'Put your LO's name down for the school you want' Don't get it??

[LaDY]

LO is starting school next year and i have had alot of people telling me to put his name down for the school i want or i should have when he was a baby? I have called the schools up and they have told me you can only put a childs name down in advance if you are wanting your child to start pre-school (age 3) Otherwise i will get a form in the post where i have to write my choices down for schools...

I am worried i am missing something? Could someone enlighten me? x

 

[lauren-kate]

I think that only applies if it's a private school/religious? It's not the case for most mainstream schools. We've just got our letters through the post to apply for school starting next September, but it's not on a first-come-first-served basis even now.

 

[LaDY]

Its strange bacuse i called the C of E school we would like him to go to and they told us we should apply when the application form recieved us. They dont have any list for parents to put their childrens names down? x

 

[HannahsMummy]

If its just a mainstream school then there are no waiting lists. You apply in the January before they start.

 

[isil]

The procedure for applying depends on how your local area do it. I'd look on your local government site for info on their schools admissions procedures

 

[Deanna26]

Applications are done through the council. If lo isto start next sept u should get the forms now as they have to be in in January and you'll want to visit some schools before u decide! I never got anything through the post when my boy was ready for nursery I had to sortnit out myself (through the council) and then he got the starting school forms from the nursery

 

[Eternal]

my mum kept telling me this, i dont understand it either, i said if your so worried then do it yourself lol, so she did, they took all his details down and said he would be gareunteed as he lives on the same street but not all children are, she even took the details of the twins who arnt born yet, (well by details i just mean rough due date).

 

[Vixen_17]

Yup, the put your name down thing is for private schools.

Our local council sent us a form and we had to provide our first three choice schools. Thing is, you're not guaranteed a place at your fave or even any. A friend of mine was left with no school place and had to wait past September for them to sort it out.

Sometimes the schools have details on their website of those who will get priority - things like if they have siblings that go to the school etc. The OFSTED reports are also really good for telling what the school is like and whether it is under or over subscribed.

My son's going up to senior school the year after next and locally we have one Academy (horrific OFSTED) and one absolutely fantastic school which is massively over achieving. Fingers crossed he doesn't go to the Academy!

 

[LaDY]

Thanks ladies...i contacted the council...they have sent me a form through to reply and they told me that unless it is a private school or a pre-school there is no need to put any names down! Phewww...was beginning to think i had missed out! Thanks ladies xx

 

[AimeeM]

everyone kept telling me you have to register them as a baby at the school you want them in, when I rang up the lady had a giggle and said you can not register them at all until after their third birthday. He never got his first choice of school he got the second choice.

I don't know where people get their dodgy info!

 

[jane99]

Check whether your Local Authority produces a booklet like this:

https://www.kent.gov.uk/education_a...ce/primary_school_places/primary_booklet.aspx

It tells you everything you need to know about the school admissions process.

KCC also publishes statistics on individual schools. ie. Distance of last child to be offered a place - a good indicator of catchment area.