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?

no - I@ve got DS3's name down at the school - it doesn't have a nursery.

Think our school does still have some say in who it takes - so those on the list usually get places, and the rest are taken from the normal admission procedure with the LEA.

I'm not sure on that - that's how it was when DS1 started, but I think they may have changed it since - I'll ask on Monday when I take DS2 for his first day

FAQ.

It may be different where you are?

Our primary schools have no say whatsoever in who gets in. It is all handled by the LA.

Usual list of criteria is

Children with SEN

Children who are 'looked after' ) formerly 'children in care.'

Siblings

etc. etc.

Well I've just checked their website (quite impressed actually haven't looked at it for a while and it's all looking revamped and fanch )

It says under admissions

"All parents who express a preference for their child to attend XXXXX School will have their names entered on a list and during the spring term places will be allocated and offered using the following criteria:

To pupils who will have an older brother or sister continuing at the school, the linked Junior school, xxxxxx, at the time of admission of the younger child

Account will then be taken of the child's home address in relation to the preferred school, and also in relation to any other school which the child might attend.

Anyone refused admission has the right to appeal to the LEA against this decision"

I remember reading last year when I did the normal admission thing in all the stuff that the

Children with SEN

Children who are 'looked after' ) formerly 'children in care.'

Came first.

Our school just goes on the usual list of criteria (catchment etc).

Never heard of any school using "how long you have been on list" as criterion.

What list anyway - you apply through LEA in November before!

I don't think it's so much of "how long have you been on the list" - but once the LEA have had their say with regards to children with SEN (unlikely to send to most of the other ones in our town tbh - as another school down the road from ours has a dedicated SEN's centre, and children are sent from miles around to it), and those who are "looked after" then those who are on the list are looked at with regards to the criteria above.

I was quite suprised looking through the "guide" book last year (had two of them as had 2 lots of schools admission forms to fill in ) the varying admission criteria for (secular) schools in our country - they varied HUGELY and even the faith schools were wildly different

But FAQ surely they just look at who's applied for a place before the closing date?

Putting yr 4mth old baby's name down will only mean you get a form/prospectus etc, not give you any advantage in trying for a place...will it??

I'm just going on the information I've copied from their admissions details on their website I think they get given the SEN/looked after children by the LEA, then use their list, then any others than have put down that school as a choice on their admission form are counted in next..........but I'm not certain - most of this (apart from the stuff from their own website) is guess work - I'll check on Monday exactly how it works

could also be they go through the list of those that have expressed an interest, if they've got more than places they have available then they use their criteria of siblings/catchment...(again a guess)

Actually I'll pop in and ask tomorrow as this thread will probably have disappeared from my active convo's by Monday and I'll forget

I think by "express a preference" they actually mean "apply for a place" tbh.

sorry FAQ what kind of school is this?

If it's a community school (rather than a VA or faith school) which most in our LEA are then it's down to the LEA who gets a place anyway, not the school at all. Sadly.

so why would they "go down on a list" then

I'll check tomorrow and report back tomorrow night when childfree

who can say why?

I honestly think it's a hangover from the days when schools did their own admissions and kept a list.

Now I think it's just to ensure they are invited to the open day or whatever. As someone says further down, if you are (say) out of catchment, and someone else who is in catchment applies before the closing date, they will leapfrog you even if your name was down at 1 day old!

(I know you live next door to school FAQ so catchment not an issue!)

"As someone says further down, if you are (say) out of catchment, and someone else who is in catchment applies before the closing date, they will leapfrog you even if your name was down at 1 day old!"

Yes - that's what the admissions info from the school website says .

No I have no problem with catchment, or the siblings issue

I put ds 1's name down for a state school when he was six weeks old Most of my friends did the same thing, I think its something you just panic about when you have a baby, and the schools humour the hormonal new mums. I went for the tour last week and apologised for being such a pfb mum - the secretary said they have stopped taking names now as it has no impact at all on places, it all depends on the LEA admission procedure-

Looked after
SEN
Siblings
Proximity of home to school.

The admissions booklet has a 2nd section on the form for the 'faith' bit if you wish to apply to a faith school and are claiming to be a worshipping family. Its the LEA that checks this with the vicar/priest so again not up to the school who they admit.

If you think about it, the parents living in the vicinity of the school will be likely to put their childs name down. So chances are that a good chunk of those with names down will get places allocated by the LEA during the LEA admissions procedure.

FAQ I think we agree

I am just trying to say there is no point in a community school putting child's name on any list in advance of normal application date.

yes I suppose for commmunity school where the LEA decides fully who gets in it makes no difference...........I don't know if it still applies (the list thing) at the infant school but I still have vivid memories 6yrs ago, when I started as the church organist, of the (then) headteacher coming up to me and barking "have you got DS1's name down at the school yet" - and when I replied meekly "no" being told "well get on the phone and do it tomorrow" (So I did )............and then moved to next door before the normal admissions thing anyhow - so would probably have got a place regardless of being "on the list" or not

Putting your name on a list really early might make you feel better but it has absolutely no point!
You need to apply by the deadline and then a list of criteria will be applied-length of time on the list is not one of the criteria.

Operating any sort of first-come-first-served list just would not stand up in court. Literally. Many authorities have been challenged in the courts about their admissions policies, so have therefore made them as watertight as possible. I simply do not understand why some individual schools are perpetuating the myth that putting your name down counts for anything these days. It can't do, as it simply is not fair. Or sensible. For a start, it would mean that a school could be filled up with September-borns before the summer kids had even been conceived!

FAQ is it a faith or VA school?