how early should i register

[choufleur]

I've been told, by a friend, that I should register my 15month ds with the local primary to make sure that he has a place. What do people reckon? I think it's a bit early but i dont want to miss out.

you apply for a place in reception the year before (there is a national scheme and your local LEA website will explain it) but you need to try to get on the preschool and nursery lists NOW

You can put your child's name down for school as soon as they are born. Most people round here do it at age 2-3. x

Ring the local primary and ask. Ours told me to call back after ds' third birthday and arrange a visit then... I think it varies from place to place though.

we had to put in our application for dd2 (who was 4 in april) by the beginning of feb this year (though forms could be handed in any time after november, the previous yr)

Too early. Most won't take details until your child is 3. It isn't first come, first served with a place.

No guarantee of a place even if you do now. Simply means you get sent the info from the school as well as LEA when applications come around the year he turns 4.

No schools in our LEA will accept a child's name until he/she is 3. Even then, they get no priority for early registration - the cut-off for applications is November (i.e. it is November 2007 to start school September 2008), and all the applications received by that date are then treated according to the set list of criteria.

Ask your school if you're unsure.

THanks everyone - think i'll give the school a call in September

Def go for it - nothing to lose. We put our daughter down at 2 1/2 to guarantee a place. We'd made the mistake of first going to her nursery when she was 2 weeks old to be told that she couldn't get more than 3 days a week as most children were put down before birth!

Unless it is a private school Butkin, putting your dd down at 2/12 would not guarantee a place.

All applications received by the closing date are treated equally.

I think VA schools just like to have a register of interest for planning purposes, but it doens't actually make any differnence when the application period comes around as they have set criteria on which to prioritse the allocation of places at that time. No guarantees however early you "register" or by attending their attached nursery as the procedure to apply for Reception is completely separate.