Using NRP's address to queue jump for admissions to oversubscribed secondary school ...

[Mintyy]

How can this be justified? Any ideas?

[prh47bridge]

It can't. People come up with all kinds of justifications around how bad the system is but, if successful, the parents have taken away a place from the child who, according to the rules, should have been given it. And if the parents concerned are found out the child could lose their place even after they have started school.

[Mintyy]

In your experience do most oversubscribed schools allow it? What if the parents have joint custody?

[prh47bridge]

In my experience LAs and schools where there is a history of this kind of thing are generally pretty hot on looking for parents using the wrong address and taking action when they find evidence. LAs generally have been tightening up on this for a number of years.

The LA (or the school if it is an academy or a VA school) will have rules on which address is to be used if parents have joint custody. A few will allow the parents to choose. Most will insist on using the address where the child lives for most of the week.

[Lonecatwithkitten]

Just because I am curious prh what happens if there is true 50:50 care? I had heard destination of the child benefit determined it, but what happens if neither parent is eligible for child benefit?
At one point both ExH and I earned over £60K each and DD was with me Monday and Thursday night and every other weekend and ExH the other 50% of the time.

[micah]

I've seen it done. Most people here seem to have the attitude that secondary school places are so competitive you do whatever it takes, and don't seem to feel guilty at all.

One school here it's not uncommon to rent a flat nearby for the address.

I've also seen it done for other things, sports teams etc.

[Mintyy]

What has happened here is that the partner who has left the family home is renting a flat near the outstanding school. The much larger family home where the other partner is staying is way outside the catchment area. Doubt very much that the partner in the flat is going to have full joint custody (it is a large family) ... will the school give a place on the basis of this new address? I'll be a little bit if so.

[purpleroses]

I don't think a 50-50 split is that rare. I know at least 3 families that do it. (All 3 do Mon and Tue night with one parent, Wed and Thu with the other, then alternate the weekends) In my LA you can choose which is the main home in that situation.

But would think that a 50-50 residence would normally require both parents to have space for the children to stay so doesn't sound very likely in the case you describe. You can grass them up to the LA if you want, or you think they'll jump the queue over your own DC

[Lonecatwithkitten]

So Tiggy if you have true 50:50 over all nights, no child benefit and two registered addresses (this is possible at some doctors surgeries) you have to request that the LA makes a decision for you?

[Lonecatwithkitten]

Thank you I am just curious as at one point my DD's situation was exactly as I describe.

[CatherineofMumbles]

It depends also on how vigilant he LA are. I know a split family who played the system to get their eldest DC into a school. They preferred another school for the younger 2 Dc, and so used the other address.
unless someone complains they may not do too much forensic digging.

[micah]

I think the ones I know simply said the favourable address was the one the child lived at. Nobody checked as far as I know.

Presumably if you get child benefit paid there for the 6 months you are in the application system, how are they going to monitor where the child sleeps?

[admission]

As we are talking about a secondary place here there is another major stumbling block. The child will presumably be in a primary school at present and each pupil has an individual number to ensure that they are talking about the right pupil. The school will have a registered address for the pupil which is on this pupil record.
It does not take a genius to work out that if parents put in a secondary school application with a different address then red flags will wave and alarm bells will go off. The parents will be asked to confirm exactly where the child is living and once flagged up as "suspicious" they will be monitored and a knock on the door one evening will not be unusual, especially if it is a school which is usually oversubscribed.
The odds are that anybody doing this will be caught and they will loose the place. Parents need to think about the effect this could have on their child and not just assume they can get away with anything they want.

[purpleroses]

Tiggy - my LA specifically state that on a true 50-50 they will use whichever address is favourable to the school the DC has applied to. Some people have court orders that state a 50-50 residence. The fact that some things like GPs may require a "primary" address didn't actually mean the child has one main home not two equal ones.

[MirandaWest]

Just looked at my LEA - if the time spent with parents is equal then the parents should jointly decide which address to use. I could see that potentially causing problems.

[Mintyy]

In my example its just another case of the parents playing the system. They won't be queue jumping over us, but they will over others who live within the tiny catchment.

Must say I have been shocked at what parents are prepared to do to get their child into the so-called destination school in my area. Really shocked and a tiny bit judgey.

[CatherineofMumbles]

At a nearby primary a few years ago there was a plague spate of parents 'splitting', one moving out to a flat very close to the school, applying and getting a place and then 'reuniting' when the child was admitted.
Don't know if that still happens, but people could argue the child spends equal time, presumably even if not court order - if the parents just have an amicable agreement.

[admission]

In terms of parents "splitting" it does take a certain type of person to be able to carry this off for the 9 months that is would be necessary.
I can remember 2 occasions over the last ten years where parents were found out in this scam and then came to appeal to try and "rationalise" their actions before the panel as needing to do the absolute best for their child. My reaction is that I think they need to look at the damage they are doing to their child with their obsession to be at the "right" school. One of the two cases I can remember even took the case to the LGO but quite rightly they would not even contemplate investigating it.
If the parents, who have split, are being reasonable then a 50/50 time with both parents might well be the expected outcome and certainly my LA says that then it is up to the parents to jointly nominate a school. If they cannot agree then the LA will nominate for them.

[Greenfizzywater]

GP surgeries will not allow two registered addresses so I suppose that could be a tie breaker.
(I'm a GP)

[Lonecatwithkitten]

Greenfizz my doctors surgery allows two addresses as does my dentist.

[Greenfizzywater]

But one must be the registered address, the other would just be kept on record, maybe as an alert. We would certainly be happy to copy letters etc to both parents, but only one address would be the official registered one on the notes.