Hi there, new member here, hoping for some advice....
We have just relocated from England to Scotland due to DH's job. We have 2 children aged 11 and 13 - so they are in P7 and S2. We knew about this move for most of last year and decided to move to the East Dunbartonshire area due to 1) location for both of our jobs and 2) we knew that there was an excellent schools music service/bands/orchestras and our kids are both mainly into music (in non-Covid times obvs).
We weren't tied to a particular area within EDC and wanted to consider all towns/all school areas. Since Sept last year, I tried to find out what the capacity was like in secondary schools as I know many of them are oversubscribed; however, I was repeatedly told by the council and schools that they couldn't discuss school places and capacity with me at all until we were resident and had an address.
We ended up buying a house in Bishopbriggs as we found a nice one in our price range. Moved in early January. DS who is 11 has got a place in P7 at the catchment school. However, we have been told there is no space in the catchment secondary (Bishopbriggs Academy) for DD. There is likely (but not guaranteed) to be a place in S3 due to the timetable changes. The options we have been given are: redirection to Turnbull High (Catholic, we have said no to this as we don't want a faith school); redirection to Lenzie Academy; or homeschool (not a brilliant option as we both work and I'm frontline NHS so not able to WFH).
In addition, DD has some issues with anxiety and had to have some intervention from the GP due to eating issues when she transitioned from primary school to secondary school in England (and this was a very well managed transition with her cohort of friends). It was nipped in the bud but she's already showing signs of mental health issues again now and I think multiple school moves will not help.
The worst bit is that the Bishopbriggs have indicated they could probably manage to have her in the school now until S3 when she should officially get a place. They could do this with a bit of staff jiggling, and of course it's all online just now anyway. However EDC saying no to this.
I don't want to move her twice (e.g. Lenzie now and then Bishopbriggs for S3) as I think this will tip her over the edge. I don't really want her going to Lenzie as her friends won't be local and it's going to involve a lot more travelling. DD doesn't want this option either. I'm so cross because if we'd known that Lenzie had capacity and BA didn't then we would have just bought a house in Lenzie!
Contacting the GP today to discuss support for her mental health (not easy as it's a new GP of course and we don't know them) and have also been reading GIRFEC guidance to see if there's an argument for the council to do more to support her wellbeing. I do feel like we've been let down by the council a lot and that they should be doing more to support DD (they have already apologised that we weren't given info on capacity in schools earlier and that we should have been told this).
Sorry for rambling post but any advice on what to do next would be appreciated. Just don't want to make a poor decision that will adversely affect DD's mental health - I feel like she's already at breaking point :-(