west Scotland
North Lanarkshire Schools
North Lanarkshire is one of Scotland's largest councils by population, covering Motherwell, Airdrie, Coatbridge, Cumbernauld and surrounding towns. The council runs around 120 primaries. North Lanarkshire has one of the highest clothing grant rates in Scotland and strong uptake of free school meals and EMA. The council's online school finder covers all catchment areas across the authority.
Free download
Get the free Scottish Education Cheat Sheet
Year groups, qualifications, key dates, benefit rates and university finance — the whole system on one printable page. Enter your email and we’ll send it over.
£155–£180
Clothing grant
15 March
Placing deadline
West Scotland
Region
Universal
Free meals P1–P5
£30/week
EMA
Find your catchment school in North Lanarkshire
Every address in North Lanarkshire has a designated catchment primary and secondary school. Your child has the right to attend their catchment school — the council must provide a place. For a different school, submit a placing request by 15 March.
Secondary schools in North Lanarkshire
23 publicly funded secondaries, from the Scottish Government school contact list dated 31 January 2026.
| School | Area | Type | Postcode |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airdrie Academy | Airdrie | Non-denom | ML6 6NX |
| Bellshill Academy | Bellshill | Non-denom | ML4 1AR |
| Braidhurst High School | Motherwell | Non-denom | ML1 3XF |
| Brannock High School | Motherwell | Non-denom | ML1 5AU |
| Calderhead High School | Shotts | Non-denom | ML7 4DH |
| Caldervale High School | Airdrie | Non-denom | ML6 8PG |
| Cardinal Newman High School | Bellshill | RC | ML4 3DW |
| Chryston High School | Glasgow | Non-denom | G69 9DL |
| Clyde Valley High School | Wishaw | Non-denom | ML2 0LS |
| Coatbridge High School | Coatbridge | Non-denom | ML5 3NP |
| Coltness High School | Wishaw | Non-denom | ML2 8NA |
| Cumbernauld Academy | Cumbernauld | Non-denom | G67 2UF |
| Dalziel High School | Motherwell | Non-denom | ML1 3AG |
| Greenfaulds High SchoolGaelic stream | Cumbernauld | Non-denom | G67 4AQ |
| Kilsyth Academy | Glasgow | Non-denom | G65 9NF |
| Our Lady's High School - Cumbernauld | Cumbernauld | RC | G67 1LA |
| Our Lady's High School - Motherwell | Motherwell | RC | ML1 2DG |
| St Aidan's High School | Wishaw | RC | ML2 7EW |
| St Ambrose High School | Coatbridge | RC | ML5 2HT |
| St Andrew's High School | Coatbridge | RC | ML5 5EA |
| St Margaret's High School | Airdrie | RC | ML6 6EU |
| St Maurice's High School | Cumbernauld | RC | G68 9AG |
| Taylor High School | Motherwell | RC | ML1 4JP |
The honest take on North Lanarkshire schools
North Lanarkshire is one of Scotland's largest councils by population, covering Motherwell, Airdrie, Coatbridge, Cumbernauld and surrounding towns. The council runs around 120 primaries. North Lanarkshire has one of the highest clothing grant rates in Scotland and strong uptake of free school meals and EMA. The council's online school finder covers all catchment areas across the authority. Below you’ll find catchment information, placing request links, clothing grant amounts, free school meals eligibility and EMA details — all linking directly to the North Lanarkshire website.
Primary
£155
Secondary
£180
Available to families receiving qualifying benefits. No deadline — applications open year-round.
Apply at North LanarkshireUniversal for P1–P5 — no application needed. From P6 onwards, means-tested on qualifying benefits (Universal Credit with earnings under £995/mo, Income Support, etc.).
Even if your child gets universal free meals, apply for the means-tested version — it unlocks the clothing grant and other council support.
Apply at North Lanarkshire£30/week
For 16–19 year olds in S5, S6 or college from households with income below £24,421 (one child) or £26,884 (two+). Paid fortnightly to the young person’s own bank account.
Apply for EMAFree transport to your catchment school if the walking distance exceeds:
Primary
2+ miles
Secondary
3+ miles
Additional Support Needs in North Lanarkshire
North Lanarkshire operates a presumption of mainstreaming — most pupils with ASN attend their local school with additional support. The council’s ASN team manages referrals, assessments, and Coordinated Support Plans. If you believe your child needs additional support, contact the school’s Support for Learning teacher as a first step.
Related guides
Frequently asked questions about North Lanarkshire schools
How do I find my catchment school in North Lanarkshire?
North Lanarkshire provides an online school finder tool on their website where you enter your address or postcode to identify your catchment primary and secondary schools. Every Scottish address has a designated catchment school — if you want a different school, you need to submit a placing request by 15 March.
How much is the school clothing grant in North Lanarkshire?
North Lanarkshire pays £155 per primary pupil and £180 per secondary pupil per school year (confirmed for the current academic year). Apply through the North Lanarkshire website — most councils use a combined form for clothing grants and free school meals, so you can apply for both in one go.
What are the school holidays in North Lanarkshire?
North Lanarkshire sets its own school holiday calendar each academic year. Term dates, October break, Christmas, February, Easter and summer holidays all vary by council — they're not the same as England. See our dedicated North Lanarkshire school holidays page for the full calendar with downloadable .ics files for Google Calendar, Apple Calendar or Outlook.
Last updated April 2026.
Clothing grant and free school meals data from North Lanarkshire. School transport entitlements follow national statutory distances. See our editorial policy for how we source this data.