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Registration

Register your child for Primary 1 (P1) at school

What registering for Primary 1 (P1) at school is

If your child reaches the age of 5 between 1 March 2026 and 28 February 2027, they should start primary school in August 2026.

You’ll need to register your child for a place in a Primary 1 (P1) class at school in advance.

When registering, you’ll be given the option to register your child at a primary school in your local catchment area or for Gaelic Medium Education at West Primary School.

A catchment area is an area around each school. Any children who live in a catchment area are given priority for places at that school.  

There are normally 2 schools in each catchment area where you live – a denominational school (Roman Catholic) and a non-denominational school.  

You can only register your child at 1 school in your catchment area or for Gaelic Medium Education at West Primary School.

You can see:

If there are more children registered at a school than available places, we may have to assign some pupils to another local school.

We’ll use a ballot to choose which pupils are assigned to another school. If we need to do this, we’ll let parents and carers know as soon as possible.

See our admissions to schools and placing request policy:

When to register your child for Primary 1 (P1) at school

The registration period takes place in November before the next school year.

If your child reaches the age of 5 between 1 March 2026 and 28 February 2027, you should register them to start primary school in August 2026.  

Before you register

When registering your child for a Primary 1 class at school, you must provide:

  • evidence of your child's age
  • proof that your family lives in the catchment area of the school.

You’ll also need to provide a copy of:

  • your child's full birth certificate
  • your most recent council tax bill
  • a Child Benefit Statement
  • a Roman Catholic baptismal certificate, for denominational schools only.

If you do not have a Child Benefit Statement, you’ll need to provide us with a copy of one of these other documents:

  • driving licence
  • bank statement
  • a utility bill, such as a gas or electricity bill, dated within the last 3 months and showing your current address
  • a court order, looked after child or foster carer documents.

We may ask you for more evidence if we need more proof of where you live.  

The easiest way to upload proof is to take a photo of the document using a device with a camera, such as a smartphone.

How to register your child for Primary 1 (P1) at school

The registration period for the school year starting in August 2026 is now closed.

If you missed the registration period, contact your local catchment primary school and make an appointment to register your child in person.

If you miss the registration period, your child might not be able to get a place at their nearest school.

After you’ve applied

We’ll review your application and the school will contact you by email or post to let you know if  your child has been given a place.

Home education

You must register your child to start primary school, unless you’re planning for them to be educated at home.

Find out more about home education.

Applying for school in another catchment area

If you want your child to go to another school outside of your catchment area, you’ll need to:

  1. register your child at a school in your catchment area first
  2. apply for a place at another school outside your catchment area (placing request).

Moving to Renfrewshire

If you’re moving into Renfrewshire and want to register your child for school, you should contact your new catchment school directly.

You’ll need to provide the school with evidence of your child’s age and that you live within the catchment area.

If you're not living at your new address yet, you’ll need to provide either a completed contract or a signed and witnessed tenancy agreement or lease.

Early entry to school

You might want to ask for your child to start school early if their 5th birthday falls after the last day of February.  

Find out more about applying for early entry to school.

Defer entry to school

If you want to defer your child’s start date at primary school for a year, you’ll still need to register them at their local school first.

Find out more about applying to defer your child’s entry to school.

Children who need additional support

If your child needs additional support at school, or you’re looking to make a placing request for an independent additional support needs school, you should contact us first by:

More information

If you’re not sure which school you should register your child for, or you need more information, contact us by: 

You can also find out about schools in Scotland and information about learning and education on the Parentzone Scotland website.

You can also see a guide for parents on choosing a school and the placing request system (Scottish Government website).