School Registration

Your child should start school when they are:

• aged five
• becoming five on or before the last day of February the following year

You should take your child to your local school to register. School registration is usually in the third week of January each year. West Dunbartonshire Council will advertise the dates each year.

Please bring your child's birth certificate.

If you wish your child to attend your local school then you can enrol immediately. You must also enrol if you wish your child to attend another school. You may then make a placing request for the school of your choice.

You will receive our school handbook when you enrol your child. This gives you information about our school, including:

• names of staff
• the school curriculum
• the school uniform
• starting, finishing, break and lunch times.

Towards the end of the school year (May / June) we will invite you and your child to visit. Please use this visit to help your child become familiar with the school.

If your family moves into a catchment area you can register your child at any time.

Early and Deferred Entry

You can request that your child starts school early. If you are thinking of making an early entry request, please consider your child's:

• physical maturity
• emotional and social maturity
• learning development

We can refuse to let your child start school early and you cannot appeal this decision.

We will agree to defer or delay your child's entry to school when appropriate. 

Placing Requests

You must make a placing request for school admission if you are not in its catchment area. You must make a formal application to Educational Services.

If you are making a placing request then please read the attached information.

Read more about placing requests in West Dunbartonshire.

Placing requests application form.

General information on making placing requests in Scotland is available on the Scottish Government's publication Choosing a School