Linlithgow Academy or Caledonia High/Inverkeithing?

[Callunabee]

Would you move to a smaller house for schools?
We are currently in the Inverkeithing High School/Caledonia High catchment (Dalgety Bay area) but have an opportunity to move to Linlithgow. This would be a major disruption for the kids (P7 and P5) but wondering if it is worth it for a 'better' school according to the league tables..
Pros - higher achieving school, walk to school instead of bus
Cons - moving away from friends, school a 20 min bus away, smaller house in more expensive catchment
We are very torn. My husband doesn't think that the schools would be that different but surely a school that's 7 in the league tables is much better than one which is 232ish?
Looking for experiences at either school and thoughts really. Thanks

I have children at IHS / the new Caledonia. I think a lot depends on your children and their academic ability. I have friends whose children have got excellent exam results at IHS and successfully moved onto uni etc. My children's experiences have been mixed. A few poor teachers along the way but a lot is being put into increasing teaching standards now. The new building should hopefully be a positive thing for the school community. I dont know much about Linlithgow Academy, so couldn't compare.
Also if you and your children have strong connections in Fife I'm not sure I'd up and move if you are happy with where you currently live. Maybe speak to some local parents who have children at the high school - might be reassuring or not! Feel free to PM me and I can share more.

I live local to Linlithgow. Not sure what 20 min school bus you mean? The town is lovely though with lots of stuff happening.

I think she means the bus from Dalgety Bay to Caledonia.

It's too early to know how the Caledonia High School will perform, but probably not as well as Linlithgow Academy.

I would rather live in Linlithgow than Dalgety Bay no matter what the schools were like.

I have heard there's a huge issue with bullying and misogynistic behaviour at linlithgow academy and the school not handling it well, in denial.

Also this: www.pressreader.com/uk/edinburgh-evening-news/20260803/281629607073706

I wouldn't put too much on league tables tbh. The school my eldest attended a few years ago was apparently really good academically...but had a massive problem with drugs amongst the pupils attending the school 🤷‍♀️

Not denying there are challenges, as in any school, but there are many sides to every story and some get more airtime than others.

OP I'd look at the wider picture of where you want to live than just the schools. However 'good' a school is there's never a guarantee it will be the right fit for any particular child. Schools are obviously important though, so I'd be looking at things like the range of subjects they offer at different levels as well as the exam results which inform the league table (and change from year to year, and are hugely dependent on the demographic).

Happy to chat if you want to PM me.

Thanks for all the replies. I think I've been put off Caledonia High hearing stories about bullying and a lack of permanent teachers in previous years (eg kids sitting in the cafeteria instead of a class because there was no maths teacher for weeks) . That may be similar in all schools though. Parents around here seem hopeful that the new school will improve things.