Putting name down for school

[BouncingTurtle]

One of my neighbours has said I should put ds's name down for our local primary as it is very popular.
I've never even thouht about school tbh on the ground he isn't even 5 months old!
Can you actually do that though? And if so how do you go about it? I've heard all the stuff in the news about kids not getting into the school of the parents' choice but not sure how they allocate bassis, is it really on a first come, first served basis???

A state school? You'd normally apply in the academic year before he's due to start (he'd be due to start Reception in September 2012). Some private schools you'd need to put his name down for now, but it doesn't work like that for state schools.

Is there a nursery attached that you would like him to go to? There will be different application processes in place for that.

No, all children apply on the same form on the same day for community primary schools . Voluntary controlled or voluntary aided (usually church schools) have their own admissions criteria but still everyone applies at the same time. Children start school (not nursery) as rising fives -that is the term before their fifth birthday as a rule and applications are usually taken approx a year before this time. The school may take names in order to pass them on to the Local Education Authority (LEA) but cannot allocate places themselves. Admissions criteria are usually distance from the school, sibling at the school and so on. Not first come first served. But don't even worry about it until then, and make a visit to the schools near you to check them out nearer the time. Ring your LEA for more advice if you are worried.

PandL - That's what I thought! It is a state school, CofE if that makes a difference. There is a nursery attached, however I booked ds's into a private nursery as I'll be going back to work in September - the school nursery only takes from the age of 3.
Thanks for the info, and Reikizen.
Not terribly concerned, just surprised! Besides, I don't even know if we'll still be living here when it's time for ds to go to school!

Your neighbour is out of touch with what happens in UK state schools these days.

You can't apply direct to the school. You have to send an application form to the appropriate LEA (Local Education Authority) by a certain closing date in the autumn/winter before the year in which they'd start school and ALL applications are treated equally regardless of how soon they were submitted, providing they are received by the official publicised closing date.

You can ususally get details of local schools and an application form from your local school in the spring of the previous school year giving you time to arrange visits and attend open days etc before completing your application in the autumn.
If possible get hold of the directory of all local schools in whichever counties or boroughs are applicable to your location so that you are fully aware of your options, we found out about many other schools which we hadn't really known about to start with.

I've had this repeatedly suggessted to me for the past 2 years as DD1 is due to start school in September. Even parents with young children were telling me to put DDs name down for our chosen school (not that I had chosen one anyway ).

As it turned out I waited until the last minute then checked out the most recent ofsted reports and did a tour of each school then made my choice and filled in the forms. When I looked round the schools the headteachers told me you cannot put your childs name down but they like you to express an interest so they have an idea of future numbers - I hadn't done that with DDs school but they didn't mind.

A friend who had 'put her DS's name down' for her chosen school when he was 4 months old did not get him into that school. Because she thought he was accepted already () she didn't know anything else about the other schools in the area and has had a big panic in the last month as a result.

There is no "putting your name down", not in the state sector - everyone applies through a central LEA form when their child is 3.

Thanks... clearly my neighbour really doesn't have a clue! Knew I would find out on here