This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
Listen
Placing Requests in Schools in Scotland 2005-06
20/03/2007
This document contains results of the latest annual survey of placing requests (requests by parents to local authorities that a child be placed in a specified school). The survey has changed this year to collect information according to the academic year in which the placement would occur, rather than the year in which the request was received. This does mean that in this transition year many of the reported requests will be those reported in last year's publication.
The main findings for 2005/06 are:
- The total number of placing requests received for 2005/06 was 30,240. The annual number of placing requests has changed little over the last decade (Table 1).
- Eighty four per cent of all requests were granted. There has been little change in this rate in recent years.
- Where requests were refused, "Accommodation constraints" was the reason reported in 32 per cent of cases in primary schools and 39 per cent of cases in secondary schools (Table 9).
- Sixty per cent of placing requests (18,254) were primary school requests, of which 89 per cent were granted. Placing requests received for stage P1 (excluding early entry) represented 22 per cent of the P1 pupil roll (Tables 2 and 7).
- Thirty-nine per cent of placing requests (11,845) were for secondary, of which 76 per cent were granted. Placing requests for stage S1 represented 14 per cent of the S1 pupil roll (Tables 2 and 7).
- Special schools accounted for half a per cent of requests (141), of which 80 per cent were granted (Table 2). Of these, 30 placing requests were for places in grant aided or independent special schools (Table 5). Forty per cent of these were granted.
- There were also 196 requests for early entry into primary school which, as they are not legally placing requests, are generally not included in this year's publication (except in Table 2 for information). There were however 23 early entry requests for alternative schools which are counted as primary school placing requests.
BACKGROUND NOTES
1. In this Statistics Publication Notice, a placing request is defined as a request that a child be placed in a specified school under the control of the local authority concerned. The figures also include requests that a child would not have to move to another school as a result of a change of residence. It excludes:
- early entry requests, irrespective of whether the request is for the school the pupil would normally go to
- requests by parents of children who have been recorded as having special educational needs to have their child placed in a grant-aided or independent special school
- requests for a child to be placed in the school which he/she would, in any event, have attended
- requests for placements in nursery schools
2. Unless they request the pupil to attend a school other than the one they would ordinarily attend, requests for early entry into P1 are not legally placing requests. For most tables in the publication we have included only those early entry to P1 requests that are also placing requests as part of the primary figures. We continue to provide annual figures for requests for under statutory entry age children alongside placing requests for primary, secondary and special sectors in table 2.
3. The usual arrangements for pupils entering P1 are that children whose 5th birthday falls between the start of March and the end of February start school together in the August in the middle of that period. For example, pupils whose 5th birthday is between the start of March 2005 and the end of February 2006 would generally start school in August 2005.
4. The systems operated by local authorities vary considerably. Some authorities operate a flexible policy whereby arrangements are made by the parent contacting the head teacher, without the involvement of the education authority.
5. From the commencement of the Additional Support for Learning Act in November 2005 parents of a child with additional support needs have the right to make a placing request for a child to attend an independent school or a grant-aided special school.
6. In most cases where placing requests are refused, cases will be referred to an education authority appeal committee and, in cases where the education authority uphold the refusal, referred to the Sheriff.
7. Cases where a child has a Co-ordinated Support Plan (or it has been determined either by the parents or the local authority that a child requires a Co-ordinated Support Plan, or the parents believe a Co-ordinated Support Plan should be in place) and the placing request is refused, the Additional Support Needs Tribunal will hear the appeal. Where the dispute is around whether a child should have a Co-ordinated Support Plan, and the Tribunal decides that a child does not require a plan, the appeal may then be returned to the education authority appeal committee.
8. In Table 7, the number of placing requests have been expressed as percentages of the relevant pupil populations as at September 2005.
9. Grounds in 2005/06 for refusing a placing request include:
a) where placing a child in a school would make it necessary to employ an additional teacher;
b) where it would give rise to significant expenditure on extending or altering accommodation;
c) where it is likely to be seriously detrimental to order and discipline in the school;
d) where it would be likely to be seriously detrimental to the educational well-being of the pupils already at the school;
e) where it would be seriously detrimental to the continuity of the child's education;
f) if the education normally provided at the specified school would not be suited to the age, ability or aptitude of the child;
g) if the education authority has already required the child to discontinue his/her attendance at the specified school;
h) if, where the specified school is a special school, the child does not have additional support needs requiring the education or special facilities normally provided at that school;
i) if the specified school is a single sex school and the child is not of the sex admitted to the school;
j) where accepting the request would prevent the Council reserving a place at the school for a child likely to move into the catchment area of the school in-year;
k) where accepting the request would make it necessary for the Council to create an additional class or employ an additional teacher at a future stage of the child's primary education;
l) under the terms of section 38(1) of the Standards in Scotland's Schools etc. Act 2000, in the case of a child under school age, the education normally provided at the school would not be suited to the ability and aptitude of the child
m) accepting the request would have the consequence that the capacity of the school would be exceeded in terms of pupil numbers
n) the school is not a public school, the authority can make alternative provision for the child's additional support needs and it is not reasonable to place the child in the specified school given the suitability and cost of provision compared to the school the child would otherwise attend, at which the child has been offered a place.
Grounds (m) and (n) have been introduced for the first time in 2005/06.
10. Table 13 and Maps 1 and 2 are included for the first time this year. They have been produced using information from the September 2004 Pupil Census.
11. The full publication is available through the following link
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/bulletins/00570
12. This report was edited by Carrie Graham, Mal Cooke and Colin Gallacher
13. This is a National Statistics publication. National Statistics are produced to high professional standards set out in the National Statistics Code of Practice. They undergo regular quality assurance reviews to ensure that they meet customer needs. They are produced free from any political interference.
Enquiries
12. Public enquiries (non-media) about the information contained in this News Release should be addressed to Carrie Graham, The Scottish Executive Education Department, Room 1B, Victoria Quay, Edinburgh EH6 6QQ.
Telephone 0131 244 0183
or email
school.stats@scotland.gsi.gov.uk