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To be annoyed a friend lied about their address on a school application to get into an oversubscribed school

371 replies

Liverpoollass2 · 05/05/2024 20:44

I've recently found out a friend has lied on their school application by using another family members address to get their child into an oversubscribed school. The school is one I would have considered but would have been unlikely to get in as its very popular. Friend lives quite far but plans to move within the next few years closer to the school so wants their child at the school now. Its just annoyed me as I know many people who didn't get a place who are more local and feels Iike friend is misusing the system. Friend was able to get a letter with their name on it at the address by signing up for a credit card/store card I believe. I know its none of my business but I just feel annoyed about it now

OP posts:
SuuzeeeQ · 06/05/2024 06:40

Mnetcurious · 05/05/2024 23:48

Wrong, they do at my children’s school, clearly stated on the admissions criteria.

Also at my local secondary.
it’s
LAC
siblings
children of staff
distance (catchment area is 0.5m 😭)

SuuzeeeQ · 06/05/2024 06:37

Needtofixmyageingskin · 06/05/2024 05:37

Yes it is. In our borough in London it is for most schools except faith schools.

Did you read the thread?

Aussieland · 06/05/2024 05:45

Liverpoollass2 · 05/05/2024 20:52

I don't know if I could actually report them, i would feel too guilty, would love them to be caught out

Well they won’t be caught out if no one tells anyone. If you don’t want to intervene then I guess you just need to accept it

Needtofixmyageingskin · 06/05/2024 05:37

SuuzeeeQ · 05/05/2024 21:32

The top criteria is never distance OP

Yes it is. In our borough in London it is for most schools except faith schools.

user1492757084 · 06/05/2024 05:17

Will the child be living with the family member until they move house as a family? If so, would that would be okay? Are they already in the process of moving?
It is unscrupulous, otherwise.
It's clear that there needs to be access to better schooling for more kids everywhere.

Babycote · 06/05/2024 05:14

WittiestUsernameEver · 05/05/2024 21:43

Well, what would you have happen to the 300 applicants for the 60 places available at our village school? They all get to attend??

In (some) other countries this is what happens. The popular schools get bigger. They hire teachers and build classrooms. They get more money to do so as they have more students. The unpopular schools go under.

Snackarooney · 06/05/2024 04:31

Same has happened to us with my best friend and her daughter.

We live in catchment area but that comes after EHCP, looked after children & feeder schools.

Friend lives in a different LA but here we don't show council tax bills any bill, statement, dwp/hmrc letter will do and only the top of the letter with name and address. Her mum lives 2 streets from me and they have the same name. She used her mums address. Her daughter isn't in a feeder school and she lives 4.7 miles from the school I'm 1.1 My friend passes her mum's on her way to work so will drop her daughter there as its on the school bus route.

I'm so angry it's unreal so i understand and weve got every right to be upset and angry. I'm appealing got my date and time for Wednesday this week, terrified doesn't come close to how I feel. Sitting infront of a panel scares me it's over teams and that makes me feel worse than if it were to be in person.

I'd never report her though, if my ds doesn't get in by appeal I'll take it as its not meant to be but his allocated school is 4.5 miles away, nearest bus stop is 1.8 miles walk away. School starts at 8:30 he'd have to leave home at 6:50 and walk a route that I as an adult won't walk certainly not on a dark winter morning. He's on the asd pathway and I'm about to apply for ehcp just awkward with him due to leave primary 🤦‍♀️ hopefully I can name proffered school on that all being well but for now we've accepted allocated school and will just have to get on with it.

I'm not wishing bad on my friends daughter but I'd like karma to bite her on the bum and for some reason (nothing nasty or bad) daughter wants to leave and go to a school in her own la near home with friends she's been in primary school with.

Everything happens for a reason I keep telling my ds the allocated school must be meant to be and we don't know why yet but one day we will see why...... I say this to him through gritted teeth then go and cry somewhere though 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️ don't report her though just do you and it will all work out

bloodyplumbing · 06/05/2024 03:07

Roundandroundtheworld · 05/05/2024 20:51

Long story short but we were the family who missed a place at local grammar school. Child got there eventually but the anger I felt was immeasurable. We went to Ombudsman with a lot of evidence. Yep a child got booted out and I don’t feel guilty….parents shouldn’t have lied on application!

Bloody well done you! 👏

Mix56 · 06/05/2024 02:32

I made an appointment & said that my child was in their catchment area, we paid our school taxes in that town. that DS's place was potentially being given to a, b, c, d, & e. & if there were no places then they needed to do their housekeeping as I would be taking this further, starting with the Mayor & the Academy.
(I dont live in the UK)

Sometimeswinning · 05/05/2024 23:58

Liverpoollass2 · 05/05/2024 23:39

But how? Just ring the school, she'd guess it was a friend as im sure she's not told a lot of people

Don’t do this. You’re suppose to be a friend! Don’t listen to people on mumsnet. I wouldn’t do this to someone I didn’t even like. Far too invested. Be annoyed but leave the school to figure it out.

