Scotland - entry to Primary One

[thejaffacakesareonme]

We live in the catchment area for a very popular primary school. I have found out that not all of the children who live within the catchment area have been offered places to start P1 in August. I had assumed that everyone who lived within the catchment area would automatically be awarded a place. My DS will start school in August 2012. What rights do we have if we are not offered a place? Can we insist on it? We live near the boundary for the catchment area and I wondered if there was a danger that we may not be allocated a place because of this. Unfortunately, the neighbouring schools are just as equally oversubscribed, if not more so. Any ideas?

hmm, I thought that if you were in the catchment area they had to offer you a place at that school, no placing requests would be granted if there was no room. Perhaps they then need to offer you nearest school within the same education authority.

Not a teacher or education dept person tho so hopefully someone who is can enlighten us

No if the school is full then they can deny a place to a within catchment application. Most have 2 catchment schools, non-denomination and (usually) RC. I think if they are oversubscribed then it is prioritised by distance. If you don't get a place then you will get priority at another local(ish) school before any other out of catchment application places are allocated.

Problem this year is due to cap on class sizes for p1 of 25. Your council does however have a duty to provide a school somewhere for your child and if it is over a certain distance will have to provide or pay for transport. It may not be a school you want for your child. If that is the case consider home schooling for a year, and you may get a place next year.

i think that you can ask to be put on the waiting list for your prefered school if you dont get in first time.

another thing to consider is going out of catchment anyway, if there is one suitable within a good distance to you. that is what we have done, as our catchment was so oversubscribed.

Last year our school took the overflow from the other local oversubscribed school and also from the school they closed. This year they've capped it to catchment children and only 1 out of catchment causing major issues. It seems you will get offered another school but some schools are using the team teaching alternative instead and taking all catchment children. Another option is to ask your council education dept under the freedom of information act how they allocated the places.