0845 603 0590 Email Us Skip Navigation
Find the Council on Follow North Ayrshire on Twitter

North Ayrshire Council

Services A to Z:
 

Primary School Places

Enrolling at school

Normally a child will attend their local primary school. Schools can provide further details of the boundaries of the area it serves. A placing request can be made for a child to attend a school other than their local school.

Denominational and Non-Denominational Schools

In most areas there are Roman Catholic primary schools that serve a defined area. You can enrol your child at either at the local denominational school or the non-denominational school.

Entry Age

Your child will be automatically admitted to school in August if their fifth birthday falls between 1st March of that same year and the last day of February the following year.

Registering Your Child

If your child is due to start in the August, they should be registered in the catchment area primary school for the area in which you live. You should do this before the end of the preceding January. Local advertisements issued in January provide details on how to register your child.

Additional Support Needs

If you child has additional support needs, you can obtain advice and guidance from the Council's psychological service. Your child may continue to be educated in their local school or in a special unit based in the school. It may be better for your child to be educated in a separate special day school or residential school.

Decisions on how the additional support needs of your child might be met will be taken only after full consultation with you.

Contact Details

Education and Skills

North Ayrshire Council

Cunninghame House
Irvine

KA12 8EE

 

Telephone: 01294-324400

Fax: 01294 324444
Email: education@north-ayrshire.gov.uk

When do I need to register my child for primary school ?
Registration for children starting primary one normally takes place in the second week of January of the year in which the child is due to start school. The school will need to see your child's birth certificate if the child is not already enrolled in the school's nursery class or any other type of nursery provision. You should contact your local school for more details.

What is Early Entry to primary school?
If a child is under the school entry age a parent may decide that they wish to send their child to primary school earlier and this is called Early Entry.

What is a Placing Request?
Every Council school, both primary and secondary, is assigned a geographical area usually referred to as the school's 'delineated area', or sometimes called the 'catchment area'. Places within each school are normally offered to pupils who live within that delineated area. However, parents also have the right to request a place for their child in another school of their own choosing and, assuming there is space, this request will usually be granted.

Do I have to enrol my child at the local school even though I wish to submit a placing request for another school?
Yes, this is particularly important for children starting school in P1. If you wish to place your child at another school, you should still enrol your child in the local school as there is no guarantee that your placing request will be successful and your local school needs to take account of your child in their numbers.

Can I ask for a place for my child at a particular school?
Yes. The Education (Scotland) Act 1981 gives you the right to ask for a place in a particular school. This is known as a placing request.