When do you register child for primary school?

wannabe_sybil

I have absolutely no idea where to start about registering my little boy for primary school and how to go about it.

What age should he be? Can it be done online?

(Depression getting a lot worse, struggling to get out of the house at all).

My little bear is 18 months now, so have I left it too late? I am very confused about all this.

One health worker has stated that I HAVE to register him for nursery, but all the nurseries suggested are very distant, and I am concerned about costs as I am not working.

Added to the confusion - we hope to move in 2010 when our mortgage deal runs out. My little bear will be almost four, and we will be moving about ten miles away. I am nervous about registering him anywhere because we may have moved, we may not have moved, the schools are unlikely to be in the same district. I have no idea what stage of the education system he will be at age 4.

Can anyone recommend a resource which gives a clear breakdown of how you register a child to be educated and what needs to be done at what age?

All help very gratefully received. There are some lovely health workers out there, but I have got so confused over the last few weeks and I find the advice on here so good and varied - and it makes much more sense

onlyroz

Think you'd be best checking the website of your local authority, because I think the rules are different in different places. As far as I can tell I'll have to register my 3-year-old (May 05 birthdate, Bracknell Forest area) for school some time around next jan-feb. I believe it can be done online, but they need to be sent the birth certificate.

wannabe_sybil

I've been trying to look at my local authority website, but all this information is either well disguised or is contained in pop ups. I was trying to find mums and tots groups when I was on but my browser blocked the pop ups that contained that information. I shall wait until DH is home so that I can see how to allow pop ups on selected sites. Sigh.

Thinking about it, there is a local netmums. I don't usually go on - at the moment I have panic attacks at the thought of meeting other mums, but I am sure they will have the information I require.

Little bear is stirring - he is happy, healthy and full of mischief but I worry that he is meeting too few people.

I really do appreciate the help, thank you.

sassysare

I rang my council education department recently to ask what i do as my child is nearly 3.

I was told they have all the details on record already and this september i will be sent a form to 'pick' the school we want to send her to that we are in the catchement area for.

The schools are already sending 'open day' letters in the post.

My local school has no nursery department attached so my daughter will go straight into reception (aged 4) and i find my own nursery if i want her to go to one.

Your local education dept is the best bet to ring now.

If you move, you will need to start the process again. If you are moving in 2010 then you ring the council in your new area (just before you move is a good idea so they can send you the forms) and they will let you know of local schools. If you move in the middle of the academic year you may not have a choice of schools as such as there may be no spaces left and usually go on a waiting list.

sooz

At 18 months old, dont worry you have LOADS of time (unless you are trying to get him into one of the named private schools, in which case you should have put his name down before conception!)

I guess he has a december birthday, so will be 5 in december 2011 (is that right or have I mis-counted?)

So he'll start school in sept 2011, and could start school nursery in sept 2010.

Make an appt to speak to your local council. They should have a dedicated dept for dealing with this...childrens advisory service? something like that.

They can give you all the info abut local schools & catchment areas, & show you last year's application forms

If you have a nice school in your catchment area, with a nursery attached, you could go in and put his name on the waiting list. Nurseries do not operate catchment areas, but it's nice to stay at the nursery & school if at all possible.

7 months or so before he's due to start nursery, they will send you an application form. For school, it's normally the december before the sept intake that you have to fill in the application forms (so dec 2010 for you)

In the meantime, you could put his name down for a playgroup. They normally take them from the age of 2, & although you will have to pay, they don't cost very much. It's only for 2.5 hours per day, and per session I am paying £9, athough friends in other areas pay £3 - £7. Again, your local council will have details of all the playgroups in your area.


edit...it's december in my area, might be slightly different in yours! Check with the council

RoxieW

hi hon
the nursery near us allowed names put down from age 2. I put mine down at 2 and he very nearly didnt get in! Depends how popular the nursery is. If possible choose the nursery attached o the primary you want as then you'll get all the info through the nursery as to the school place and the forms to apply at the relevant time.
Moving is a difficult one, we had this same prob. Unless you know exactly where you will be moving and when there;'s nothing you can do really. You just have to apply for one near you you like the look of, then hope that if/when you move there will be spaces at the school you want.

milliebear00001

Hi there

There is no legal requirement to send your child to nursery school - it is entirely up to you, so not sure what your Health Visitor means! If you want to send him, https://www.ofsted.gov.uk or https://www.childcarelink.gov.uk will give you a list of all the nusery and pre-schools in your area. You would need to approach them individually and put your son's 'name down' on their list. They should then contact you when the time comes. Some have longer waiting lists than others so do this sooner rather than later. If you're not sure where you want to send him, simply put his name down at all of them, that way you'll have maximum choice when he's old enough.

