The placing request application for children starting P1 in August 2020 is included on the Registration for Education form below. Please do not complete a separate Placing Request Form as these are only for children from P2 and above.
If your child is living in the West Dunbartonshire area, and born between 1 March 2015 and 29 February 2016 they will be due to start school in August 2020 and must be registered at their catchment school. P1 registration for children starting school for August 2020 is the second week in January and the enrolment week for 2020 is Monday 13 January 2020 – Friday 17 January 2020.
You should register your child for commencing Primary 1 in August 2020 by completing the registration form below. The form includes links to placing request, early entry and deferral applications.
Following completion of the online registration form it is vital that parents / carers contact their local catchment school for details of when to attend to provide the documentary evidence required i.e. child’s proof of address, birth certificate, baptismal certificate. You should contact the school for details of when you can attend.
You can view the schools in your catchment area using the catchment area postcode search.
Please note that living within a catchment area does not guarantee a child a place. Where a place is not obtained your child’s name will be held on a waiting list.
Schools will contact parents and carers to invite their children to special open days and visits ahead of the new school term in August 2020.
Some parents / carers may wish to make a formal placing request application to place their child in another school out with the catchment schools. It is essential however that you still register your child for Primary 1 at their local primary school initially and before completing and submitting the placing request form.
If the school of your choice is outwith your catchment area you can submit a formal placing request application. Your application, along with any relevant documentary evidence supporting your request will be considered and you will be notified of the outcome of your application no later than 30 April. Please be aware that the granting of a placing request for one child / young person does not guarantee that any future placing requests made for a younger sibling for the same school will automatically agreed. Where your application is successful for a P1 placing request into an alternative West Dunbartonshire primary school, the P1 place at your child’s catchment school will be automatically withdrawn.
You can request that your child starts school early using the P1 Registration Form. If you are thinking of making an early entry request, please first consider your child's:
If after the assessment Educational Services decide to refuse your request, you will be advised accordingly and sent a copy of the assessment report on your child.
If your early entry request is refused, you cannot appeal this decision.
Parents of a child born between the start of the school term in August and the last day of February the following year can make a request to defer their child’s enrolment to the following August using the P1 Registration Form.
Only those children born in January or February are entitled to have a free pre-school place for an additional year.
In exceptional circumstances, a child may be granted an additional year at the pre-school stage as a result of identified additional support needs which have a bearing on their ability to benefit from school education.
A decision on delayed school entry will be made by the appropriate Service Manager on the basis of an assessment and recommendation from the West Dunbartonshire Psychological Service.
Please contact your child's nursery and they can advise you about deferring entry for your child.
All pupils will normally progress through school spending an academic year at each stage of schooling. In exceptional circumstances, where pupils have missed a significant portion of an academic year due to medical or other factors, and would benefit from remaining at the same stage in school for another year, consideration may also be given to such a request.