How soon do I have to worry about primary schools_

tooposhtopush · Postby **tooposhtopush** » Mon Jul 27, 2009 5:40 pm

Hi
I don't seem to be able to go to a dinner party without someone telling me I am "too late" for all the decent schools around South West London. I have a couple of children, four and one and a half. The four year old is sorted but surely they don't need to be on lists for the one and a half year old. We're thinking of sending them both to private (eldest is at state at moment)

How soon do I need to be acting to get in?

Thanks

TPTP

tamara · Postby **tamara** » Mon Jul 27, 2009 5:42 pm

depends what you want.

For primary schools you need to apply sometime in advance but its not too long. I think its the Jan of the year they start but I need to check. For private schools it really varies. For Finton House you are probably too late. For Thomas they do a test so you need to get on the list asap but it doesn' guarantee you a place.

Where werwe you thinking?

T

tooposhtopush · Postby **tooposhtopush** » Mon Jul 27, 2009 5:43 pm

State if we can get in.

Hornsby, Finton or Thomas' if we can't

TPTP

coldatchristmas · Postby **coldatchristmas** » Mon Jul 27, 2009 5:44 pm

you're not too late but you're not early either, for private ones I mean

Claphammum · Postby **Claphammum** » Mon Jul 27, 2009 5:48 pm

seriously? at one and a half? we're not looking at the Sorbonne here!

tooposhtopush · Postby **tooposhtopush** » Mon Jul 27, 2009 5:49 pm

not yet

Laura&Lottie · Postby **Laura&Lottie** » Tue Jul 28, 2009 11:58 am

I put my daughter down for Thomas's at 10 months. With private schools it really is best to get their name on the list asap, then you'll be called to take any tests / interviews when they reach 3 (or so).

Thankfully we're moving into the Honeywell cathcment now (she's 3 now), you apply there between the September and following January befor ethe September they're due to start. So for mine we'll apply after this September, for her to start next September.

Minus a year from that to apply to their nursery though. We've mised that one !

Feel quite ill at the money I wasted registering her at various private schools though, though very happy to move into the Honeywell catchment of course. So beware of pouring good money after bad ...... I'd choose two schools only, so as not to throw money away (if I had my time again !!).

catief · Postby **catief** » Tue Jul 28, 2009 12:26 pm

At the insistance of my husband I put our son down for Eaton House, Thomas' and one other (can't even remember) at 6 weeks old. By that stage I was told he could have a place at two of them but only waiting list for the other and for the nurseries I was told "all the June babies have been registered you'll have to go on the waiting list...". No joke. And of course they all cost you money, waiting list or not. Ridiculous. We are moving to Scotland now so all a big waste of money...

Laura&Lottie · Postby **Laura&Lottie** » Tue Jul 28, 2009 12:59 pm

catief wrote:At the insistance of my husband I put our son down for Eaton House, Thomas' and one other (can't even remember) at 6 weeks old. By that stage I was told he could have a place at two of them but only waiting list for the other and for the nurseries I was told "all the June babies have been registered you'll have to go on the waiting list...". No joke. And of course they all cost you money, waiting list or not. Ridiculous. We are moving to Scotland now so all a big waste of money...

I feel your pain. Wish I hadn't got caught up in the private school frenzy.

But I wasn't too convinced we'd move, so had to do something to avoid the dreadful state ones local to us at the time

Not a pleasant experience for my first taste of school life, but you live and learn I guess. *sigh*