How soon to start looking?

[firsttimemam8]

When do people tend to start looking at options for Primary school? We've a few options in the area, including an independent school with a looooong waiting list, but how soon can we start visiting them without being laughed at?

For full transparency, we have a 5 month old (I think it's too soon but other half thinks we should be starting now...)

For non-fee paying schools it is usually the October/November before they start ( so now if the child is going to start next September) . For fee paying schools it will depend on how they run their admissions/waiting lists.

You might be laughed at a little behind closed doors if you asked to book a private tour of a school but there’s nothing stopping you from going to open days as soon as you like. There’s no point making your mind up too early for a state school because they can change drastically. New head teachers make a huge difference and a school can easily go from outstanding to requires improvement (or vice versa) in the space of a year according to ofsted.

Schools generally have open days where parents have to book slots. When my DD was looking at schools she had to confirm that her DC would be starting Reception the following year.
Schools who let anyone look round at any time may be desperate to get bums on seats.

Local primary school, most look round around this sort of time (October) for the year before they start, so people looking now will have a child starting school in Sep 2024. Independent schools you could look round at any age, some people sign up their children practically from birth.

Your other half is right about the independent. No point in leaving it a couple of years and then finding there are no spaces.

Also from a practical point of view, state primary open mornings are often on weekdays so might as well take a look while you're on mat leave.

Disclaimer: I like to plan ahead!

Definitely not too early for independent. Our daughter’s name has been down since she was 5 months. She’s now 8 months and the class allocation for her year is already 30% filled…

Join local toddler groups (the church hall for £2 type ones where you get the chance to chat to other parents). That was an invaluable source of information about local schools and good questions to ask!

Be aware that schools can change quickly under new heads. I discounted the views of people whose kid had since moved on to top end of secondary or even older as out of touch with what it's like now.

Independents it varies enormously. My eldest, we enquired around the age yours is now, possibly younger. One school, the first question was which month was she born - the year above her was already waiting list only, as an autumn birthday there were still places available for her. Another school we were clearly looking round rather young but it was useful to get a valid comparison. The school her brother went to he was one of the first on the list maybe age 1, but I suspect now you have to be thinking about it around then. However, any school with significant early signups is going to have a fair bit of movement on their lists prior to school start.

I'd phone the schools in the first instance and ask them when they recommend coming to visit.

For state: you can start looking at websites and things now if you want. Maybe go and have a look at the open day 2 years before your DC starts and then go again the year you apply and have individual tour then. Things change a lot with state and there is less pressure.

For private: get your DC name down ASAP. Like, today. Screenshot shows the requirements for a school near us. Children born this year needed to be registered by 15th September. The school advise putting names down within one month of birth. Seems extreme, but this is quite common.

Your DH is right - look now and put names down for independents if you can afford to lose registration fee if they don’t end up going there. To that point, review t&c’s carefully so you aren’t tied in. Some state schools have regular open days that you can prob go to for comparison - a lot of them don’t have time to ask too many details so people might just think your ds is just a younger sibling and won’t bat an eyelid!