Education authorities must provide all children with a school place no later than the start of the term after their fifth birthday. The precise age at which schools take children varies from one area to another. It is common for children to go to school at the start of the term in which they will become five. A growing trend is for schools to admit children just once a year. So summer-born children will start school in the autumn not long after their fourth birthday.
Education authorities have details for each school.
Structure Public primary schools are normally co-educational, leading to the transfer to secondary school at the age of 12. There are 2,313 local authority primary schools, with about 441,600 pupils. Scottish education authority primary schools vary in size according to the community they serve. In urban communities with larger primary schools it is usual for pupils to live within walking distance of the school but many small rural schools, often single-teacher establishments, serve large and remote areas where daily bus travel is necessary. A scheme of specific grants for Gaelic education was introduced in 1986.