Education Advice Needed!

[The5aHouse]

Hi all!
As a new mum of my 7 month daughter, I am calling on mums out there who already have experience in the (mine)field of education!
From experience, does a pre-school help with social skills/education/behaviour before primary school? Or is it not particularly necessary?
And is it possible to apply for primary school places this early on? What 'good' criteria should a primary school be judged by?
I grew up in Italy and don't have any family in the UK who can help me with understanding the British system unfortunately. I would highly appreciate any recommendations on the above.
Thank you!

Lots of questions

From experience, does a pre-school help with social skills/education/behaviour before primary school? Or is it not particularly necessary?

In my opinion, and experience, yes, it is good for little ones to go to some form of Nursery provision before starting school - can be playgroup or Pre-school or Nursery - the names are interchangeable. What it gives them is the experience of getting used to being 'one of a group' - that sometimes you have to wait a moment for attention; that there is a routine to the day and sometimes 'it is time to do X/Y/Z' even though that might not be what you want to do; that toys and activities need to be shared; that sometimes you have to either wait for your turn with something or that you have to finish using it before you want to as it is someone else's turn; that sometimes it is noisy; how to interact with other people your age.

is it possible to apply for primary school places this early on? No. Not if your child is going to state school. If they go to state school, they start the September after they are 4 years old. You have to apply before the deadline (currently the 15th January in the year before they start in September). That is school . Some schools do have a Nursery class, and the admission arrangements for that are different. Attending the Nursery or not doesn't affect whether they get a place in Reception though.
However, some people (around 7% of the population I believe) choose to pay privately for Education. I don't know much about this, but someone will no doubt be along soon who does. Admission for Private school is completely different, and I believe you can put your name down when they are babies, for some schools.

What 'good' criteria should a primary school be judged by?
That is really very much 'opinion'. Subjective rather than objective. IMO, the best thing is to talk to other local people (and get lots of opinions - one bad experience doesn't make a bad school, and one glowing one doesn't make a great school); also look at the text of the OFSTED report - see how old it is, and read what it is they might be being marked down (or up) on - some is less important than other things.; also go and look round, you can pick up a real 'feel' for a school when you look round.

@BackforGood
Thank you so much for your reply! Very much appreciated advice. I now have some homework to do...

A pre-school helps with social skills/education/behaviour massively. In my opinion, the early you get your dd to interact with other children the better. Baby group/ play date/ nursery are all very helpful.

YY to preschool.
Applying for a state school place is limited to a window of a few months the autumn/winter before your child will start in the following September. Your child starts school as ‘a rising 5’ which means they’ll start in the Sept of the school year in which they turn 5 (so turning 5 between that Sept and the following Aug) If you’re opting for an independent school then you can apply anytime from birth, usually paying a smallish deposit on registration followed by a much bigger deposit the year before entry.

Don’t put too much faith in Ofsted gradings as they’re so subjective. If the latest grade was outstanding check how long ago this was as it could have been 5 or 6 yrs previously under mostly a different staff. Likewise, a poor ofsted report can often generate extra funding and a change of HT and direction. Often these schools are very much on the up. Visit the schools you’re interested in. Depending on where you live, you may not have much of a choice if catchment areas are tight. So check how close you are to any schools you really like and access historical admissions data from your LA to be sure that other children in your postcode have managed to get places there. Do all this when your daughter is 3 to give yourself a chance to move if need be to ensure a school place you are happy with.

I disagree that Ofsted is subjective. A read of the Ofsted Handbook will tell you otherwise. They look at the schools data such as attendance, Sats results, progress etc and use that as a basis for their visit. Outstanding Schools have not been inspected often enough and Ofsted intend to change this. There is no extra money for schools that are Requires Improvement. Even Inadequste get nothing but may become part of an academy. The main thing to do is look at the report and check the current data on the government’s web site. You can compare schools.

Also ask around. Sometimes parents are the last to realise a school is failing because rose tinted specs are deployed! They often back their own choice by not criticising it. It’s human nature. You will get a feel for schools you visit. A first class Head is a good start. No great school doesn’t have a great Head.

When your child is at nursery the parental chat turns to schools. You can visit on open days and also have a private look around. Check for an orderly atmosphere with children engaged in learning. Remember your 4 year old wants a different educational diet from an 11 year old so consider whether the school will suit an older child and has enough going on, eg sports, music, art, possible friends etc.

Otherwise I agree with what others have said. Many local authorities have a post code checker for you to identify local schools and catchment areas if they apply.

Bubblesbuddy, yes, sorry extra money via joining an academy trust but often (IME) lots of extra support from the LA if not.

I took my children out of their ofsted graded outstanding primary and moved them to one graded as requiring improvement. The first school was all about the SATS with so much pressure and emphasis on these. Lots of practice papers etc. As the mother of a very bright child, I was cross that so much of the week from Feb onwards was being given over to SATS prep. I therefore kept my son home on SATS week which school were blatantly cross about so I moved my younger two at the end of that year. The second school was far more pastoral orientated. SATS were poor but value added high. That school was all about offering as many varied experiences as possible for those children as it was a very deprived area unlike the MC area of my catchment school. Classes were smaller and there was a full time TA in each class. I loved it there and wish I’d looked wider for my older son.