Scottish Government

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, where 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 5 ^th 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 2006 and the end of February 2007 would generally start school in August 2006.

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. Where at the time a placing request is refused, a child or young person has a Co-ordinated Support Plan, no such plan exists but it has been established by the local authority that a child or young person requires a Co-ordinated Support Plan, or the education authority has decided that the child or young person does not require such a plan, 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. The data refer to the academic year in which the placement will occur, rather than the year in which the request was received. In Table 7, the number of placing requests have been expressed as percentages of the relevant pupil populations as at September 2006.

9. Grounds in 2006/07 for refusing a placing request include:

1. where placing a child in a school would make it necessary to employ an additional teacher;
2. where it would give rise to significant expenditure on extending or altering accommodation;
3. where it is likely to be seriously detrimental to order and discipline in the school;
4. where it would be likely to be seriously detrimental to the educational well-being of the pupils already at the school;
5. where it would be seriously detrimental to the continuity of the child's education;
6. if the education normally provided at the specified school would not be suited to the age, ability or aptitude of the child;
7. if the education authority has already required the child to discontinue his/her attendance at the specified school;
8. 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;
9. if the specified school is a single sex school and the child is not of the sex admitted to the school;
10. 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;
11. 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;
12. 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
13. accepting the request would have the consequence that the capacity of the school would be exceeded in terms of pupil numbers
14. 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) were introduced for the first time in 2005/06.

10. Maps 1 and 2 show the number of P1 and S1 placing requests as a proportion of the P1 and S1 roll.

11. The full publication is available through the following link

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/bulletins/00645

12. This report was edited by Raymond Sloan, Mal Cooke and Carrie Graham

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

14. Public enquiries (non-media) about the information contained in this News Release should be addressed to

Telephone 0131 244 0183
or email school.stats@scotland.gsi.gov.uk

15. Media enquiries about the information in this statistical publication notice should be addressed to:

Alison Gilfillan, tel. 0131 244-2542
Statistics Publication Notice
18 ^th March, 2007