Tuesday December 16th 2025
Loretto RC Primary School, Musselburgh, East Lothian
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Marie Sharp
East Lothian education chiefs are being urged to “see sense” and pay neighbouring Midlothian Council for providing places in their Catholic secondary school for pupils.
Children from Loretto RC Primary School, in Musselburgh, have traditionally been able to move to St David’s High School, in Dalkeith, for the last 80 years and make up around one sixth of the current roll call.
However a review of Midlothian’s schools admission policy earlier this year raised questions about the practice with their council officers questioning why they provided free spots at the school to East Lothian pupils.
At a meeting of Midlothian Council today officials said they are due to sit down with their East Lothian counterparts next month to discuss the current arrangements and seek payment to cover the costs of educating the pupils involved.
Councillor Ellen Scott, the Midlothian administration’s education spokesperson said: “My hope East Lothian Council will see sense on this and find an equitable way forward.”
Councillor Scott added they were not asking for a ‘real terms’ payment but funding to cover ancillary costs adding: “I know we do take pupils from other authorities but this is unique as we are talking about a whole school.”
Scottish Government policy says parents have the right to request a free place for their child at any local authority school outwith their catchment with schools expected to provide the space if they are not full.
East Lothian does not have a denominational secondary school and traditionally submits a list of Loretto RC pupils to Midlothian Council each year who are seeking to move to St David’s with between 20 to 30 pupils usually on it.
At a meeting of Midlothian councillors in September officers urged elected members to consider scrapping the ‘informal agreement’ to take pupils from Loretto Primary School in Musselburgh, East Lothian’s biggest town or set up a new deal after they said they could not find any evidence of a formal cross county agreement.
However they 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.
Today’s meeting heard in November a cross party education group met to discuss proposed priority groups for admission to Midlothian’s denominational schools and agreed the list with the council’s religious representative and the headteacher, St David’s RC High School present.
The proposed priority groups for St David’s will include Loretto Primary School pupils and will now go out to statutory consultation.
Council executive Derek Oliver told the meeting: “Steps are being taken to recoupe the costs from East Lothian Council and a meeting is set to take place in January with the outcome to be reported back to members in February.”
Members unanimously agreed to move forward with the school admissions consultation.
In September a spokesperson for East Lothian Council confirmed they were aware of the issue being raised by their neighbours.
They said: “We look forward to a productive discussion with Midlothian colleagues to find a mutually agreeable way forward.”
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