Placing requests for mainstream schools

Introduction

The majority of children across North Lanarkshire attend their catchment school, however there are times where parents may request a place at another school for their child; this is known as a Placing Request.

There are good educational reasons for trying to ensure that the transfer or admission of a school takes place at the start of a school session. Other than those who are moving home to a new area, parents should time any placing requests so that they take effect from the beginning of the new school session.

If you require to make a placing request to another school for your child please click on the 'Make a Placing Request' button below.

Please note - this application is for mainstream schools only, if you require a placing request form for an ASN school, this can be accessed on our Inclusion Services pages  Additional Support Needs Placing Request | North Lanarkshire Council

Timescales

For placing requests beginning in the new session in August 2024, the following timescales apply:-

• Application forms will be made available from 8th December 2023 and the deadline for submission is by 15 March 2024.  All applications received by 15 March 2024 will be notified of the outcome by 30 April 2024.

• Placing requests received after 15 March 2024 deadline will be considered once all applications received by 15 March have been processed. Our response time will be two months.

Placing requests required during the current school session can be made at any time and our response time will be two months.

Before you apply

• You only require to submit a placing request application if you wish your child to attend a school that is not the catchment school for your home address. Please check your catchment school before submitting a placing request application Find school catchments and transport qualification | North Lanarkshire Council. 

• If your child is starting P1 in August and you wish to make a placing request to another school, you are still required to register your child at their local catchment school.

• If you have recently moved home and wish your child to attend the catchment school you do not require a placing request; you can arrange this directly with the school. School contact details can be found using our directory of schools Directory records | North Lanarkshire Council

• You need to fill out a separate placing request application form for each child

• You can only apply for one school at a time

• Inform the head teacher of the school that your child attends of your intention to make a placing request

• If your placing request is granted, any place your child currently holds in a North Lanarkshire school is released and may be allocated to another child immediately

Placing request decisions

The criteria used for considering a placing request application can be found on our 'Priorities for admission | North Lanarkshire Council' page or on the front page of the placing request application. 

You will be notified of the outcome of your placing request application by email. Every effort will be made to try and meet the wishes of parents, but it is not always possible to grant every placing request to a particular school. If your application is unsuccessful we will contact you and provide further information on what to do next and the appeals process.