Need reassurance...have I waited too late for private school registering in central London?

[MumNW1]

Realize this makes me sound very sad but DD is eight months and am just registering now to competitive private schools in central London.

Need stories of people who registered 'this late' and still had decent choices! I knew I should have done it earlier with all those super keen people who register days after birth but I just could not motivate until now.

For those who think I/London schools/independant system sound ridiculous I agree but am feeling v guilty and just want to hear this timing could still work so I can get back to focusing on my daughter's current needs!!

Have you contacted the schools yet?

It should still be OK, but ring the schools very soon, don't lose more time. We waited til DS was 10 months and it wasn't too late.

8 months should be fine - depending on the school, I guess. We got DS1 into the school we wanted best, and I think he was just over 1 when we registered. Which schools are you considering?

I've made contact ordered prospectus and have visits set up. I've sent in 4 of my registrations and looking to do a couple more after visits this week.

Registering (so far) at Abercorn, Sarum Hall, Cavendish, Devonshire House and St Nicholas Prep.

I guess it depends on the year/school but sounds like it should be OK. It's hard to tell when they take your call where you are on the list - which is likely a good thing but I was worried I would be too far down on all the lists.

How many did lists did you do?

I notice by your name that you're further west than me, so not looking at the same schools as us. We put both our boys down for the local non-selective independent, and also down for a City selective. DS1 has got in, so DS2 is practically guaranteed (thank goodness, hauling them to different schools really sucks!).

Oh my god - our dd is 16 months and I haven't done anything yet! Have I left it too late??

cockney, just curious where your sons are going? and how many you applied to?

I was told at 10 weeks that dd was on the waiting list, people really do call from the hospital!
BUT people put names down for several schools and sometimes as a backup if they don't get into preferred state option, or move abroad so there will probably be a place in 4 yrs time. The selective schools don't have a waiting list but assess at age 3 I think so that could be an option. I am in SW London but same set up..

Insanity. I think my waiting was a passive agressive rebellion of the system but v stupid in retrospect. I was just talking to a friend who is due in Feb and some nursery school took her application. Unbelievable!

Soprana this is my first time through but my understanding is that if you want a indpendant school option in west London, you will be on the latter end of some schools and too late for the really competitive ones. I have a friend who started at 18 months in NW London and had only one choice -although her dd really likes it! Definately need to start your process now.

Don't worry, the schools like to frighten you with all the talk of registering foetuses, they love to sound elusive and desirable and it is in the main, a load of old hokey.

I know loads of people who registered children around 2 1/2 and got places at allegedly impenetrable schools. As others said, most people - like you - massively over register and can only go with one school in the end, or they move away. You will be fine doing it now. Plus the credit crunch will ease things up over the next few years. I've been round loads of London schools and heard panicked parents ask about vacancies for the upcoming term. Miraculously, they were available which really pee'd off the parents who'd registered at birth.

Good God.

8 mths should be fine but I wouldn't delay any longer

I am in SW London and registered DS at 18mths and we only got an offer from one school - everywhere else was full

Wow I am impressed by all of your dedication! I don't think I even THOUGHT about schools until dd was 3!

Ta MumNW1 - we will! Have scrabbled round for prospectuses this week and won't delay a minute longer!

You might find that, at the prospectus stage, some schools encourage you to visit before registering but, if I were doing things again, I would just do the registration forms and cheques for schools I was vaguely interested in, even if I hadn't visited them.

It's so hard to know which school might suit them until a year or so before needing to attend, by which time it will be too late in most cases. That way you're keeping your options as open as possible.

Good luck!

Agreed - I am trying to register for a range of schools so that when I know more about dd we have options! It's so hard to pick a school when you are still getting to know your child.

We were lazy - we registered both boys for Gatehouse, which is an East London independent, and for St Paul's, which is selective. DS1 is now at St Paul's (well, not now, they're on half term), and DS2 will have his selection in a few weeks, but his admission is pretty much guaranteed.

There are a bunch of schools, that I'm not sure why we didn't check out (e.g. Lyceum), but our choices were constricted by which schools are reasonably close etc etc.

Message withdrawn

MumNW1 - yes, absolutely, and it seems that just as you feel you know your child they can tend to morph once again and pull the rug out from under you!

DS1 is due to start reception at 4 in a year's time and I am really wrestling with what system/school/class type etc would best suit him. Starting to resign myself to the likelihood that I'll never get it right, and even if I do he'll hate me sporadically as a teenager

Mad, you southerners - how on earth can you decide what school will suit a child before its even verbal?

Just move to the real NW and you shouldn't have any such problems .

Grimma - so please share the magical secret of how you chose a school for your little one/s?!

In our area we have to submit the forms to the council for state school preferences, now age 3, for reception entry at 4 next Sept.

We went to visit a (private) nursery and the headmistress actually engaged dd in a conversation and asked her if she was intellectually curious. She's 8 months. I was thinking 'she still eats her foot, so it's a bit soon to tell if she's einstein, no?!'