PARENTS in the Borders are being encouraged to act now to prepare their child for important educational milestones.

Scottish Borders Council is inviting parents/carers of children due to start early learning and childcare (nursery) or school from August 2025 to apply for a place for their child during enrolment week, being held from November 18-22, 2024.

Parents of children born between March 1, 2021 and February 28, 2023 are eligible to apply for early learning and childcare for three- and four-year-olds. They are advised to contact their chosen setting to discuss options for their child.

Once this is done, they should complete the online application available during enrolment week at: www.scotborders.gov.uk/elc.

A full list of participating providers including childminders, private and voluntary groups and local authority nurseries is also available on the council’s website.

Parents of any child who is five years of age before February 28, 2026 and is due to start in Primary 1 should complete the online application form available during enrolment week at: www.scotborders.gov.uk/schoolenrolment.

To complete the online process for both early learning and children at primary school, parents will need to have electronic copies of their child’s birth certificate and proof of address available to upload along with their application.

Any parent intending to make a placement request for their child at a school other than their local catchment school should enrol with their local school in the normal way using the online form. This will ensure a place is reserved for them in the event that the placement request is unsuccessful. They should also contact their preferred school.

Parents of a child whose fifth birthday falls between August 21, 2025 and February 28, 2026 have the right to defer their child’s entry to primary school. Applications for deferred entry should be discussed with the head teacher or early learning and childcare setting manager.

Children who are moving from primary to secondary school in August 2025 will receive details of the local catchment school from their current primary school.

Tweeddale East councillor Julie Pirone, the council's portfolio holder for education, youth development and lifelong learning, said: “This is such an important milestone, both for the child who is either attending nursery or primary school for the first time, and for their families preparing to support them as they make this major step.

“Parents of any child due to start Primary 1 or who would like to enrol their child for early learning and childcare are asked to do so during enrolment week, this year taking place from November 18-22.

“I wish every young pupil and their family well as they start this journey into education”.

 More information about the enrolment process generally is available at: www.scotborders.gov.uk/elc or www.scotborders.gov.uk/schoolenrolment.

If parents are looking for advice about individual procedures for enrolling children, making placement requests and deferred entry, they should contact their local primary school. For early learning and childcare, they should speak to their preferred provider.