Thomas' Kindergarten - am I too late?

[SherryM]

Hi All - apologies for the random message but how early should one apply for a place at Thomas' Kindergarten. Our DS is 10 weeks old and I am stressing we left it too late. Thanks!

Maybe best, you know, to ask them and not Mumsnet?

Of course I will, but fear an ambiguous answer so wanted to gauge from people's experience. Thanks for the help.

It’s binary - either you call them and they tell you registration is finished, or it’s not.
It’s not something MN can help you with.

Better yet - fill out registration form and mail it. If you are too late - they’ll return it.
No?

Same answer as on your Eaton House thread. I'm not sure how you can be worried you've left it too late when half of your son's future year group has not likely yet even been born!

What nasty responses.

OP my DCs went to a school where people put their kids down from birth too. We didn't but got lucky coming off the wait list very late.

Perhaps you'll get more understanding responses if the school is already full (and it may be - in our case parents were allowed to put 'child' and update after birth) and you come back and ask if the wait lists move. That's if they will tell you what number you are. I think this is what you mean by ambiguous responses...yes the school may not be that upfront, you are not wrong thinking this is possible. Do you have to pay to stay in the waitlist?

Just call them tomorrow. Good luck!

Don't be silly @OVienna they are not 'nasty' responses.
Obviously people are trying to reassure her that she'll be fine. Neither of the schools she mentions - and in fact very few at all these days and none worth their salt imho - would present the OP with any problem as a result of being too late registering a 10 week old. The fact that some of her son's future year group are only at 3 months gestation is highly relevant. She's already at an advantage because a lot of very selective preps do not balance the intake with birthdays. And any decent schools use assessments. Add to all that there'll be a huge amount of movement on and off the list before her son is old enough to actually apply. Much 'nastier' to scare someone with a silly response.

In fact - I registered my boys with so many of the top boys' preps in London when they were babies. Wasted a lot of money as it turns out at £100+ a pop! We're abroad during term time now and so we'll be going back in at 7/8+. The only prep that indicated I should have been quicker off the mark was Wetherby and even they offered. Absolutely unnecessary to panic.

I thought the responses were a bit off and in our area of London they do close. So thinking they might is not unreasonable. It depends where you are. She was asking for context from people who know about the school and the area. That's basically 90 per cent of the content of the education boards.

If not close in a strict sense the waiting lists don't move the way you suggest. We don't have as much choice as possibly other areas, mind.

Yes I see your point. I just know that having panicked slightly myself (4/5 years ago) I was definitely put at ease after my first round of visits where most people were registering toddlers not newborns. Anyway she will find out for herself with each individual school I'm sure. And no doubt all bets are off with Thomas’s Battersea these days anyway. Eaton House I'd be surprised if there's any issue getting an assessment when the time comes. All these places will make you feel you must register and pay the fee as soon as possible though for obvious reasons. They want fat waiting lists and registration fee income. When the time comes they'll basically choose who they want regardless of when they registered. It's not first come first served. That's all I was trying to get across on this and the other thread.

Okay so is it the case you put your name down with these schools and then they still assess the child?

My DCs went to a highly regarded prep which actually did not select at nursery. Name down at birth if not before. There is one other like this. Only way to avoid the 4+, or 7+ fees competitive, and track record at 11+ excellent. There is a small intake at 7+ via exam. The local schools going through A level do have Preps - all entry via assessment. If you're determined to go down the private route and would like to avoid assessments until 11 and want excellent academics there aren't many options. Two basically.

Once in to the all through schools there is minimal to no movement between them except at the main entry points, ie through a (very likely highly) tutored entrance exam. So if you're unhappy it's hard to move around.

I wouldn't say the schools need to worry about bums on seats at any stage. We also don't have movement from a more transient international community in London for example for a few years only. That must also help feed up places.

It sounds like what you are saying is it is still very competitive but it doesn't matter when you register.

Yep my experience of the 6 London preps with whole we registered, was that all but one were clear they did not offer on the basis of date registration. Ie it is not first come first served. They took the applications and contacted families a year before desired date of entry to come into the school. And I am sure you're right and lists do close, but it would be a very strange school that closed the list for a year group when 50% of said year group was yet to be born. Thus I am saying to her that as the mother of a 10 week old December born baby, half of who's cohort is unborn, she does not need to panic quite yet.

*whom

www.thomas-s.co.uk/our-schools/clapham/admissions/admissions-overview

For Thomas Clapham, the registration procedure has been changed. Looks like the OP will have to wait to register there.

@BillBlack, this thread is two years old. If you have a question, I would suggest you start a new thread on this forum, and people will be happy to help!

@Jellycat1

Same answer as on your Eaton House thread. I'm not sure how you can be worried you've left it too late when half of your son's future year group has not likely yet even been born!

Actually, that's not true at all, if baby is 10 weeks old, nearly the whole year group will be born by now as we are nearly at the end of July!

Presuming it's a normal Sept-Aug school!

Have you started tutoring yet OP?

@Heckythump1- this thread is from Feb 19....