@Helenahatstand Sorry I forgot about the paywall.
‘COMPETITION for places at the most exclusive prep schools has reached such a frenzy that some mothers are engineering a place at the front of the queue by carefully timing their caesarean births.
‘The head teacher at one of London's most sought-after prepreps (for the youngest prep school pupils) has advised those parents who are likely to have their child by caesarean section to opt for a date in the first week of the month.
‘At some schools serving affluent hotspots in London and the home counties, the date of birth is the deciding factor in getting a place, with those born in the first few days of the month having the highest chance of being accepted.
‘At Wetherby, the boys' school in London forfour to eight-year-olds, favoured by the Notting Hill set and once attended by Princes William and Harry, parents must apply as soon as their child is born.
The offspring of Liz Hurley, the actress, Viscount Linley, son of Princess Margaret, and Elle Macpherson, the model, are also among past and present pupils.
‘While wealth is a necessary precondition for admission - fees are £11,400 a year - it is not sufficient to guarantee a place. Wetherby and its sister school for girls, Pembridge Hall, allot five places a month on a first-come-first-served basis. In some months all the places have gone in the first week.
‘There are 63 places a year at Wetherby for four-year-olds and each month the head, Jenny Aviss, offers a place to the first five parents who complete registration forms.
‘"I wouldn't dream of advocating that a mother has a caesarean section, but if they know already that will happen, I advise them to book in early in the month, rather than later," she said.
"I tell them if you have an option, don't choose the 31st, have it on the 1st and call on the 2nd." Parents are not allowed to book a place until the child is born.
’Prep schools that guarantee children a place at birth are now in a minority. Most schools will put children on their list from birth but interview, and sometimes give them formal tests, at the age of four for an actual place. However, according to Sarah Drummond, co-founder of The Good Schools Guide, this may put children under considerable pressure.
‘On the other hand, selection by date of birth can put pressure on mothers. While the vast majority of women who have caesareans need it for medical reasons, more than 10,000 operations a year are carried out at the request of mothers - and some are conducted for reasons of lifestyle.
‘Elizabeth Marsden, head of Pembridge Hall, said she knew of two cases where mothers had set dates early in the month for caesareans.
‘"I have heard of it happening, but I would prefer not to know. It is a little bit overkeen. The problem is we could fill our places six times over and, at two to three days old, a child can be too old to get a place," she said.
‘"Parents do take desperate measures to get a place. One sent flowers every week for a year to the bursar, but still did not get a place. Parents ring and say, 'We will pay for a new library. What can we do to get a place?'"
‘One woman who refused to leave the building until her child was given a place had to be removed by the police.
Schools that require registration at birth insist the system is fairer and more practical than selecting four-year-olds on the basis of tests.
‘"It is difficult for the 'first-time buyers'," said Aviss. "They ring with a six-month-old and they have no chance. They say you don't think about your child's school while you are still breast-feeding.
‘"But those parents who know the system accept that it is fair. I can tell them why I have not given their child a place. They were just born too late in the month.
"The clued-in father leaves the labour ward as soon as the baby arrives and provides us with a filled-out registration form."’