Please tell me what on earth the process is for applying/ when do I start etc?!

[Mummyteachmummy]

DD is two, but summer born, so will be heading off to school pretty soon (unless by some miracle I manage to hold her back a year but, given the nature of this current post you'll see I have a lot of learning to do before such ambitions!). Please somebody explain to me when I start applying. Should I already be doing anything? We're probably going to be going state, but keep considering independent - are we too late already for the latter (a friend told me the other day she already had her 6 month old on a waiting list?!) AGGGGGGHHHH! Please help. I really, really care about this stuff and have no idea how I'm so clueless about the process! :/

For state, you will be applying the Autumn she has turned 3, so that she starts at 4 and a bit. You can find how to do this on your local county council or borough (in London) website.

It is normally not too late to apply to independent, but if they have a kindergarten most children will go to that before reception, so ideally she'd start there. You can ring up to go and visit, or they usually have open mornings. We went to open mornings first with ds, then visited on our own

The actual process depends to a point on where you live. I think England have a set of given dates for applications etc (but I live in Wales and ours are slightly different). Your daughter starts school in the academic year that she turns 5, and you need to apply early academic year before that happens. I can't remember now if that is by the October I'm sure an English poster will be able to tell you when.
Depending where you live you can put down 3 or 6 choices of school. Look at the selection criteria for each school carefully especially for faith schools. e.g. some faith schools take children from out of catchment who attend the right church before they take local children who don't attend church. Ours on the other hand will take local children before they take out of catchment church attenders. Where I live the council has always automatically sent us application forms but I think some places you have to ask the council for them. I think some councils may let you apply on line too.
Go and visit schools and get a feel for them - that may entail going to open days not individual visits. This depends on the school - it's popularity, size of school - a school with an intake of 200 children that attracts 600 applications won't want to show 600 individual parents around the school it is too disruptive. So make sure you find out the dates well in advance of needing to apply. On the other hand our school has an intake of 15 and happily shows parents around individually. Look at OFSTED reports but remember they aren't the be all and end all, and if they are older than a couple of years things can have changed a lot.

Always put down a school that you should fairly certainly get into even if it is your last choice. If you only put out of catchment schools and you don't get into any you can be assigned a school miles and miles away if it is the only one with space. The council only has to find you a school, it doesn't have to be one you like. It might as well be one you don't like that is on your doorstep than one that is 30miles away. Don't be fooled by people who say "Just put down one choice you are bound to get it then" you aren't.

I have no idea about applying to independent school though.

Where do you live? People will be able to give you more specific help that way - England, Wales, Scotland and NI are different as are each LA.. Although in England the deadline and offers days are the same

Thank you all so much. I'll get looking. We're living in central London.

Start with your local authority web site and look at schools within spitting distance - and hopefully loads of London posters will be along on Monday to advise

If she turns 3 this summer, you need to apply for state schools this autumn- the deadline is mid-Jan 2015, butapplications should open much earlier- by October. Look at your Local authority website under admissions, they will have all the dates and how to apply. You may also receive a pack through the post (my LA write to parents using GP registration data) but don't rely on this.

When you apply, look carefully at the admissions data for last year e.g. if you like school Y, see what their criteria are. If they admit siblings first, and last year 27/30 places were filled by siblings, you'll only get in if you live pretty much next door to the school.

Always fill out all the preferences- you'll probably get to name 6 schools- and make sure one of them is one that you will almost certainly get into.

If she turns 3 this summer, you need to apply for state schools this autumn- the deadline is mid-Jan 2015, butapplications should open much earlier- by October. Look at your Local authority website under admissions, they will have all the dates and how to apply. You may also receive a pack through the post (my LA write to parents using GP registration data) but don't rely on this.

When you apply, look carefully at the admissions data for last year e.g. if you like school Y, see what their criteria are. If they admit siblings first, and last year 27/30 places were filled by siblings, you'll only get in if you live pretty much next door to the school.

