Childcare in Scotland

[cairnterrier]

Was wondering if I can pick everyone's brains. DH, DS and I are potentially relocating to Scotland later this year and was wondering if I can just check out the childcare situation as I know that the education system is very different to England.

DS is currently with a childminder partly paid for by childcare vouchers. We'll have built up a surplus of vouchers so can we still use them to pay for a CM in Scotland? Can we still salary sacrifice the same amount from our pay?

Do we still get the 15hrs funded for a nursery place from aged 3 and at what stage do we have to start looking for primary schools? DS has just turned 2 so we've still got a bit of time yet but I'm just trying to get my head around what the move will mean for our family.

Thanks.

yes you can use vouchers, yes you get 15 hours, primary admission is a little different - if you look on the council website for the area that you plan to move to then the admission requirements should be on there :)

yes salary sacrifice still the same.

Primary admission in Scotland is more straightforward than in England.
You have a guaranteed place at your catchment school. Most children go to a catchment school (in Scotland in more urban areas you will have 2 catchment schools - a secular school and a catholic school, and you would choose the one you wanted.
If you do want to put in a placing request for a different school you can, and those tend to be successful because most people are happy to use their catchment school.

There are also private schools, though how near that was would depend on where you were moving to.

Alot of areas here are actually only 12.5 hours of free childcare

Thanks everyone. That's been a big help.

There is only 1 admission per year here to, school starts in middle of August usually and stops end June roughly. Your child goes to school in Primary 1 - my DS will be starting this year, he will be 4.

Good luck!