Bit early to ask but still...

[ChirpyGirl]

DH and I are hoping to move acros town at some point next year. We have a lovely primary near us (one street over)and 2 DD's, DD1 will be 3 next year (early 2009).
Should I put their names down for the local school and then take them off if we move, or not put them down and then hope they have a place if we can't move in time?
Have never done this so don't really know how it works?!

[cazzybabs]

putting their name down for state schools make no difference..you'll need to applu for a place according to your lea's dates

[ruddynorah]

do you mean for pre school attached to the school?

[ChirpyGirl]

Sorry if I am being thick cazzy but I don't understand, so I just go to the council? Everyone is telling me to speak to the local school?

[frogs]

You apply at the time specified by your LEA (generally between November and Feb of the academic year your child will reach reception age. You have to provide proof of your address at the time you apply (Council tax bill + child benefit letter). There's no obvious way to fiddle it, at least hereabouts.

[ChirpyGirl]

I think I may have come across in the wrong way, I'm not trying to fiddle it by any means, I just want DD1 to have a nursery place somewhere rather than us moving and not getting a place anywhere IYSWIM so wasn't sure when I should be doing things.
Most of my friends have their kids 'names put down at a school' already so didn't know if I should as well!

[frogs]

I didn't mean to accuse you of fiddling, just that there doesn't seem to be much leeway built into the system.

Having said that, nursery or pre-school is a non-statutory service, so may be subject to different rules than reception applications -- sometime tighter than Reception, sometimes more places, depends on circs locally.

Private/community nurseries are different again, clearly.

[ChirpyGirl]

That's okay, I'm not easily offended!

I think I might just call teh school...typically I have been thinking about this this week when it's half term so I can't speak to anyone!

[mummypig]

ChirpyGirl, it sounds like your friends either have their kids on a list for a day nursery or a private school. For these places, it's kind of first-come-first-served (although it seems to me the parents who keep in regular contact with the school/nursery often get places when they come up, over and above people who may be higher up on the official list).

For the local authority nursery, it's just like cazzybabs and frogs said, there will be a date assigned by the local authority. As long as you get your application in by that date, no-one gets any special treatment. They allocate spaces according to clear criteria (e.g. whether the child is in care; whether the child has any siblings in school; how close you live to the school etc.). And you have to prove you live where you say you live - council tax bills, utility bills, child benefit letters etc..

I would say call the local authority and ask them what the application dates are for the nurseries. Or just call the school and ask them. Do you know if the school has a nursery attached or not? In any case, either place will probably be able to give you an information booklet that explains the process - this is what happens in our area. If there aren't any local authority nurseries near you, or if they are heavily oversubscribed, you can probably find out about other options from the local childcare information service.

And I would definitely apply for a place, unless you have already physically moved house before the application date. There are so many reasons that your move might not take place when you hope it will! It's probably worth looking into the application process in the new area too (if it's in a different LEA) although there's not much you can do until you are in a new house and have proof that you live there.

[ChirpyGirl]

Thanks mummypig, that makes it a bit clearer!
I am a SAHM so haven't thought about it before now.

Shall call them next week and have a chat.