Apply for a nursery/school place

Apply for S1

  • S1 notification letters confirming your catchment school will be sent out at the beginning of November 2025 for children in P7, who live in Midlothian and attend a primary school in Midlothian or a neighbouring local authority.
  • If you want your child to attend the catchment secondary school you do not need to do anything.
  • If you do not receive a S1 notification letter email pupil.placement@midlothian.gov.uk with your child’s full name, date of birth, address and primary school.
  • If your child attends a Midlothian primary school but you do not live in Midlothian the local authority where you live and pay council tax will write to you about S1.

Catchment areas

  • If your child attends a non-denominational primary school, you will be registered at your catchment non-denominational secondary school. 
  • If your child attends a Roman Catholic primary school your child will be registered at St. David’s Roman Catholic High School.
  • If your child attends a non-catchment primary school, your catchment secondary school may not be the one associated with their primary school. 

More information about catchment areas

Apply for a non-catchment school

We will try to accommodate your request, but it may not be possible, even if your other children attend the requested out of catchment school.

  • You can submit a placing request from of the 17 November 2025.  Requests must be submitted by 15 December 2025.
  • To withdraw your placing request email Pupil Placement Team by 15 March 2026. After this date, the main round of placing decisions will take place and this may mean that a space will not be available at your child’s catchment school, and your child may be placed at an alternative school.
  • Your child will take part in transition activities at their catchment high school until the end of April when school places are confirmed.
  • More information on placing in schools (PDF).

Moving house

Moving house before October 2025

Please contact your child’s current setting directly and provide acceptable proof of your new address to change address details.

Acceptable Proof of Residency

  • Council Tax letter – Current tax year
  • Gas, electric or telephone landline bill – within the last 3 months
  • Tenancy Agreement, which must be signed and dated by tenant/s and landlord (accepted 4 weeks before entry date)
  • Scottish Government Benefit letter
  • MOD Assignment Order and March-In date letter

Not accepted as Proof of Residency

  • Solicitors’ letters
  • Concluded Missives
  • Plot reservation letters/documents
  • Court Letters
  • Witness Citation’s
  • Electoral Letters / Voting Cards
  • Bank Statements
  • Household Insurance documents
  • Hospital Letters

Moving house after receiving a S1 notification letter

Please contact pupil.placement@midlothian.gov.uk with:

  • Child’s name and date of birth
  • Old address
  • New address

We will inform you of relevant catchment changes.

Moving house once your child has started school

If you move house once your child has started school, they can stay at the same school. We don’t withdraw school places after a child has started school, but you will be responsible for transporting your child or children to and from school.

Temporary Address

If you are moving into temporary accommodation, contact the Pupil Placement Team.

Moving into Midlothian

If you move into Midlothian after the November’s registration, you can still register your child.

  • If you register by 15 March 2026 you will be notified from 30 April 2026.
  • If you register after 15 March 2026 you will be notified within 2 months.

Related pages