I'm new to all this, and probably ahead of schedule, but HOW do I go about applying for schools?

[ElfOnTheTopShelf]

Titles says it all really. DD is only 2.5 but we have the issue that we are planning on moving (which can take an age, we have already been on the market for nearly a year) - what do I do with regards to school? What is the latest that I have to apply?

Many thanks

are you planning on sending her to school nursery?IF so then you need to apply now. If not and its just for the school itself then september/october is when primary applications tendto go in.

info should be on the council website
ours opens applications in Oct, closes Jan for the following Sept

Oh, phew. Thanks for the answers.
Not too fussed about the nursery part of the school, I'm happy with her going to the childminders, and planning on sending her to a playgroup for some mornings in the future, but not just yet. I think I am right that she doesn't have to start school until the term before she turns 5, but that would be starting full time?

You have to check what happens locally. Our local school takes all kids the September of the school year that they turn five, i.e. ds2 who won't be five until July next year, will still start in Sep with all the other kids. He will be part-time until Jan and then full time.

Legally, no he doesn't have to be there but I would feel he was at a disadvantage starting in the summer term if everyone else has been there since the autumn. Also, even if I wanted to defer his entry, I would have to apply at the same time as everyone else to make sure ds2 had a place. (This was at the end of Jan this year.)

Other schools do it differently, so they may have an intake each term, but that's the way they do it in our area. The council has a good booklet explaining school application processes and what happens if there are more apps than places. They post it to people who phone up for it, and also have copies in libraries. I had a look at the booklet the year before I had to apply for ds1 so I understood the whole process. (People had started telling me I should put ds1 down on the 'waiting list' for schools but I realised after reading the booklet that this only applied to private schools in the area.)

Our applications have the same timing as TheBlonde's ones.

I would check the criteria for school entry though. Some schools have being in the school nursery as a high criteria for choosing pupils for reception places, so you wouldnt want to miss out because your dc went to a childminder. Here, ds1 got his nursery place by the skin of his teeth, then they changed the system, so its no longer a criteria for reception admission. Which means we've dropped from priority 3 to priority 7 out of 7.

Also, it cant hurt to be on the school expression-of-interest lists this early, although you may encounter a problem if you havent moved yet, as you wont be able to provide proof of address locally.

I wasn't sent any application forms for my dd and although we've moved since she was born it wasn't far and still in the same town. So I wouldn't wait to get something, in our area you have to get the form. I do think that the primary school I registered dd at would've sent me a form but I was a bit too keen and did the online application on the first possible day Mid Nov in my area.

My dd should start in Jan as the school i'm hoping she'll go to has 2 intakes, so really you need to check with the school about when they'll start. The earliest would be the sept after their 4th birthday.

My dd1 will be 5 on the 7th sept 2009 thereofre will start school literally on her 5th birthday, as far as I know I need to apply for her place this November (can do it online) and will find out next March what school she gets (fingers crossed its the infant school just up the road from preschool!)

EDDAS!!!
missed your post as went off mid post to empty washing machine

i bet you're stalking me really It's mid november you have to apply, nearer the time it'll give you the exact date. Then if it's like this year you find out 31st March