There is no legal requirement to send a child to school until s/he is 5 years old, although most will start in the Sept/Jan before their 5th birthday.

For school, you shouldn't need to do anything. All state schools (as far as I know) have centralised application procedures. You make a single application at the appropriate time, which is then dealt with by the education department of your local council. Places are allocated by postcode (usually) unless it is a school aided by a church. You should be able to check which is your catchment area school by contacting your council - it is generally (but not always) the one closest to your home.

Hope that helps.

Spendless

Here you apply a year before the child starts, you can get the application form from the council or you can put your child's name down at the school and they send you an application form out. This doesn't guarantee you a place, you still have to apply. I had my son's name down at 19 months and daughter's at 3 weeks, cos I wanted to send them to school nursery and the earlier child's name was down the more likely you were to get the session of your choice (if you got a place!). Your child doesn't have to go to nursery.
I'd ring the school admissions dept of your local council to see how the system works where you are.

belfastgirl23

Just to ask whether you're getting any treatment or help for your depression? Sorry if it feels like an obvious question but I know when you're in the worst depths of it, it can seem very difficult to get the help you need to get out of it. You still have plenty of time before you need to start worrying about schools etc so now is the time to get yourself healthy and look after yourself. Don't worry too much about the future just try to build yourself up day by day. Good luck.

pandora205

You will be entitled to 'free' early years education for 12.5 hours per week from the term after your child is 3. This gives you either a) a place a local authority education nursery (often in a school) or b) funding towards provision in a 'non-maintained setting'. The latter means a preschool (used to be called playgroup) or a private nursery, including council day nurseries. This money will usually cover a preschool place but often means topping up if you use a private nursery. It can only be used in settings that are registered with Ofsted. Your local council would be able to give you a list.

Even if the Local Authority education nurseries are too far, there ought to be a preschool in your area.

With regard to school entry, this is now usually the September after your child's fourth birthday, although it does vary from authority to authority. The deadline for applying is during the previous autumn term (ie Oct/Nov after your child is 3) although many people apply earlier.

I would check with other mums in your area for the local situation and also about their views of schools locally, although you do have plenty of time yet.

wannabe_sybil

Thank you so much for all these posts. I knew I could rely on MSE, you make things so much clearer than the professionals.

There are one or two Health Visitors who are brilliant but the lady (who was very pleasant and helpful) who came to see me I think had a bit of tunnel vision. She was saying I HAD to get DS registered for nursery. When I managed to speak to someone in the local council (they were having a training day when I first called but when I got through I spoke to someone very helpful), they said I didn't at all. The lady was very keen for me to take a long and inconvenient bus ride to the school where she was based, but here is a school with pre-school at the end of the street which I know from the neighbours is actually quite nice.

I just got so overwhelmed and felt that I was failing my darling little one by not getting him registered for school now. Nor could I find any sort of resource about when to start all the registering on the local authority website (apparently it's the database that caused the trouble according to the very helpful person there).

My situation is that I have been avoiding taking antidepressants when I know I really should take them because I had so wanted a little brother or sister for my little bear, as I am in my forties time is not on my side. I have steeled myself and I am now taking the 'happy pills' and my GP recommends that I stay on them for at least a year. I have had some positive experiences from counselling but they have been far outnumbered by the truly awful ones and I am not ready to go back to that.

There are local term time mums and tots groups and I thought I would start going to one a week and gradually work up to a greater frequency and longer distance.

I think MSE is wonderful. I didn't know how I was going to manage about nursery and feeling that perhaps it was not appropriate but now I feel much better. I have also had some wonderful suggestions for taking my little bear out when I am able on a different thread and I do think that this is a wonderful safe place to come.

Thank you all again for your helpful suggestions.