when to start preschool/school

[mollysmum82]

I was talking to my hairdresser the other day and she has a son the same age as my daughter (16 months). She said she'd got a place for her son in a really good primary school and was surprised I hadn't done anything about it yet. I said I thought you could only apply when they were 3/4 via the LEA but she said because she'd booked him into the preschool then he was guaranteed a place at the primary school. Is she right, or does it depend on the school? Had/have others sorted their child's preschool place at this stage?

I just also wanted to know how many people sent their children to preschool first or if you sent them straight to school? What age did they start and how often did they go?

I thought I had ages to think about this but now its put doubt in my mind!

And then there's the milestone of whether to move, whether to go for the Catholic primary school, whether to go private...aaarrgghh!

It is very unlikely that attendance at the preschool gives a guarantee for entry to the Recpetion class. If she has an older child they may get priority on application for a place for her ds (which as you said is during the year they turn 4). Check the criteria for the Reception applications this year (avaialble online at the LA website or in a booklet at local library). Preschool applciatiosn are delat with separately , soemtimes by LA sometimes by the school. Most go at 3 when the place is funded for 15 hrs per week but it is not obligatory and many will only join in Reception (having attended no preschool or a private preshcool or nursery). hth

In this area you definitely do not get a place in a primary school because you are at the preschool, you have to apply like everyone else. You get prioritised on siblings, catchment and distance from school.

We had to apply in November the year before they were due to start in the September, but I think that would depend on your LEA.

As for when to apply for preschool, depends on the system and how oversubscribed it is - dd is 18mths, I am planning on her going to the local preschool when she is 2.3 (because of work, otherwsie I would probably keep her at home at bit longer) and I haven't done anything about it yet.

If it's a state school, going to the preschool won't guarantee a place in primary. I don't know if independent schools would do this - they could if they wanted, but I don't think most of them do.

Don't fret - you have plenty of time to look at schools and decide your preferences.

All the above is true for me too, but to answer the other half of your question I send my 3 year old DD to pre-school 3 afternoons a week (the days I don't work as otherwise I can't get her there or pick her up). In an ideal world I'd like to send her for 5 afternoons next year in the run up to P1 so she's more used to it but it's just not practical for us to do that.

She really enjoys going and I am already seeing the benefits with her social skills improving.

DD is 2.9 and goes to preschool 3 mornings a week. She started age 2.6 and loves it! I'm hoping to move her to the nursery school attached to the local school when she qualifies for her free 15 hours in september. However being at the nursery school doesn't mean she's more likely to get in there, they make this very clear when you apply! But hopefully if she does get a place at least she will be familiar with the school and it will be some of the same kids.

I put her name down for the preschool she's at now last Jan btw, but we seem to live in an area where everyone's a bit obsessed with preschool...

we are in scotland so it may differ to you, but I had to apply for my lo's nursery place not long after they turned 2 - the applications had to be in by February for all the new starters in that year (funded place from the term after they turned 3) i.e. 2nd birthday on October 2008, applied for place in January 2009 and ds started nursery in the January 2010 term which was the term after he was 3.

He goes 5 mornings a week for 2.5 hours per day as we still only get 12.5hrs free. He will start school in August - I had to enrol him a couple of weeks ago for his school place (he is 4.4 years old)

DD is 3.8 and has just started preschool. She asked to go so we put her name down before Christmas. She goes for two afternoon sessions (12-3) and one full day (8.45-3) and absolutely adores it.

The school applications (closed about a fortnight ago) have nothing to do with which preschool they're at. Attendance at once has no impact upon application to the other.

Our primary school used to do this (give priority to those who'd attended the nursery), but it was stopped a couple of years ago. They are a voluntary aided church school which I think used to give them a bit of leeway with the rules.

I think it got to the stage where it was being used by people out of catchment to get places at the primary stage and was deemed as unfair on working parents who couldn't cope with the requirement to attend 5 x 2.5 hour morning sessions per week.

Now, it's very much decided on distance to the school and applications for September are made around November before entry. (Which means you need to start looking round schools during the summer term about a year before he's due to start I would say).

If you have a look at your council website it should tell you where you stand.

We used a pre-school that was separate from the school and my DD started with a few mornings at age 3, gradually building up to 5 mornings. I think we applied after Xmas for September entry for this.

My DD started nursery at our local primary when she was 3. We applied for the place about 9m before.

At the beginning of the spring term of nursery we applied for a school place from reception upwards. Not all those who had children in the nursery class(even though it is part of the infant school) got a place in reception.

Thanks for the info and for sharing your stories ladies!