic (included places like Govanhill). As the former headteacher used to say, "Quite literally ranging from children of millionaires to those that were going home to empty fridges, not knowing where their next meal was coming from. IIt gets good results despite that.

It's a very international school - 55 languages spoken there (at least there were 5 years ago) so they're used to kids coming in from other educational system.

Also very sporty (although I know more about its rugby side as that is what ds' interest was).

Very similar to Hyndland with the excellent of the uniforms with whom it has a friendly rivalry

I'd say it was a better school than Bearsden Academy (although my direct experience is over 40 years old ) as it is more holistic in its approach - celebrating artistic and sporting endeavours as much as academic ones.

DS1 went to Hyndland. Could not fault the pastoral care. Children who want to do well will do well at Hyndland DS has friends who went onto medicine, languages etc.
Lack of uniform was never an issue for us.
DS2 went to Jordanhill which suited him perfectly.
Can also recommend Bearsden Academy.

Should also say I personally did very well at Bearsden Academy, as did my friends! But at least back then they only really cared about the "clever" kids

My mum ended up having to tutor the sister of a friend of mine as they weren't going to allow her to sit her English Higher as they thought she might fail it She entered as an external candidate and got a B

I don't know much about Woodend or Notre Dame.
The rest are all good schools.
I would pick Woodfarm. It's a bit smaller.

Notre Dame and St Ninians are catholic schools, which influences the school culture. I'd assume they expect you to be catholic, or at least happy for your child to engage in worship. Worth checking in any case whatever your religious views are.

Its not always possible to get into those schools these days as far as I am aware as many middle class families move to those areas as those good schools are seen as an affordable alternative to paying for private school. Its not on your list but a while back there were very expensive new builds put up in the catchment area of Jordanhill School and the assumption was that people who bought them would be able to send their kids to Jordanhill but the School refused to take them even refusing the developers offer to build another building for them.

I went to St Ninians and it was very good but it is a Catholic school as other have said, it is technically open to all faiths but practicing Catholics are preferred.

She'd be better going into s4 as she won't achieve her full potential in higher starting s5 in August with no nat5 background.

But then what will happen after the two years? She would still have 6th year to do? Unless you are thinking of her going straight to uni after 5th year?

When you say subject choices no school may be able to accommodate what you want. Most DCs have to compromise and not do the exact subjects they want.

For 5th year it's typical to do English Maths, a science, one of history, geography, modern studies; and one other subject.

I've never known a dc doing their highers to have a pt job, it's extremely intensive- 3 hours of homework a night.
Would she even be allowed to work? (Ie visa?)

17 year olds can get a provisional license but need someone 21+ with 3 years driving experience with them. Getting lessons is vvv expensive £30 a hour. There's a huge waiting list to sit the tests. Also getting her put on your insurance will be over £1000.

All the schools will be a culture shock. They are all high performing middle class schools so she's best choosing whatever one she gets a good feel for.

Thank you everyone - I am enjoying all the insights !!

She is on track to gain a scholarship for university elsewhere - so she will hopefully continue to follow that path. She is used to high achieving schools and is an A/B student. We (and she) realise this will be a big culture shock - but she’s up for the challenge. At present she is studying Maths and Specialist Maths, Physics, English, Psychology and Football (it’s a subject). Will prob drop psychology and take up Geography and maybe PE ?

Most kids where we are from also have high academic expectations upon them (2-3 hours of homework expected per night in senior school plus sports training (or music) and a large percentage work at McDonalds or similar 1-2 shifts a week and on school holidays. They lead very busy, busy lives !! Keeps them out of trouble.

Driving lessons here are about $100 AUD (50 pounds approx) a pop and to even sit your test you need to have a log book with 100 hours - so lots of parental driving !! I won’t be sad to not have to complete that log book again.

She (as am I) are British citizens. But I have not lived in Scotland since I was 2 (I have visited many times).

I thought I’d update - on anyone else researching similar topics.

We are happily settled in Glasgow. DD ended up going to a private school and went into S5. She started at the start of the school year (so missed the end of S4 where they start S5) and she has just sat her Higher exams. It has been a long hard slog for her to catch up but she has worked super hard, hopefully her exam results reflect this.

She’s loving Scotland, has got a great group of friends, is playing football and has just got herself a casual job too.

It's good to hear that everything worked out:)

out of curiosity ( ok sheer nosiness ) where did you choose to live ?

and i would ask which school ? but that would be outing.