why do people put babies' names down at schools?

[nappyaddict]

i thought it didn't make a difference how early you put their name down? it's not a first come first served type of thing is it? don't they wait until about march before they even look at the forms for september?

I put my children's names down within 2weeks of them being born. That way it was done and I could forget about it until I received a letter from them asking if I still wanted a place.

Headteacher at the time just insisted that the baby had been born before name put down.

But that's crazy. And discriminates against anyone who doesn't know (as most people wouldn't, actually) that that's what's expected. If it's going to make a difference to your chances of getting a place at a certain school, then everyone ought to be made aware of the system in the delivery room. And, as far as I know, they're not. So it's not fair. And dodgy, too.

If you are going to pay for your DCs education then you need to put their name down. If you are talking about the state system then you have nothing to worry about clam. There is a list of criteria for choice:
this page

Length of time that a dc's name has been down is never on the list. I don't know if you can even put it down, but if you can someone can turn up just before the deadline and jump way ahead of you in the list!

at my DS1s state school you can "put your childs name down" from 2.5ish BUT that is just registering your interest in your child going to the nursery. it doesn't guaruntee a place just guaruntees that when the forms are issued for you to apply for a place, that you get one as soon as the school does. Having a nursery place does NOT guaruntee a reception place

We can't apply to a school until the previous year.

Abbey, I have nothing to worry about in that both of mine are virtually through the admissions process for secondary, sibling rule notwithstanding!
I was just sticking my oar in!

It is not true that "if you are going to pay for your child's education you need to put your name down" if you are going for a selective independent school. They have the same type of system as a state school (ie you must have your applications in by a certain date then everyone gets interviewed)

I have no idea about the independent sector, not having used it. There must be some point in putting the names down at birth.
I only know that it is pointless in the state sector.

I agree clam. It is unfair. It should be impossible for anyone to apply for a place until a certain point when the LEA informs them they need to do so. Otherwise those who don;t know are stuffed really.

As long as you apply by the deadline the order doesn't matter! Someone doesn't jump a queue because they apply several years too early.

I had DS3's name down as "interest" for the infant school when he was 2 days old

but it's not applying - still have to fill in the relevant forms at the same time as everyone else.

actually I'm totally wrong- he can't have been 2 days old or I'd have been picking DS1 up from school on a Saturday - he must have been less than 24hrs

So, if it makes no difference to your application, what on earth's the point?

The point is that you get sent the form wheras if you leave it until the year you actually apply you might forget and miss the deadline.

That can't be right. No system should allow people to "forget and miss the deadline." unless they're one of the lucky few with the foresight to go along to a school and sign a list that has no meaning.
In our authority, everyone gets sent a form the year before admission, regardless of where they've "enrolled."

Our state school nurserys are oversubscribed in our area - my hv when she came out to see me after dd was born told me to put her name down at the school if i wanted her to have a nursery place after her 3rd birthday so i did when 4 weeks old - ds name was placed on list when he was about 4 months old.

I got all panicked about this when a friend put her DD's name down at about 6mo. When I got round to ringing the school it turns out all you can do is register a preference for mornings or afternoons when they start nursery at 3. But the common misperception around playgroups here is that you HAVE to put their names down or they won't get in.

Nursery is different from statutory reception places, however. You can have your child in a school-linked nursery but have them booted out (technically) at reception when other children overtake you in the queue.

Nappy - he was about 4 months. I was advised to do this by HV as our school is really popular. I later found out hw will miss a year as such as he is a November baby and they don't do a January intake.

DD's name is down for the school that we want and willbe doing DS soon

Clam, I have never been sent a school application form for either of my children. About a month after the deadline with ds (but not dd) I got sent a letter informing me that as I hadn't applied for a school place for my child I needed to contact them and I would be allocated whatever school still had places.

In my area nursery places are allocated the same way as reception places, a set deadline and criteria such as distance,catchment etc.

Aaaaargh - was that for a nursery place though not a reception place?

same question to juuule, faq and fivegomad aswell.

Makes no difference for state school admissions. Check out the 'admissions criteria' for state schools, when you apply