Scottish Languages Act 2025

25 Duty to establish a catchment area for schools providing Gaelic medium education

(1) The Education (Scotland) Act 2016 is modified as follows.

(2) After section 15 insert—

“15A Duty to establish a catchment area for schools providing Gaelic medium education

(1) An education authority must establish a catchment area for every school under its management at which Gaelic medium education is provided, for the purpose of admitting pupils to Gaelic medium education at the school.

(2) A catchment area established under subsection (1) may be (but need not be) the same as the catchment area or areas for any other schools.

(3) Where Gaelic medium education and education in English is provided at the same school, the catchment area established under subsection (1) may be (but need not be) the same as the catchment area in relation to the English provision.

(4) In relation to a school at which Gaelic medium education is provided before the day on which section 25(2) of the Scottish Languages Act 2025 comes into force, the duty imposed by subsection (1) must be complied with before the end of the period of 2 years beginning with that day.

(5) In establishing a catchment area for a school under subsection (1), an education authority must take account of the need to provide reasonable travel arrangements for pupils who attend, or who wish to attend, the school.

(6) In subsection (1), “catchment area” means the area from which pupils resident there will be admitted to a school in terms of any priority based on residence in accordance with the guidelines formulated by an education authority under section 28B(1)(c) of the 1980 Act.”.