Registration in person - an advantage?

[Sally223]

Hi Mums,

DD #1 is expected at the end of July and we plan on registering widely across selective + non-selective schools in SW London.

Pretty much all of them have online registration systems now but we are being told by friends to drop the registrations in person since "it makes a difference".

With such turbulent first few days to be expected after birth, I don't really see the point of sending DH to hop from school to school to drop printouts and cheques, even less so with Covid and with schools likely to be closed for the Summer. Hence the question: Does it (still) make a difference?

Definitely not. I can’t even think of any schools, for girls especially, where you need to register at birth anyway. It’ll cost a fortune to register at lots of schools and is totally unnecessary. Wait until you can look around them and see what schools you like the feel of.
The ‘selective’ ones will only want you to register a year or so before anyway and you may decide they’re not right for your DD nearer the time. Good luck with everything- don’t listen to the SW London Schools hype from the loony parents!

State schools are allocated by the LA. So going in to the school would make absolutely no difference. The office staff are not choosing if your child goes there or not.

look at the requirements. it's generally the boys schools that require names down before the age of 1, girls it's something like the october before they would start. At £100 per registration for private schools don't scatter too widely!

If you are talking about state schools, you can't register at birth. You apply to the LA about 10-12 months before your child needs a place (a little less for primary schools). If you try to register your child before that they will either tell you to go away or smile nicely, take your details and put them in the bin.

Independent schools are another matter but, as others have said, it is unlikely you need to register at birth. Indeed, many schools won't let you register that early. And you definitely don't need to visit the school to register.

Do people actually think about registering their children at school before their own born??

Why are you thinking about schools? Far more important that you make sure your child goes to the right Baby Gym, Singing and Music groups, Ballet classes , Baby signing, violin lessons and other pre school activities. That way you will meet the right sort of ultra competitive tiger parents who will help to confirm your belief that having a child is exactly like training a race horse.

Chill out, there is plenty of time to find the right school for your child. In the meantime enjoy your new baby, watch their amazing development with pride and don’t wish those early years away in your rush to the finish line.

Absolutely what @viques said.

Your baby might turn out to be as thick as mince but you will love it regardless. Life is what happens when you’re busy making plans. Take the pressure off and enjoy this special time. Wishing you all the best for a healthy delivery.

Are you American OP? I think that’s how the private school system works there, in New York maybe?

Where I am there is a waitlist for babyswimming and Gymboree, but even then spaces come up often because some babies hate it, some mothers and fathers hate it, so there is lots of movement.

As PP have pointed out, school registration is expensive, so maybe work out what one or two you most like and when the Covid restrictions allow go and take a look at them.

Also, have a quick google of the ‘forth trimester’. The first weeks shouldn’t be too turbulent. It’s lovely getting to know your baby.

I’ve answered the in-person question on your other thread, but for anyone coming across this one in isolation, the above sweeping statements are not true. It really does depend on the school. From a quick Google:

Pembridge Hall
The admission procedure at Pembridge Hall is non-selective for entry into Reception. There are three classes in Reception and approximately sixty-six places are available for each academic year. Parents must complete a registration form and return this together with the registration fee. Registration is strongly advised within a week of a daughter’s birth as demand for places is high; we do not register babies before they are born. Registration fees are non-refundable.

Registrations are reviewed monthly, in the middle of the month, for the month just completed. All registrations are given equal weight irrespective of when a girl is born within the month. In order to achieve this, the month being reviewed is split into thirds and an equal number of registered parents per third are randomly offered a place for their daughter.

Glendower
Early registration – within a couple of months of your daughter’s birth – is strongly recommended as we are only able to offer a limited number of 4+ assessment slots for the 36 places available each year.

Wetherby
We are currently accepting enquiries for the Reception 2025-2026 entry; for boys born between 1st September 2020 – 31st August 2021.
Registrations are accepted from birth (we do not register babies before they are born). There are a limited number of places on offer so parents are advised to contact the school office as soon as possible after the birth of their son. Registrations are accepted by telephone, e-mail and post. Postal registrations are taken according to the post date on the envelope.

Garden House
The Application Form should be completed after your child has been born and we recommend completing it within a year of birth in order to ensure a place for your child on our Interview List.

Thomas’
Kindergarten - Places are offered in order of registration, whilst ensuring an even spread of birth dates, an even number of boys and girls and our sibling priority policy
Reception - Children may be registered for entry into Reception on 1st September when they are between the ages of one and two years old.

Whereas for Bute House registration for the ballot is two years before entry, and South Hampstead registration for assessment is one year before entry.

Every school is different. Yes, it’s bonkers, but it’s true, some schools do require pretty speedy registration.

Walking into a school reception area purely to drop off a registration form for a newly born baby during covid restrictions is likely to seriously irritate the school staff.

@Namechangedyetagainandagain

I’ve answered the in-person question on your other thread, but for anyone coming across this one in isolation, the above sweeping statements are not true. It really does depend on the school. From a quick Google:

Pembridge Hall
The admission procedure at Pembridge Hall is non-selective for entry into Reception. There are three classes in Reception and approximately sixty-six places are available for each academic year. Parents must complete a registration form and return this together with the registration fee. Registration is strongly advised within a week of a daughter’s birth as demand for places is high; we do not register babies before they are born. Registration fees are non-refundable.

