Advice re: preschools attached to primary schools

[SweetApril]

Hi

I wonder if anyone can help/advise. We are looking at two possible preschools for 3-yo DD and both are attached to primary schools. They seem very good but we favour one over the other as it is a little calmer (because there are less children) and has a bit of structured play as well as free play which would suit DD.

However, the one we favour is attached to a primary school which we def do not want DD to attend. It is not a bad school, by any stretch, but its "weak" areas (according to Ofsted) are areas in which we feel it would benefit DD to have "strength" IYSWIM. Plus geographically it's more of a schlep.

The other nursery is attached to the school which DD is much more likely to attend.

So my question is when we come to start choosing our primary school options, will the local authority or whoever (I'm a complete novice at who does what) assume that we will want DD to go to a particular primary school because she went to the attached preschool? Basically we don't want to send her to a preschool if it is going to affect our choices 18 months down the line. Staff at both preschools have made it clear that it is certainly not assumed on their part that the child will attend the attached primary school.

TIA. I hope this makes sense!

Most leas have a policy that any preschool your child goes to has no bearing on the primary school they go to. It is only in a few cases that it will be any sort of priority.

No the applications are separate so you would reapply for a Reception place at whichever schools you prefer.

My dcs went to a different preschool. Where we lived when DS1 was that age there was no preschool facility at the primary school he was going to go to so he went to a different preschool.
DS2 went to a different preschool for the reasons you are wanting to send DD to the one you like and DS3 will be going to the same preschool which is in grounds of different primary school to the one he will be attending for Reception onwards.

If you look at your LEA's website you should be able to find information on primary applications - there will be information for each school on their priorities for admission. Very occasionally having attended preschool there will come ih at maybe number 6 or 7 but usually it won't feature at all.

I was told by our primary schools adn pre school that they are not allowed to favour children who attended the attached pre school.

Having said that. I wish mine had gone to the attached pre school as the friends he's made now would all be going to same school...it's blooming complicated isn't it?

Would go with whatever's best for your dd and cross your fingers!

Yes, check your LEA's policy and each school's admissions criteria.

Parents often assume that attending the nursery/pre-school attached to the school means they'll automatically get a place there for reception. They're nearly always wrong - it's very rare indeed for the transfer to be automatic and if they do get a reception place it's due to the way the admissions criteria pan out.

As others have said, check LEA website (or call, they are often surprisingly helpful ), but certainly around here, attendance at nursery is not linked to school places at all.

Ooh, very helpful replies. Armed with the right technical language (words like policy and criteria don't pop into my head very readily at the mo but, hey, I can name Thomas and most of his friends...) I took the bull by the horns and phoned the LEA who were very helpful and said they are def not linked.

One day my vocabulary might return to its former glory...

Thanks, all!