'putting name down' for preffered primary school. Do you still have to do this?

[Spottyotter]

My mum insists that I should be putting ds 's name down for primary school now. He's only 2.6. Or is this just done automatically now?

no itsbollocks afaik

is it for a fee paying school?

It's not too soon to start visiting schools at all, do they all have Early Years units now?

I think its a waste of everyone times to do visits too early. Things and stafff change
bearing in mind the closing date here for applications is say end of october, go in spetemeber.
Some parents visit more than once fgs!!

Oh dont forgetr to say that he or she is bright for their age.. mate of mine is a primary admin officer and she says this seemss to be compulsory

You should be sent a form about Autumn time next year or there will be posters locally reminding you to apply for Sept 2011. Registering would ensure you get sent the pack but give no priority for Reception places. Applications for any places at a LEA nursery attached to schools will be this autumn though and the process varies. Check your LEA website for details

If it is a state school you are talking about, you can only register an interest (effectively the school will send out the bumpf when your DC is school ready) and the places are allocated according to the LEA guidelines ...

Public/Private schools have different rules - you would have to speak to the schools in question ..

If you want him to go to nursery then you need to be applying from September onwards (the cut offs range from October to March in different LEA's)

For school you apply the academic year in which they turn 4.

Some schools allow you to put your name down which just means they send you a copy of the application form when the time comes, others just say to ring the council for the form.

its a LA now.
donthcaknow.
not LEA

i agree with badgersarse
we applied for ds' nearest school when the lea told us to, the dec before he started the following autumn iirc
we didnteven visit, i'd heard loads of people say it had a good reputation but at the end of the day it was the only school we could get too easily

thansk biggy

But you do still have to do this for a child to attend the nursery part of their eventual Primary school, yes? Because I have been wondering for some time if I should have already done that for DD, she's not 2 yet but some parents told me their kids names were put down when they were a matter of days old, and it worried me somewhat.

I can't remember how old DS was when I filled out the form for him to go to nursery.

surely OP's little boy will be starting next year though?

Tidey - if it's a state nursery (say, one attached to primary school) it's the same LEA process, just in academic year that she turns 3. Check your LEA website for details.

Now, for a PRIVATE nursery or pre-school, you may need to put name down. Though anyone who does that when they're a few days old is totally barking

MI he'd be 3.6 this time next year so another year at preschool/nursery before starting Reception in Sept 2011 at 4.6 (rising 5) - assuming England / Wales

'Putting names down' is something from the past - unless its an independent school with its own admission rules where you have to register an interest (and probably pay a deposit) there is no longer any such thing as 'putting your child's name down' when they are toddlers.

Each LEA has its own admissions rules, which usually means filling in a form, paper or online, the autumn before they are due to start school. Usually there is a deadline in December to get the application in. Places are then allocated on a strict criteria basis (some faith schools have their own rules too).

NOTHING HAPPENS AUTOMATICALLY (the LEA's have packed their crystal balls away now) - if you don't submit an application by the due date your child will not be allocated a reception class place. Some people assume there is a natural follow-on from a nursery class, but THERE ISN'T - you still have to apply like everyone else.

This year in many areas pressure on reception class places has been incredibly tight, in my LEA even the bottom of the pile school in the ratings (90th of 90) has had several surprised parents find out that because they thought transfer from nursery was automatic, and didn't apply, they have ended up with no place at the local school.

I'm very glad I read this, very useful info. I had been meaning to ask about state nursery attached to Primary school for ages but never got around to it.

In our area the cut off for School nursery (about 2.5hrs a day) was mid Dec all different dates and each school does their own enrollment and you just phoned the school and put your name down/got their form depending on the school-

Church schools had additional requirements including a letter from the priest - they used the same pack for nursery and reception..

have a think about if you want morning or afternoon sessions prior to filling in form as morning generaly more popular here so have to provide reasons why ....

may not apply to you but entry to nursery does not mean entry at reception.... my ds got offered a nursery place at local catchment school but not a place at reception...due over subscription and distance (we edge of catchment) at least 6 kids in the nursery did not get into the school which has been tough for them

HTH good luck

Spotty, my MIL (ex-teacher) insisted that this was the case as well - but it was bollocks, only had to apply the Nov in the yr before they started.
In the end (because MIL kept on about this putting name down business) I phoned the schools near me and checked with the school secretaries.