When should we receive the application for primary school choices?

[NYceKiwi]

Is it sometime after dc turns 3, and then they start the September after they are 4?

I'm confused because our 2.6 year old niece is starting school in September and my dh's 3.8 year old cousin already goes to school, but they do live in different areas.

September after they are four. Are those you cite in another country or are you talking about pre schools?

I gather the 3.8yo is in nursery school, rather than reception (the first ear of real school). The 2.6yo will be starting nursery also.

Nursery places are available for 3 and 4 year olds; which intake they start it depends on area.

Legally your child has to start school the term after they turn 5 years.

Reception is for rising 5s, for children who will turn 5 in that academic year.

Sorry, forgot to answer inital question in title. You should recieve your application pack for school (reception year) admission in the autumn before the following September they begin - so your child may be 3 or 4 at this time, depending on when their birthday is.

You may not actually be sent one tho - I wasn't. We had to get one from a local school or apply online by a deadline in mid Oct

they don't send them here, you have to get one from the school you want to apply too. handily, the nursdery attached to the school sent a letter to remind parents and had the deadline on it.

Thanks for all of you replies. I will obviously have to be vigilant about getting an application form.

It turns out that our niece will be going to the integral nursery here

dh's cousin however goes here . Is that a nursery school?

Message withdrawn

The first link is a state primary with a nursery. The applications procedure will be different for the nursery than it is for the reception class and getting into one does not guarantee a place at the other.

The second link is a private school. They may or may not hold waiting lists. At my dd's private school places are offered according to when you put their name down.

look on your council's website for education info re. dates - we have to collect application forms from the school.

The second one is an independent prep like ours with nursery in two year groups one for 2-3 year olds and one to 3-4 yr olds , then Reception year as per State Schools (sometimes called a different name in independent schools) for those turning 5 between beginning of September and end of August that academic year(ie. they are usually all 4 at the start of Reception year).

Bear in mind that different LEAs have different schedules. I live in Lambeth (in London) but DSs school which DD will start Nursery at this September, is in Croydon. I've started seeing things in the local paper about getting applications in now, because Lambeths deadline is February sometime, however the deadline with Croydon was back in October! Also, Nursery applications tend to be between you and the school, you only go through the LEA from reception.

So for example on that particular school the first year would be Nursery then Kindergarten for the equivalent of Reception and Transition for Year 1.

As to your original question for state schools you apply for Reception during the academic year in which they turn 4 to start the following September or occasionally January or Easter for post-Christmas birthdays. LEA's set their own procedures and deadlines so you need to check locally with them. For independent schools you may find waiting lists by the age of 1 or 2 !