When do you apply for primary schools?

[Lolasmum]

At what age can you apply for a primary school place for your child? I know which school I would like my dd to go to and I want to try and make sure I'm first on the waiting list! (Does it work like that?)

lolasmum - it depends on whether you're in the catchment area or not. If you are in the catchment area then apply as soon as you want. Schools are usually pleased to know early how many children they'll have in an intake. If, however, you are outside the catchment area you will need to apply to the school's board of governors. They will not be able to allocate places until all the applications from within the catchment area are received. This means it's not worth applying until January in the year your child should start school (the deadline for applications is mid-Feb).

Also depends on whether it is a church school or not as they have different admissions criteria. Our local RC one, you apply in Sept and hear in Dec for the following Sept. Why not go to the school and ask? At least, they see your face for the first time!

Depends on LEA, whether the school is out of LEA direct control (ie Religious schhols)and has its own procedures, although the timing should coincidde with the LEA timetable etc. In some areas you apply direct to school, others do it centrally, usually some time in the academic year prior to the one in which your child would start.

If you ring the school and register an interest then they should at least place you on the mailing list for when the application time comes. Even if you find that you are out of catchment the fact that you have registered an interest should get you priority consideration after the catchment places have been allocated over those who just apply. Not convinced Waiting Lists really come into it until the other candidates who meet selection criteria (siblings, SN, religion, catchment etc) have been accommodated. LEA should be able to send you the priorities for the schools in your area and information as to whether they are normally oversubscribed or not.

hth