Enrol in a school

Primary One enrolment

In Scotland, there's one intake to primary school each year, in August.

If your child's birthday falls on or between 1 March and the first day of school in August, they'll start school at the beginning of the Autumn term, aged 5. If your child's 5th birthday falls between the second day of the Autumn term and the end of February, they can start school then instead, though you also have the option to defer their entry by a year.

If you choose to defer, confirm this with your Early Learning and Childcare setting, and your child will automatically be carried forward for an additional year, you won't need to complete a registration form for Primary One.

Deferring is a big decision. Much of the learning in the early stages of primary school is based on play, helping create a smooth transition from early learning and childcare into Primary One. Speak to your early learning and childcare manager or head teacher for support and advice.

During enrolment week, you'll need to complete an online enrolment form.

Placing requests

Normally, children attend the school that serves the catchment area where they live. If you'd like your child to attend a different school, this is called a placing request.

For Primary One placing requests made at registration time, use the ELC and Primary One Placing Request form instead.

Send your completed form to Education, Leisure and Housing, Orkney Islands Council, School Place, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1NY, or email us.

School transport isn't provided for placing requests, you'll need to arrange your own transport to and from school.

If your placing request is refused

Most placing requests are successful. However, under the Education (Scotland) Act 1980, we can refuse a placing request if it would:

• require us to employ an additional teacher
• lead to significant expenditure extending or altering the school's accommodation or facilities
• be seriously detrimental to the continuity of the child's education
• be seriously detrimental to order and discipline in the school
• be seriously detrimental to the educational wellbeing of pupils already attending the school
• assuming pupil numbers remain constant, require us to create an additional class or employ an additional teacher at a future stage of the child's education
• mean the school's capacity would be exceeded in pupil numbers, even if none of the above apply

If your placing request is refused, you can appeal in writing within 28 days of receiving the decision. An Appeals Committee will consider your appeal and let you know its decision in writing. There's no appeal against the refusal of a nursery place.

If you move house

If you move outside your catchment area, your child can remain at their present school. We'll write to confirm your new address is outside the school's catchment area, and you'll be responsible for getting your child to and from school.

School catchment areas

Pupils on the isles attend their island school. Catchment areas for Mainland schools are as follows.

Within Kirkwall, the catchment split between Glaitness and Papdale runs along Junction Road, pupils to the west attend Glaitness, pupils to the east attend Papdale Primary School.

This information is indicative. Actual placing depends on a pupil's home address and a range of other factors.

Primary schools and their associated secondary schools

Some primary schools have dual associations, where pupils can attend either secondary school depending on where they live.