When do we need to put DS's name down for primary school?

[lowrib]

I know it's a good while off - DS is only 1 now - but I've been doing some planning and I realised I know next to nothing about school entry!

If DS is 5 in December 2013, when will we need to put his name down for primary school?

When do you reckon we need to start seriously looking at schools?

And when will he actually start (I'm assuming Sept 2013, is that right?)

TIA

Ds will start this september. we had to have our form back last month sometime.

they normally start reception the september after they are 4, so he'd start 2013.

hi choufleur, thanks for the lightening post!

So, when do they take your address for catchment purposes?

We're going to be moving, and I'm trying to work out when we need to be in the new place - wherever that is - by.

have been looking into this, and in our lea it seems to be as of applying, so sept (ish) of the previous year
although they say if it changes while application being processed to let them know as it might affect things

Hi Stealthpolarbear are you applying for a Sept or Jan place (does it make a difference)?

Is it different in different LEAs? (Really hoping the answer is no, but have a sinking feeling it may well be yes!)

In our LA you apply for primary by the December before they start (so yes for yr DS, Sept 2013). So here you'd have to aply by Dec 2012.

Schoosl often have open days in Sept/Oct. But you can go and look round any time. No virtue in putting name down ahead of time tho.

They will assess all applications equally as received by closing date (NB this is earlier than Dec in some LAs, later in others so do check) and look at address, catchment etc then.

So as long as you are moved by, say, Sept 2012 you should be OK.

Sorry I always get confused on exactly when you can start. What the regulation says is that for admisison to the 2011-12 school year and subsequent years, admisison authorities must provide for the admisison of all children in the September following their fourth birthday. I think this is September 2013 for your son with a December birthday. Assuming this you would need to complete the application forms for expressing your preferences in the previous Autumn Term, that is September 2012 onwards. That official application form goes to the Local Authority in which you are resident.

I theory you should be sent the form but the problem for the LA is always how to know who to send it to. They obviously use lists of pupils at nurseries as one means but I would suggest that it might be a benefit to ensure you visit possible primary schools in the previous school year at the latest, that is 2012, and ensure that they have your contact details. That should ensure that you get the appropriate forms. If you are considering a faith school they may well have a supplementary form to complete and also a faith admission criteria to meet (going to church!) so the sooner you know about it the more likely you may be able to meet the criteria.

To be clear the school cannot give you a place directly but talking to the school is always advisabel as it gove you a "feel" for the school.

Autumn of 2012 - you will need to be in your permanent address (assuming you don't want to move again), have looked round schools, and applied - in our LEA by the end of October 2012.

If you're planning on moving I'd suggest that you look round schools in the area you're interested in in the autumn of 2011 (open days tend to be in September/early October), then you can find out how close you have to live to your top school(s) and you have a year to find a house in that area.

That's really useful advice titchy - but 2011?! Your logic is inescapable but jesus that's next year! We need to get our skates on and decide where we're going to live then!

We have so far narrowed it down to England, Wales or Scotland. Probably. (We have ties to all three)

Really don't think we're going to manage to be settled by Sept 2013 with our current plans though. Got to have a think about this ...

(I've been mulling over a bit on this thread too, just in case anyone is interested!)

Our LEA has a common preference form that needs to be filled in the October of the year before their school admission. We were in the process of moving house when we filled the form in, so we filled it in with regard to the schools in our new area, and when we had actually moved we contacted them with our new address and we got our first choice school too.

As your DS is 5 in December 2013, he will start in September of that year, if you are in England.