Registrations are reviewed monthly, in the middle of the month, for the month just completed. All registrations are given equal weight irrespective of when a girl is born within the month. In order to achieve this, the month being reviewed is split into thirds and an equal number of registered parents per third are randomly offered a place for their daughter.

Glendower
Early registration – within a couple of months of your daughter’s birth – is strongly recommended as we are only able to offer a limited number of 4+ assessment slots for the 36 places available each year.

Wetherby
We are currently accepting enquiries for the Reception 2025-2026 entry; for boys born between 1st September 2020 – 31st August 2021.
Registrations are accepted from birth (we do not register babies before they are born). There are a limited number of places on offer so parents are advised to contact the school office as soon as possible after the birth of their son. Registrations are accepted by telephone, e-mail and post. Postal registrations are taken according to the post date on the envelope.

Garden House
The Application Form should be completed after your child has been born and we recommend completing it within a year of birth in order to ensure a place for your child on our Interview List.

Thomas’
Kindergarten - Places are offered in order of registration, whilst ensuring an even spread of birth dates, an even number of boys and girls and our sibling priority policy
Reception - Children may be registered for entry into Reception on 1st September when they are between the ages of one and two years old.

Whereas for Bute House registration for the ballot is two years before entry, and South Hampstead registration for assessment is one year before entry.

Every school is different. Yes, it’s bonkers, but it’s true, some schools do require pretty speedy registration.

The same ( rich) parents will have registered their daughters at all these schools. They can only go to one. I’m addition, half of them will have moved abroad/ out of London since registering. It’s all a racket! Also, In SW London a lot of parents will have the preps as a back up if they don’t get into their chosen state schools. ( less likely in Notting Hill etc).

Well you learn something new every day:

I also didn’t realise I was so poor

Best of luck to you OP. Seems like a needless racket.

Even school tours are still virtual. I do not see the point dropping application forms in person. I think Garden House registration was by post.
Not sure whereabout in SW OP is based but Thomas's Fulham registration opened September 2020 remained open till November, at least, if I remember correctly.
In another thread someone mentioned that except for very competitive schools all other will always have places available.

At a time when you can't even look round schools in person, I can't imagine they'd thank you for turning up. And unless your little cherub is due within the next day or two, most of them will be shut by the time you turn up with your form printed out from their website.

I’m in SW London OP.

Dropping off the registrations in person makes no difference.

Making sure you get them in reasonably quickly after birth is important - for the non selective first come first served ones anyway. (Finton, Hornsby for example). They will allocate strictly on order of receipt. However as long as it’s within a few weeks of birth you should be ok.

For the selective ones you have more time. As they take more registrations but then filter them at age 4 with an entry assessment.

When it comes to the year before entry, around the time places are allocated (November I think??) I gather it can make a difference to call up and say how much you love the school etc. But definitely not at this stage.

Making sure you get them in reasonably quickly after birth is important - for the non selective first come first served ones anyway. (Finton, Hornsby for example). They will allocate strictly on order of receipt. However as long as it’s within a few weeks of birth you should be ok.

How does that work- surely the places would be filled with children born early in the academic year, and no places left for summer borns?

Register a week after you are born! So all babies born September- March get a place anyone born April- august to late for place? How is that fair?

@Akire

Register a week after you are born! So all babies born September- March get a place anyone born April- august to late for place? How is that fair?

It's bonkers

I'm not sure fair really comes into if when you're talking about expensive private schools though

@Artesia

Making sure you get them in reasonably quickly after birth is important - for the non selective first come first served ones anyway. (Finton, Hornsby for example). They will allocate strictly on order of receipt. However as long as it’s within a few weeks of birth you should be ok.

How does that work- surely the places would be filled with children born early in the academic year, and no places left for summer borns?

No, the places are allocated on the basis of how quickly you registered after birth.

Even school tours are still virtual

Lots of preps are doing in-person tours now. E.g. The Hall, Broomwood Hall, Hill House, Wandsworth Prep are all offering them.

I wouldn't bother with dropping off the form in person (unless you are doing a scheduled visit anyway), online or by post is fine. But I agree with Namechangedyetagainandagain that a few schools are popular enough to need registration shortly after birth - their website will tell you. It's expensive to pay the registration fees but if you want a chance for your dc to go there, then you just have to suck it up.

I didn’t explain that very well did I. It’s not first come first served, it’s how long you took to register after birth. AKA how keen/bonkers are you

Wow, it's another world!

I'll drop them round for you OP, I will dress like Mary Poppins and my fee is £100 per school.

@linenblue

Even school tours are still virtual

Lots of preps are doing in-person tours now. E.g. The Hall, Broomwood Hall, Hill House, Wandsworth Prep are all offering them.

I wouldn't bother with dropping off the form in person (unless you are doing a scheduled visit anyway), online or by post is fine. But I agree with Namechangedyetagainandagain that a few schools are popular enough to need registration shortly after birth - their website will tell you. It's expensive to pay the registration fees but if you want a chance for your dc to go there, then you just have to suck it up.

Thanks linenblue. After your post I found out that some of the schools I registered my son do offer in-person tours. That raises a question why others, e.g. Fulham Prep and Thomas's, still offer virtual tours only?

Pretty much all of them have online registration systems now but we are being told by friends to drop the registrations in person since "it makes a difference".

If you go to a state school office and hand in a registration form for a child that isn’t yet born they’ll think you’re a bit nuts... is that the kind of difference making you were after?