Guide · Parents · Scotland
School places in Scotland: catchment areas and placing requests
How catchment schools work in Scotland, the 15 March placing-request deadline, decisions and appeals.
By the Pyxion Learn team · Checked 30 October 2026
Scotland has no selective state schools, and the system works differently from England.
Your catchment school
Every home is in the catchment area of a non-denominational primary and secondary school and, in many areas, of a Roman Catholic school too. Your child is normally entitled to a place at the catchment school. Councils register P1 children each winter; check your council’s enrolment dates.
Choosing another school: placing requests
If you want a school other than your catchment school, you make a placing request to the council that runs it.
- For a place starting in August, send it by 15 March.
- The council must give you its decision by 30 April. If it doesn’t reply in time, the request is treated as refused, which lets you appeal.
- For requests made later, the council has two months to decide.
Councils can refuse a request only for set reasons, such as the school not having space. They can also hold back places for children who move into the catchment area later, which is why some popular schools accept few placing requests.
Appeals
You can appeal a refusal to the council’s education appeal committee, usually within 28 days of the decision. If your child has additional support needs, some appeals go to a tribunal instead.
S4 to S6
Pupils can leave after S4, or stay on for S5 and S6, where they take Highers and Advanced Highers. University applications go through UCAS: see key dates for Scotland.