Choosing Gaelic Medium Education

Dè tha am facal bogadh a' ciallach ann am Foghlam tro Mheadhan na Gàidhlig?

What do we mean by immersion in Gaelic Medium Education?

Pupils in Gaelic Medium Education (GME) are best described as not learning the language, but learning through the language of Scottish Gaelic (pronounced Gah-lick). 

Prospective parents may have heard reports before of GME pupils 'soaking up the language like a sponge' once in the classroom.  This is in fact a myth; school-age pupils require repeated thorough and explicit exposure to Gaelic in order to build up their understanding and begin to use the language themselves.

GME primary schools follow the Scottish Curriculum for Excellence with all subjects taught through the medium of Gaelic in the following stages;

• P1-3 is a Total Immersion Stage, whereby Gaelic is the only language of teaching and learning in the classroom

In Term 4 of P3 we move to the Immersion Stage and this continues to the end of P7.  At this stage English is gradually introduced as a subject (e.g. English phonics, English spelling rules) but all teaching and learning is still taught through Gaelic.

Our schools are language-rich environments, staffed by fluent Gaelic speakers.  In order for pupils to be successful learners in the language, pupils also need exposure to Gaelic outside of school hours - therefore parental engagement and commitment is vital from the beginning.

Important points to consider when researching GME for your child -

• How am I going to incorporate the Gaelic language into our home life?
• How secure is my child's first language? (Pupils need to firstly be secure in their mother tongue in order to then introduce an additional language).
• What is my own level of Gaelic proficiency - and what steps will I take for it to develop?  (Please note: all of our homework/family learning activities are in Gaelic).

Enrolling in GME is an opportunity to step into Gaelic language, culture and community - fàilte!  Think of enrolling as a commitment not only for your child but for your family as whole - you know your child best, think about whether this is best learning environment for your child. 

A' guidhe gach soirbheachas dhuibh uile-mìle taing!

How to Enrol

To enrol your child in the Catchment Primary of your choice please go to our starting school page.

There are 4  x Gaelic Medium Primary Schools in Glasgow.  If you are unfamiliar with the Gaelic schools within your catchment area, please use our School catchment lookup.