Choosing a primary school in East Lothian

If you want to send your child to a non-catchment school, you should complete a placing request form for Primary 1: view and download the Non-Catchment Placing Request Form for Primary 1.

You can only make one placing request at a time for each pupil; if you put more than one choice of school on the form, we will only consider your first choice. If your first choice isn't available, we will give you the opportunity to make a second request for another school.

What's the procedure?

We will acknowledge your placing request within 14 days of receiving it. (If you haven't heard from us within 14 days, please get in touch with us using the contact details at the bottom of this page.)

By law, we have to grant a placing request wherever possible. However, while most requests are granted, in certain cases this is not possible (e.g. where there are no longer any places for more children to attend a school).

Once a child has been offered a place, the offer won't be withdrawn unless the place was obtained through giving false information, and a pupil moving into the catchment area can't take a place from a non-catchment pupil already admitted to the school.

Priority for school places 

Pupils living in the catchment area have priority over those from outside.

When there are fewer requests than places available, requests for places are usually granted.

When there are more placement requests than places available, the Head of Education will decide who gets a place.