When do I need to look into schools?

[SilkyBreeks]

First baby due any day now. My mum tells me her friend's daughter has already put her five week old daughter's name down for the local primary school!
We are in Leeds, does anyone think I need to be seriously considering schools for a child who won't need to start til about 2015 anyway?
Think all this competition etc is madness (IMO you shouldn't need a choice, all schools should be adequate) but forewarned/forearmed etc.

I don't know what your mum's friend's daughter has actually done but, unless it is a fee paying school, she can't have booked a place. Putting a 5 week old's name down for the local primary school won't get you anywhere. Your application will be considered at the same time as everyone else's. You won't get any priority.

Your child will be able to start school in September 2014 and must start school by September 2015. When you will have to apply depends on your LA but should be some time in late 2013.

By all means start looking at schools and finding out their admission criteria if you want to. This is particularly important if you may want your child to go to a faith school - if you wait until it is time to apply it might be too late to comply with their requirements for church attendance or whatever. However you must bear in mind that admission criteria can change between now and 2013.

i've just done it now< DS is starting next sept (2012). Think i was a bit early
agree she can't have put her name down - you fill in the forms the prev september

My DS and DD are both registered at two prep schools.

DS was registered at our preferred choice about 6MO to start school when he is 3.5Yrs. I thought it was madness, but when I phoned the school, I was told to get my name in quickly if I wanted mornings for the pre-prep (I do).

Mental, but true. But, as the previous reply said: That is for a fee paying school. It's not possible to 'book' a place at a state school so early on. But, agree that it's worth looking at the entrance criteria etc., now.

3Yrs goes by pretty quickly!! My DS will be 2 next month!!

Thank you! I looked at the admissions stuff online and couldn't figure out how/why you would "put a name down"...I think this other girl is a bit of a competitive mum perhaps, or maybe my mum has misunderstood and she's gone for a fee-paying school rather than village primary.

I suppose the upside is that I'm now aware of my nearest two non-faith schools and will be able to keep an eye on them and the admissions criteria over the next few years - I like the look of the one that isn't oversubscribed best so hopefully it'll stay that way! Like harimo says I'm sure the time will fly...

I put my little girl's name down at 2, which seems to be standard as there is a cut off date. It doesn't guarantee you a place at all - I do know people who put their children's name down as soon as they get the baptism certificate.

I put my little girl's name down for some nearer schools and we didn't get a place. It all depends on admissions criteria and whether or not a school is oversubscribed.

I am somewhat puzzled by ShoshanaBlue's comment. Applications for places are made through the LA even if you are applying for a faith school. Putting your name down with the school has no effect at all. They are not allowed to give priority to people who apply early. You are considered equally with everyone else who applies for those schools. The only cut off date should be the date by which you have to submit your application to the LA.

I wonder if some schools have got fed up with explaining this to parents and simply allow them to "put their child's name down" as a way of making them go away.

It sounds like something a school might do to stem the tide of enquiries doesn't it!