Talk about comming back with a bang...Need to let off steam and get some answers!!

[kutilputil]

hi all. it has been a long time since i chatted on mumsnet...i bet so much has changed...but i hope the lovely support and advice hasn't because you guys were a life saver for me many a times! so here i am after about 6-8 months of being away busy wiv two boys and a grown one! i am here to day with a simple but frustrating question about schooling as my ds1 is 4 and really need to be in a nursery but isn't. we applied to all local schools when he was 2 years old and although we have heard from a few schools we still have no offers from our local. their excuse is that he is a first born and siblings have more priority?! i am astound, how many siblings could there be in the school vicinity that two whole nursey classes get full up? and should the chldren who live the closest and apply the earliest get the priority? are they saying that even if parents put their kids name down the last minute, so long as they have another child in the school, they kid will get a place guaranteed...how ridiculous! what about the keen parents who try hard and look out for their childs education, do they not count?...so just had a call from the school and as i expected he hasn't been given a place as siblings and speacials needs have priority! pls someone explain this as i am almost in tears now! already i feel like just because my son is the first born he is weaker and easily gets hurt and takes everything to heart, does his emotional and social self not need nurturing? am i talking a lot of rubbish? pls someone tell me what the big deal is?

Being in Scotland I am not sure what the situation is wirh you. Here you can apply for early years funding grant for any provider who is in association with local authority. So my DSs went to a mixture of private nursery and pre school. They didn't go to the nursery attached to a school. AFAIK you don't need to send them to nursery but I'd contact your local authority to find out about partner providers etc. HTH

thanks misunderstood. any other advice please as i am left a little confused about the education system!

The sibling rule exists to make things easier for parents with multiple children. You would want your 2 boys in the same school/school nursery yes? And not to have them at two different schools that started at the same time?

We don't have the same problem here but think what you are experiencing is a common problems especially in London. As PP says your best bet is to look at other early years provider. What school have you/are you planning to apply for? If your local school is full of siblings in nursery, the same thing may well be the case in Reception

You'll find that siblings and special needs take priority in most schools admissions (and by extension often their attached nurseries) these days. As the previous poster said, it's considered important that parents get their children into the same school, otherwise you could have the ridiculous situation that a parent needed to be at 2 (or more) schools simultaneously to do drop off/pick up.

It sounds like you are restricting yourself only to nurseries attached to schools. What about other settings ? My DS (3 and 8 months) goes to a private pre-school for 4 sessions (3 hours each) a week, which is mostly covered by the 3+ years voucher scheme for early years education from the council. Admissions for that were purely on first come first served. That might be your best bet?

Also, as RSAN says, you should look at your school options - if he's 4 already then I guess you have already applied? Siblings/children in care/special needs tend to take precedence for admissions to reception too.

Well siblings will usually have priority in the educational system.

It generally makes no difference when you put yr child's name down - if you are nearer you will jump up the list. Siblings at the school push you even higher. It makes sense if you think about the logistics.

Is there no nursery place available at all? What about pre-school?

Will he be at school next Sept (I assume so if he is 4)? Where have you applied - the same places that have refused you a nursery place?