Choosing a secondary school in East Lothian

Parents have a legal right to choose which school they would prefer their child to attend, and we must grant these requests wherever possible.

In some cases, however, we will not be able to place your child at the school of your choice. For more information, please go to the 'If your placement request is refused' page in this section.

Catchment secondary schools

Every school in East Lothian has a catchment area (i.e. the area around the school from which it draws its pupils), and the school whose catchment area you live in is known as your catchment secondary school.

The boundaries of catchment are clearly drawn and are set by the Council's Education Committee, see our school catchments page. Alternatively you can get in touch with us using the contact details at the bottom of this page.

Registering your child

For the new Secondary 1 intake, all parents of Primary 7 pupils attending an East Lothian primary school will be sent written confirmation of the catchment secondary school that serves their area in mid-November.

If you are happy with this arrangement, you don't have to do anything else, and a place will be held for your child in their catchment secondary school.

If their catchment school is over-subscribed, the Education Business Unit will get in touch with you to discuss your child's options.

If you are moving into an area from outwith East Lothian, please contact your catchment secondary as soon as you can to make arrangements for your child. For more information about this, please get in touch with us using the contact details at the bottom of this page.

What to do if you want your child to attend a non-catchment secondary school

If you would prefer your child to start Secondary 1 at another secondary school in East Lothian, you will have to make a placement request. For more information, go to the 'Making a placement request' page in this section.