When to start looking at schools

[FeckingOvaries]

For an early November kid born in 2018, so starting school in 18 months or so. Nursery sent out an FYI email to say start looking now if starting in 2023 as applications in less than a year. Feels a bit soon...... Not even sure how it works. Don't they have open days? Help! Never done this before...

They usually have open days from September onwards. It's far too soon for the next year's intake. The schools will be busy doing settling in for the 2022 children.

However that said, it's never too soon to start asking local people you know who have children at the schools you are interested in.

It depends slightly on where you live and how much 'perceived' choice that you have. Locally we have 2/3 realistic options so plan to visit all of them. However if we were somewhere with a more complex situation then it might take more planning/research before you decide what open days are worth going to etc. It might also be worth keeping an eye on the schools and local social media around march/April time when offers for this year's new starters go out, as this may give crucial info about this year's cut off distances and how the school approach things which can be telling.

Thanks both. So far I've seen four that I like and within reach but they're all oversubscribed every year. Glad it's not just me who thinks it's too early!

OP remember that a school being oversubscribed simply means that they have more applicants putting it somewhere on their form than places.

So if a primary has an intake of 60 (say) and 100 people put it down, but 50 of them put it as an insurance further down their form, or put it as second or third choice after their nearest school, then they will count towards the application numbers, even though they will almost certainly take a place elsewhere.

I mention this bc I see this a lot - xxx school is oversubscribed. If parents have 6 slots for preferences then it's not surprising that many schools are listed somewhere on the form more times than they have places.

I'm not sure about that, Clary.

The number of applicants per place does often include all applicants who put it anywhere on their form, but I think when schools are listed as oversubscribed, that's usually only if every place has been filled and there are still people who put it higher on their list than the school they were allocated.

Your definition could have schools listed as oversubscribed when they haven't filled their spaces.

Lol we started looking when he was 6 months old and made finally choice and paid deposit this month!
I would start looking now as due to COVID opportunities to visit schools have been drastically reduced and open days are far between. I know a lot of parents who have had to send their children to schools this year that they have never actually been in!

I reckon you are right @lanthanum. Still, just because a school is oversubscribed in any sense doesn't mean you won't get in. My dcs secondary takes kids from well outside catchment, even tho it is oversubscribed - all the catchment kids get in for sure.

Indeed. The key thing is to look at the information provided about who has got in. It's usually possible to see data from previous years showing where they got to on the admissions criteria and whether you would have fallen within that. Sometimes oversubscribed means only those with siblings in the school and/or living within 0.5 miles, and sometimes it means they took everyone within 10.3 miles.

Bex000 will be applying for private school, which is quite different in terms of applications.

Most schools are unlikely to have open days now until the autumn, as applications for this year have closed. If you have a rough idea of where you are interested in (and have a reasonable chance of a place), you can organise visits in the autumn. In the meantime chat to parents with older kids!

My summer 2019 child needs to confirm her place in school nursery next month.