Admission to pre school. Help please!

[Raskova]

DD is 2.5. Birthday is end of September. She's currently with a CM full time but I'd like her to go to preschool for her 15 hours once she's funded. Just suddenly realised (whilst reading a thread about primary admissions) that no one has mentioned anything about applying for pre schools. Surely it's something I should be doing pretty soon????? How do I do it? I'll call the preschool Monday but any responses now will mean I still have finger nails left by then, rather than having chewed them all off!

Thanks guys

Your childminder will be able to help you

If it is one attached to a school she may not be eligible until Sept 2015 if they only do one intake. A private preschool may take her sooner on funded hours or the CM may be able to accept it in the meantime.

she will be eligible for the 15 hours from the beginning of the january term
if you have a particular pre-school in mind then just ring them and ask about going to look around and booking a place for the january
if you don't have one in mind then ring round a few and ask friends for recommendations

Thanks guys.

Insancerre, does that mean they have several intakes a year? Or simply that I'll have to pay for sept - jan?

But on the other thread I also read that they start school the sept that they are 4 so does that mean she'll be starting school in a year and a half? I was always told she'd be almost 5 when she started?

I don't want to disturb cm over the weekend but she hasn't said anything either and she knows I want her to go. Unfortunately, the preschool she goes to will be dictated by her cm. she only drops to one. Apparently it's the best in the area tho

all pre-schools are different
some take them from aged 2 and you have to pay
some take them all year round
some only have 1 intake in sep so your child only attends for their pre-school year
maybe try looking on the pre-school's website, most have them

There is no common application system to pre-schools, each will have their own system. Some will have spaces and just say 'no problem, just come along', some will have waiting lists with children needing to be put down for a place from birth, most will be somewhere in between.

Hmmm, ok so all is not lost! I'll call Monday. Fingernails in tact. I can't wait for her to wear a little uniform

Does the pre-school have a website? Many do now and it might say about applications on there.

Oooh good thought! Looking now

Hmmm no website. More worried now though as according to findmyschool.co.uk the school is only rated satisfactory and the primary she'd go to is inadequate which is the opposite of what cm told me...

If she is September born she will start reception the September she turns 5. The cutoff for admissions is 31st august. So my ds is September born and starting at almost 5, his friend born end aug is starting the year earlier at just 4.

Do she will do a year and two full terms at preschool.

Round here, we just contacted each pre-school directly and asked to go on their wait list, most I filled out a form and gave a deposit, which I got back if they didn't offer a place, or if I was and DCs were entitled to 15 hours free, or was knocked off the bill otherwise (the ones here will take for 2-3 mornings a week from 2.5, but those parents have to pay until their DCs are 3).

I believe your DD would be entitled to the 15 hours free from January, you might be able to apply for a place from January, or from September and pay from then.

It seems strange that they'll be so much older doesn't it red hat?!

I hope they take from January tbh, will have to keep paying CM as she'll be on call and dropping/collecting so it won't save me any money so don't want to be paying twice from sept.

Our preschool accepts children from the term after they turn 3. So in your case it would be the January.

It technically takes in September (for all children who turned 3 from May -August) then again in January and again in April after Easter. But it always over-subscribed so never takes in Easter (it is outstanding)

It offers 5 morning sessions, 5 afternoons or 2 1/2 days, either Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday morning or Wednesday afternoon, Thursday and Friday. If you choose the 2 1/2 day option then there is a small charge (I think less than £2) for the lunch time cover which doesn't come in the 15 hours.

Your child will start reception the term they turn 5. So they will be 4.11 when they start meaning they usually do preschool for 5 terms!

If you choose mornings and your childminder usually looks after your child all day, they will charge you for that morning place unless they can fill it. This is only if your childminder collects them from that morning session.

Most working parents tend to go for the 2 1/2 day thing but obviously that is a school day, ours is 8.45am - 3.15 I think. Two lots of 3 hour sessions with a 30 minute lunch time.

Hope that helps.

It depends on where you want to send your child.
In our county in Scotland we had to apply in January for the 2014/15 year for our ds we know he has got in to the one he is currently in as he got in last year in the under 3s system and it's just a matter of paperwork.
My sister also had to reapply for her dd for both years at preschool in January.
If we missed the deadline we would be put on a waiting list until a space became available.

You are right about school, assuming you are in England she will be almost 5 when she starts as you have to be 4 by 31st August. So lots of time for school admission for Reception.

The information below is cut and pasted from my LAs website regarding nurseries.

Nursery schools and nursery classes in Community and voluntary controlled infant and primary schools:

September 2014 entry Closing date for applications – 28 March 2014

January 2015 entry Closing date for applications – 26 September 2014

April 2015 entry Closing date for applications – 16 January 2015

Nursery classes in voluntary aided and foundation schools and academies - check with the individual school for the closing date.

This would mean that in the case of your DD you need to apply by 26th September for next January. Like schools admission is by set criteria so when you apply is irrelevant as long as it is by cut off date.

Private pre-schools, like the one my DC went to in a church hall, is totally different and may have their own waiting lists in date order. Mine started when they were 2ish and I paid until the funding started.

Children start school the September before they turn 5 so my DD for example will turn 5 in December and starts school this September when she will be 4 years and 9 months. An August born child would also start in September and be only just 4.

Pre school is not obligatory so it's not done in the same way as school applications and is left down to the parent to apply if they want to. The pre school DD goes to is a very popular one and I had her name down on the list to join when she was just a few months old. They take new children at the beginning of each term once they're at least 2 years and 9 months. When DD started there were something like 75 children on the waiting list and 25 places available. It might be worth having a second option just in case the pre school you were looking at is full.

I start work at 7-4.30 so CM will have to do it all

I also work 20-30 mins away if there was an emergency.

I always wanted her to go to the reasonably local catholic school but CM won't drop there and tbh in my search, I didn't find one who did. And she hasn't been christened/baptised yet.

I'm not local to the area so can only go on advice of the very few people around here that I know. None of them are too fussed about education I'm hoping to move back home soon if finances allow...

By soon, I don't really mean that soon! At least a year. If it happens and it's a big if.

My DD is the same age as yours, she will be 3 in September. Where I am they can start pre-school when they are 2.9 but obviously you need to pay until the funding kicks in. I went to look round a few and their admissions policies were so different that it is definitely worth going to have a look round the one you want.
My DD is starting this September for 2 mornings which we will pay for then will do 15 hours from January.
I believe we can apply for a school place the end of 2015 for her to start in the September of 2016 when she will be nearly 5.
At the moment I am a SAHM so the pre-school logistics are a bit easier but I am hoping to go back to work soon so the drop off and pick up will be something that I am going to need to sort out. There are no CM near us so it is going to be difficult.
Good luck with sorting it out.

Can your CM give you the 15 hrs herself? Why do you want pre school? They both follow the same curriculum. I realise there might be other reasons why you want the change though.

The CM can give the 15 hrs but I'd like her to get used to the school environment. The social aspect is important too as the CM doesn't have kids her age etc. She was at nursery before but will have forgotten that now.

I had a walk around the place this week and it has more than a CM could fit in her house. I want to go...

Please remember that as well as sorting out preschool, you will need to apply again for a reception place, even if you want her to continue at the same school. And attending the school's nursery does not guarantee a place in that school (and unless in the published admissions criteria for the school, there is explicit reference to priority for children attending the nursery, then there is none).

Thanks med. I don't want her going to that school anyway so will have to reapply.

It does look really good tho. They've got displays up about respecting other people and learning being fun. I suppose that's all standard for a school but they've done it really well