moving to London --8 questions

[sameyeam]

Can you ladies answer these questions for me so I can do a "see, I told you so" to my husband? He wants to hire a lady to help us find a good state school and point us where to live. I said it was impossible because of catchments...

We would like to live in the Hampstead area. Yeah, I know, I'll be broke and my kids will have no school. All the privates are booked too. I tried, they have this list of kids who have been on since birth...no one has Y1 spots. I would like to try state if possible first, as long as it's decent. She goes to a great state (public) here.

I have a DD born December 2006.

1.She would be going into Year 1 in Sept 2012, correct?

2.Is there a cap on class size on Y1 or just reception?

3.When are the registrations for Y1? Are they anytime, or January? I read a post saying "Admission time is coming.." Does that mean January 1st?

4.If I moved her in May of 2012, would that help for an in year transfer (to Reception class) this year? Or since there are caps she would have no place?

1. If you move next to the gate of a school, do they have to let you in, or can they still place you all the way across town? Many of you all say that it's a catch-22, you don't want to buy/rent if you don't know if it's in the catchment but can't register unless you do.

1. My second daughter was born June 2009...when do I register her, since she will be 3 in Sept of 2012, do any of these state primaries have 3's classes or just Reception for 2013 for her?

1. If this were you, what would you do? I can't stay in this country as my husband is being transferred and he wants to go back home anyway. My third daughter is 5 weeks old. I guess I should be registering her now for some of the schools! :)

1. Any recs on good Hampstead area state primaries?

Thanks ladies.

Sameyeam

First are you coming from the US?
1.She would be going into Year 1 in Sept 2012, correct? by my calculations yes

2.Is there a cap on class size on Y1 or just reception? Yes, for infants, that is reception, year 1 and year 2

3.When are the registrations for Y1? Are they anytime, or January? I read a post saying "Admission time is coming.." Does that mean January 1st?
Sorry but the system doesn't work at all like that, this is why I thought you must be from the US. Once a child has a place they keep the place, even if their parents move away. Admission time as mentioned in the post is for pupils going into reception or year 3 where there is a separate Junior school system. You will be an in year transfer regardless.

4.If I moved her in May of 2012, would that help for an in year transfer (to Reception class) this year? Or since there are caps she would have no place?
She would have no place unless someone had moved. However it might give you more time to suss out the schools, and appeal etc.

1. If you move next to the gate of a school, do they have to let you in, or can they still place you all the way across town? Many of you all say that it's a catch-22, you don't want to buy/rent if you don't know if it's in the catchment but can't register unless you do.

No, they don't have to let you in, and won't unless they have a space or are forced to.

1. My second daughter was born June 2009...when do I register her, since she will be 3 in Sept of 2012, do any of these state primaries have 3's classes or just Reception for 2013 for her?

You second daughter is easier, she can get a state funded 15 hours a week place at a whole range of pre-schools and nurseries, the borough may even have nursery classes attached to schools. However even if she gets a place in a nursery class that doesn't mean she will get a reception place in that school.

1. If this were you, what would you do? I can't stay in this country as my husband is being transferred and he wants to go back home anyway. My third daughter is 5 weeks old. I guess I should be registering her now for some of the schools!

You can only register daughter 3 for private schools. State schools have one application date, and registering before that doesn't affect if she gets in or not.

1. Any recs on good Hampstead area state primaries?

Nope, sorry.

Finally remember: some faith schools are state funded; also commuting across London for schools is quite normal.
If the company is willing to fund help with school search I would take it, but they can't magically get you a school place. Private school fees are very very expensive, especially in London.