Tuesday September 9th 2025
Loretto Primary School in Musselburgh
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Marie Sharp
An 80-year tradition of giving pupils at an East Lothian Catholic primary school automatic places in a neighbouring Midlothian high school is to continue despite concerns about legal challenges.
Education chiefs urged councillors to consider scrapping the ‘informal agreement’ to take pupils from Loretto Primary School in Musselburgh or set up a new deal after they said they could not find any evidence of a formal cross county agreement.
But a meeting of Midlothian Council yesterday heard a plea from the parent council of St Davids RC High School, in Dalkeith, to carry on the tradition as they said the Loretto students were part of the community and insisted Catholic secondary schools cast a ‘wider net’ when it came to catchment areas.
And the council administration’s education spokesperson Councillor Ellen Scott warned removing Loretto pupils from St David’s school roll could put its very future at stake with one in eight students coming from the Musselburgh primary.
Councillors heard that prior to the abolition of Lothian Regional Council and the setting up of new local authorities Loretto RC had been considered part of St Davids catchment and that had continued for decades without challenge.
A review of school admissions policy across Midlothian raised concerns about the practice and asked for views on whether it should continue.
The counci meeting heard from the parents council that despite the consultation results not being put to members for a decision transitional visits by P6 and P7 pupils from Loretto had already been stopped on the order of Midlothian Council.
Ian Thom, representing the families, said it meant children from Loretto who made up part of this year’s new S1 missed out on vital visits to meet their new teachers and get to know the school adding these were also children who had missed out on years of early class experiences because of the pandemic.
East Lothian Council has confirmed transition visits have not restarted for the current crop of P7 pupils preparing to transition to St Davids nexy summer from Loretto so far this year.
It is estimated between 20 to 30 pupils from Loretto transition to St Davids every year with more than 100 of the 759 pupils on the current roll from the Musselburgh school.
The school has capacity of 890 pupils and Councillor Scott said the 80 year tradition of taking Loretto pupils had established a ‘moral obligation’ to continue admitting them.
However Councillor David Virgo questioned what would happen of growing populations led to the school reaching capacity and Miidlothian pupils missing out on a place because Loretto was closer, even though it was in East Lothian.
He told the meeting: “Our priority has to be Midlothian children, I was not elected to represent East Lothian children or the Catholic Church.”
Councillor Scott moved a motion that the council retain the status quo and continue accepting Loretto pupils arguing that the fact the practice had gone on for generations established it was within the school’s catchment area.
Alan Turpie, the local authority’s legal advisor, however strongly urged members to agree to hold a new consultation to formally place Loretto in St David’s catchment warning they left themselves open to a legal challenge without out.
After a break in which elected members held cross party discussions they returned with a motion led by Councillor Kelly Drummond, to carry on the current arrangements with Loretto part of St David’s catchment subject to a formal consultation and new agreement with East Lothian Council being put in place.
They also agreed to hold talks with East Lothian Council to recoup costs of educating pupils from over the border at their secondary school.
Councillor Scott said: “I think it is important that we get this right and I think the parents and pupils of Loretto RC and St Davids will understand the strength of feeling we have in this matter and bear with the process for a little longer.”
A spokesperson for East Lothian Council said: “We are aware of the discussions that took place at Midlothian Council today in relation to School Admission Policy Consultation for Loretto children attending St David’s RC High School.
“We look forward to a productive discussion with Midlothian colleagues to find a mutually agreeable way forward to the points from the meeting.”
The paper presented to the Council meeting can be read HERE.
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