Always fill out all the preferences- you'll probably get to name 6 schools- and make sure one of them is one that you will almost certainly get into.

Thanks ladies. A related area of cluelessness is how selection is actually made these days? It's not simply catchment area anymore? So could somebody outside of catchment get a place before somebody in catchment and, if so, on what sort of bases?

In most areas, there is no catchment at all. Selection will normally go something like priority 1 - looked after children/ those with school named on a statement of SEN. 2, siblings. 3. Other children ranked by distance from the school

For church schools, there will be a regular attender priority, and may also have in parish/out of parish

There may also be a category for special medical needs or similar. And "those with school named on a statement of SEN" actually shouldn't appear on the admission criteria at all - the school has to admit them even if they are full.

If you go to your LA's website they will have a combined prospectus (usually named something like "Starting Primary School in X") that contains the admission criteria used by every school in the area. There will be one set of criteria for all the community schools. Each faith school, academy or free school will have its own criteria.

In England the entry year of school is Reception. Children start in Reception the year they turn 5. That is, your child will start Reception the September after they turn 4. You need to apply before that and in London the deadline is usually in the previous January.

So in the September after her 3rd birthday make sure you are signed up for all your local state school open days/parents visits. Some have only one. Others run them weekly.

Each of your local schools will have admission criteria on their website. Typically first priority goes to children in care and armed forces. Second priority goes to siblings. Third category is distance with those closest to the school allocated first.

You need to find out where all your nearest primary schools are. Then do take a look at Ofsted reports but don't rely on those. You need to also visit schools. Ofsted is not the best basis for judging a school on its own. You need to get an idea of whether the school is right for your child.

Try this www.gov.uk/find-school-in-england

You can also find out from your local authority what the last distance admitted for each child was for that school in the last few years.

In London you apply through your local authority BUT all admissions are pan London so it doesn't matter what borough the school is in. They all go into one pot. I live on the edge of three boroughs in London but only need to put in one application.

Make sure you fill up all your preferences even if some are schools you don't really want. Even if you are confident you will get into your desired school. Freak admission years do happen - it is unusual but the class could fill up with all siblings one year and have no siblings another year! So put down a school that you may not want bit works for you eg on route to work, close by home etc that you know you'll get for sure as your backup.

Finally your child doesn't have to start straight away. In your case you can actually defer all the way to the summer term without losing your place. Handy if you get an undesirable school so you can keep your place and home school or keep at nursery while you are on the waiting lists.

Great advice above... If you are thinking about school nursery the year before then start looking sooner. Some only offer 15 hours in term times but round us they all offer the option to do full days 8-6 and pay for the wrap round etc. viewing schools is vital as they vary a lot. You will know what you feel is right for your family

Oooh, that's such a good idea re deferring and waiting lists Nyna! I must make a note of all of this for when the time comes (DD not 3 til next summer) When you say 'they all go into one pot' in London what the implications of that? Does that mean distance from school doesn't matter at all?! Thanks again!

No, distance matters. What it means is that if you live in local authority A, but you're close to authorities B and C, you can apply to schools in any authority- say 3 in A, 2 in B and 1 in C. But you only make one application- to authority A because that's where you live. They then have to work with the others to find out where you're entitled to a place.

London is difficult as areas are shrinking by the day and new free schools popping up.

On your council's website you will have a section for primary applications. You may find the brochure for the 2014 intake there or wait until September/October and you get the one for the 2015 intake.

This should show all schools in your borough and the distance the schools admired children of the last couple of years. Some may change a lot, you will have to query this with the school. We had a bulge class, so suddenly the intake came from over 1 mile while previously we had between 0.3-0.5. miles. This year 48 out of 60 places are taking up by siblings, again distance will shrink.

Schools have to follow the council's admission codes but church schools will priories baptised children and the ones who attend church over others. So you need to make you homework.

Independent - it depends if they are selective or not. Selective schools will want to do a 4+ exam at one point in time.