Pupils in state schools in Scotland must be taught the Scottish National Curriculum.
Under Section 32 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980, children born between September and February have the option of starting school either in the August preceding their fifth birthday or of deferring to the next August. Children born between March and August must start school in the year that they become five. Thus the single August intake to primary schools takes in children from 4 years 6 months to 5 years 11 months in a few cases.
Parents who are considering deferring their child's entry to primary school should discuss this with their education authority as early as possible. Local Authorities will usually ask parents to enrol their children for primary school several months before they are due to start.
In general, the school year begins in the second or third week in August. There are breaks of one or two weeks in October and at Christmas and Easter. Some Unitary Authorities (UAs)also set a short break in mid February. The school year ends around the end of June.
The majority of schools in Scotland are managed by the 32 UAs. These UAs normally offer school places to children on the basis of designated catchment areas. They determine the catchment areas for each of their schools and children living within this are normally provided with a place at the school serving that area. For further information contact us.
Transfer to secondary school is in the August when your child is between 11½ and 12½. This is later than in other parts of the UK, however your child will not miss out on education. Entry to a school is based on the catchment area determined as above, or on the primary school attended where the Local Authority has linked particular primary schools to the secondary school. However, all secondary schools have associated primary schools with which they have good links, and they usually spend time helping children to make the transition. Many secondary schools give primary pupils a 'taster' course in the term before they move.
If your child is going to fall between years on moving to Scotland, especially between primary and secondary then our advice is to talk to the schools involved, explain your situation and they may well be sympathetic. If you have any difficulty please contact us.
Choosing a School
When choosing a nursery place or school for your child there are several sources of information to help you make your decision:
- Visit the school
- Check out the school's resources and the children's work
- Ask how the school involves parents
- Would it suit your child?
Many schools hold open days and evenings where you can meet the staff and see children's work. Or you could make an appointment to visit the school at another time, and ask to talk to the Head teacher. All schools produce an annual handbook that gives information on many aspects of the school, its curriculum and values.
Local Authorities also provide parents of Primary 7 pupils with comparative information about secondary schools in their area, which includes details of examination results, destinations of school leavers and attendance and absence levels.
HM Inspectorate of Education
If a school has recently been inspected, parents can also request a copy of the inspection report direct from HM Inspectorate of Education (HMIE) Central Management Unit by calling 0131 244 0648. HM Inspectorate Quality Standards and Audit Division also publish national reports on attendance and absence levels and (for secondary schools) examination results and leaver destinations which give information about individual school performance and Local Authority and national averages. The Scottish Executive produces a Choosing a School booklet for parents who want to find out more about making placing requests visit parentzone for more admissions information.