Moving to Scotland from another country
Wherever you're coming from, these are the basics of how Scottish schools work.
Which class would my child be in?
Guidance only: the school and council make the final placement decision. Cut-offs: Scotland 1 March, England and Wales 1 September, Northern Ireland 2 July.
What's different
- Children are placed by date of birth, not by the grade they were in before. The cut-off is 1 March.
- Primary is P1–P7 and secondary S1–S6. Each address has a catchment school; to choose another you make a placing request.
- Schools support children who are learning English (English as an Additional Language).
- The school year starts in mid-August.
Exams and university
- Pupils take National 5s (usually S4), Highers (S5) and Advanced Highers (S6). Scottish universities admit mainly on Highers.
- Bring school reports and certificates, translated if possible.
Getting a school place
- Find your catchment school for the exact address you will live at (it may not be the nearest school).
- Contact the council's education department, or the school, to enrol. Councils usually ask for proof of address and your child's birth certificate or passport; some only enrol once you are living there.
- For a different school, make a placing request to the council. For an August start, councils usually take these between December and February.
- If a placing request is refused, you can appeal, usually within 28 days.
General guidance, not an admissions decision or a formal comparison of qualifications. Moving from somewhere else? England · Wales · Northern Ireland · Ireland · United States