Education

Overview

Schooling at both primary and secondary level is different in Scotland.  Different term times, different curriculums and sometimes a different style of teaching.    It can mean a big change but there is plenty of support available and we are fortunate to have a very supportive local authority that understands the challenges faced by the Armed Forces family.

Forces Children’s Education | Learning resources | National Improvement Hub is a great starting point to learn more with Moray Council providing a more local position  Moray Council – Schools

If you have any questions, we also have a specialist member of #TeamLossie who can answer direct questions and provide support (Sarah.Riley-Evans483@mod.gov.uk).

Choosing a School

Primary schools in Moray are gathered in groupings known as Associated School Groups around a designated secondary school.  They share specialist resources, events and work collectively as a team to ensure a child’s journey through primary and into secondary school is as seamless as possible.  Each school, primary and secondary, is assigned a catchment area which dictates where you will receive a priority place.  The Moray Council website details the different catchment zones and how to apply at a different school known as a placing request.

Because the Service Family Accommodation areas are dispersed across Lossie, Elgin and Kinloss, you will not be able to apply for a place until you have accepted an address.  You can not apply using the workplace address.  Moray Council will also not allocate a place until 8 weeks before occupancy of address to prevent school places, particularly in high demand schools, from being allocated to children who may not occupy it for many months at a risk to those children who are already in Moray or immediately due to arrive.

Primary Schools

Children start full time education at a slightly later age than the rest of the UK  – usually the term after their 5^th birthday or if they will turn 5 during the 1^st term.  Registrations for the new school year take place in January & February each year with registrations being taken online via Admissions Procedure – Primary School – Moray Council This is also the link for applying for a place in an older year group when planning to arrive in Moray at any point in the school year.

There are some nuances to starting primary school in Scotland that give you more choice as a parent.  If your child’s fifth birthday falls between the first day of the school term in August and the last day of the following February, you may choose to defer entry until the following year.  This is a great option if you feel your little guy isn’t perhaps ready for big school yet and would be the youngest by far in a class.  There is also an option to request early entry if your child is born after the cut-off date for enrolment.  Each early entry request is treated individually and an assessment is made as to whether they can cope with full time education and be in a class with perhaps much older children.  Children who have already started full time education elsewhere in the UK will also have their prior education experience taken into account.  If your little guy has already moved to ‘big school’ and is coping fine, there isn’t an automatic expectation they will go back to nursery for example.

Secondary Education

All P7 children in Moray are automatically allocated a place in the secondary school within their Associated School Group.  Both secondary schools in Elgin and the school in Lossie are new builds with all the facilities you would want for your child.  If you wish to apply for a secondary school outside your catchment area you must complete a placing request.  If your child is already in secondary school when you move to Moray prior educational experience will be taken into account in allocating a year group – there would be no expectation that having progressed to secondary school that a young person will be sent back to primary.