Hi all,

Just wondered when you should register your child for a place at school. My friend was telling me the other day that I really should be thinking about doing it soon. I was a little bit shocked as Rachel is only 16 weeks old !!

Can anyone advise me when I should be doing this and is there a cut off age ?

Thanks

You would normally register at your local primary in the year before they enter. If you want them to go locally, places are allocated at the same time regardless of when you complete the form.

You can pick up an application form from the school office

I agree with fox. The only time you need to put their name down this early is for private schools with a waiting list. If it's a state school then the places are allocated at the same time. When she is due to go to school just get the form in as early as possible (at the time) and don't worry about it!

Some schools won't even let you put a childs name down until the child is at least 1 year, as people often move out of the area etc. The year before they start school should be ample time.

mbunting your friend might have been right a number of years ago, or in a different area, as it used to be a first come first served basis for some voluntary aided schools (which are in the state system) at least. Thankfully though, those competitive and devisive days are in the past. I hope...

Thanks for all of the replies, I appreciate it.

My friend has 3 kids, the youngest aged 3 has only just started nursery which is why I was worried. We live in quite a small village with a primary school but she was referring to all schools when she said I needed to put her name down.

Thanks again.

I didn't know that schools allow you to put your name down anymore. As far as I'm aware, you are contacted through the education dept, they send you a letter, with your childs unique ref number, and ask you to take the letter into any school and pick up an application pack, which you then send off, or fill in the online form. the letter usually comes the year before they are ready to start school. The schools don't allocate the places, therefore putting your name down doesn't mean anything.

We put our girls names down for a school, assuming all go well as we are visiting it next week. According to them we've done the right thing.

Is that a local school? Is it one you're in the catchment area for? I've not put babybonny down for anywhere yet and not sure if I ought to or not.

There are 3 near us, one is nearer you.... I'm sure you know where I mean.
I read the Ofsted reports for all 3 and found little difference, except the one nearest to us had an obvious problem which when resolved should boost them to 'good' rather than 'satisfactory'.
The reason I did it is because of the quantity of new builds in the area. If there's ever going to be a squabble for places this would be a major cause and having names down early might make the different between the nearest school we like and the nearest school which could fit them in. Though I could be wrong.
It has the junior school attached which appeals to me, the other village school doesn't.
The one near you has a good reputation but the Ofsted report suggests there aren't enough challenges for the better developed kids in the nursery, then the school is nothing exceptional. So I felt the benefit of walking rather than being driven to school might tip the balance towards the local.
Had a lengthy chat with the head at the local and the problems are resolved, though we are going in to make our own opinions next week.
Our next door neighbour have their daughter down for all three at the moment, not sure why, unless it's until they get round to visiting or pending the next Ofsted report.
It can't hurt to put babybonny down for one you like, or all, then make your mind up later down the line.

Horses mouth, so to speak.

http://www.sheffield.gov.uk/education/information-for-parentscarers/admissions/applying-for-a-school-place

Thanks Zebra that's really helpful. I guess it's something I ought to make a start on next week, before they all close down for the summer.

I've had our sons name down on a list for our chosen school since he was two (it's not our catchment school) unfortunately it didn't have any effect as we didn't get a place.
The criteria are:

Catchment children are 1st priority

children with siblings at the school are next

then if there are any places still remaining they go to the children who live closest to the school (as the crow fly's) but are not in the catchment area.

So it doesn't really matter how long their name has been down, it depends on who else wants their children at the school and who lives closest!!

We appealed our sons place at our chosen school last week, and we were told yesterday that he had been acccepted

:banana::banana::clap::clap::clap::clap::clap::

Just curious, but what happens if there are more children in the catchment area than there are places at the school?