East Renfrewshire schools attract high number of placing requests

Thousands of pupils attended East Renfrewshire's schools from outside the local authority last term.

New figures have revealed that in May 2,190 pupils were being taught at schools across the area despite living in neighbouring council zones.

And currently, around 13 per cent of pupils attending East Renfrewshire’s schools live in places such as Glasgow and South Lanarkshire.

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Some kids did originally live in their school’s catchment area but moved to neighbouring authorities while staying at the same school.

An East Renfrewshire Council spokesman said: “Each year more than 16,500 pupils are educated across the area’s 29 schools.

“Our schools are very popular and accordingly attract a high number of placing requests.

“All placing requests received are processed in line with the council’s admissions policy, which includes allocating places using clearly outlined priorities and granting places unless there is a valid legal reason not to do so.

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“Where the number of placing requests received is greater than the number of places available at that year stage in the school requested then these priorities are applied to ensure places are allocated in a fair and equitable way.

“Placing requests are granted to both residents and non-residents of East Renfrewshire, as parents have the right to make a placing request for their child or children to be educated in a school other than their local catchment school.”

Placing requests are required if parents want their child to go to school outside of the designated catchment area or if kids are going to East Renfrewshire from outside the local authority.

Those who originally live in East Renfrewshire when they start their education but who move to another authority are required to make a placing request to remain in the school.

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The Education Directorate are ultimately responsible for granting or refusing placing requests.

In each school, there are a number of ‘reserved’ places for catchment pupils and those likely to become residents in the school’s catchment area.

If a school is oversubscribed by ‘catchment demand’ criteria are used to allocate places, including whether siblings attend the schools and are likely to continue attending, and whether there are medical needs which can be supported only in the requested school.

In Catholic schools, parents who live in the catchment area and whose children have been baptised as Roman Catholic, would receive priority.

For those coming from outwith East Renfrewshire, medical conditions, siblings attending the chosen school, and how a placing would help the welfare of the child are all taken into account.