Please help me with school application

[somanysockssolittletime]

I have to apply for a placing request for my DS to attend the same school my DD goes to. DS is P7 so it's for high school application.

I live very close to the school, it's actually much much closer than the actual catchment school, but just out of the catchment area due to LA boundaries. It's a very good school.

my DD has absolutely thrived there, and I'm anxious in case I write something 'wrong' or don't write something I should, that DS won't get the same opportunity DD has had. Yes I'm an anxious person in general!

We are a single parent family and I'm on a low wage with UC top ups. I was a teenage mother and I have health and mental health issues. I am really, really trying to make sure my DC do better than me. Not saying all are like me, but yswim.

Does anyone know what I should put in the placing request? Any teachers or anyone who works in placing requests? Is it the school's choice who gets in?

Glasgow to East Ren is always tricky as so many people want to do that for obvious reasons
With all the new builds in Newton Mearns it must be difficult to get into Mearns Castle
Can you ask the Council how many placing requests were granted last year

Criteria 5 is indeed more important than criteria 7 - but it is worth mentioning both in case there are more applicants who fulfil Criteria 5 (ie sibling requests) than there are places. Then you want to ensure that they know that you also meet one of their other criteria l.

Pedant alert: I should have described them as Criterion 5 etc