ReelingRoundtheFountain · 05/05/2024 23:53

strawberryandtomato · 05/05/2024 23:46

Oh stop being such a martyr about it. Life happens. Distance is whatever. We can't get our kid into the school we want because we can't afford to pay double our mortgage. Why should my kid suffer for that criteria. We work within 100m of the school. We may not live there.
Everyone innings rms about something so ridiculous. It's not drink driving. It's really not a big deal. You do what you can as a parent to benefit your child.
I'm willing to be flamed here. This is a hill I'm willing to die on.

When my daughter missed out on a place at our local school by 8 metres because of cheeky feckers like in the OP story it certainly bloody felt like a big deal to her and to me.

I don't agree with it, but one might argue that most times someone drink drives, they don't crash and there is no victim. Every time a parent lies like this, another child who should have been given a place misses out as a direct consequence. I am not saying it's worse than drink driving, but I certainly don't think it's as trivial as you claim. If you did it I hope you get caught.

Mnetcurious · 05/05/2024 23:48

JulianCasa · 05/05/2024 21:44

Children of staff never get priority!

Wrong, they do at my children’s school, clearly stated on the admissions criteria.

strawberryandtomato · 05/05/2024 23:46

Oh stop being such a martyr about it. Life happens. Distance is whatever. We can't get our kid into the school we want because we can't afford to pay double our mortgage. Why should my kid suffer for that criteria. We work within 100m of the school. We may not live there.
Everyone innings rms about something so ridiculous. It's not drink driving. It's really not a big deal. You do what you can as a parent to benefit your child.
I'm willing to be flamed here. This is a hill I'm willing to die on.

Mnetcurious · 05/05/2024 23:44

Liverpoollass2 · 05/05/2024 23:39

But how? Just ring the school, she'd guess it was a friend as im sure she's not told a lot of people

Yes, or send an anonymous letter. It’s unlikely you’re the sole person they’ve told, and unlikely that the school would say that someone has reported them. More likely they’d say it has “come to their attention“ that the child doesn’t live at the address, or similar.

Mnetcurious · 05/05/2024 23:40

Ebony69 · 05/05/2024 21:40

Neither could I. Of course it’s wrong of the parents. But if you’re going to report this family to the school, at least have the balls to tell them that you’re doing it. Otherwise it’s a really sneaky stab in the back against someone who you describe as a friend.

Edited

“Stab in the back”?! The parents deserve nothing less, they have ‘stabbed in the back’ the families who actually deserve a place there. Then they’ve bragged about their dirty deeds.

Liverpoollass2 · 05/05/2024 23:39

Mnetcurious · 05/05/2024 23:32

REPORT! You could do it anonymously. They are depriving genuinely deserving local families of a place. It’s dishonest and unfair.

But how? Just ring the school, she'd guess it was a friend as im sure she's not told a lot of people

OP posts:
VillageGreenPS · 05/05/2024 23:36

I would consider reporting. It's so unfair on the children near the top of the waiting list.

VestaTilley · 05/05/2024 23:35

Report them. It’s fraud.

Mnetcurious · 05/05/2024 23:32

REPORT! You could do it anonymously. They are depriving genuinely deserving local families of a place. It’s dishonest and unfair.

WigglyVonWaggly · 05/05/2024 23:23

I’m a teacher and I’d report them. They’ve cheated another child out of a place at their local school by lying. Not on at all.

saturnspinkhoop · 05/05/2024 23:21

MolkosTeenageAngst · 05/05/2024 22:54

Unfortunately schools are able to contest admissions for children with EHCPs so they don’t always get priority unless the school is actually named on the EHCP by the local authority.

You’re right and that’s what I meant, albeit badly worded. I have a child with an EHCP, so unfortunately have experience with how it works.

ThatRoseBear · 05/05/2024 23:06

We moved house part way through the school year, the local school was over subscribed. When we eventually got offered places I had to show a council tax bill and proof that we were registered with a local GP. I would be seriously pissed off if my child wasn't offered a place because of people pulling fast ones

Liverpoollass2 · 05/05/2024 23:02

getsomehelp · 05/05/2024 22:08

I dobbed in several cheaters. 2 from another town lost their places.
No regrets, my child had been refused a place with their friends & neighbours. we pay higher taxes in this town.
If they wanted a place they should have moved

How did you dob, did you ring the school directly?

OP posts:
Liverpoollass2 · 05/05/2024 23:01

MolkosTeenageAngst · 05/05/2024 22:58

That’s because schools don’t have any choice regarding admitting children who are LAC or who have the school named on the EHCP so it doesn’t have to be outlined under their admissions criteria, they must admit those children by law. All state funded schools have to give priority to LAC children or where the EHCP names the school. These children have priority even to the extent that even when a school is full they usually still have to admit them and give a place and are allowed to go over the class size limits.

Edited

I don't disagree, its s good thing as these children are most disadvantaged however they are a small minority, for everyone else applying your hone address is the decider which is why im annoyed they lied

OP posts:
MolkosTeenageAngst · 05/05/2024 22:58

Liverpoollass2 · 05/05/2024 22:51

You're wrong, without revealing the school ive copied the start of the criteria, there's 8 listed

1 Children who reside in the .... and whose brothers/sisters, half-brothers/sisters
attend/attended School (Indicate name and year group)
2 Children who reside in the....
3 Children who reside outside of .... but whose brothers/sisters, half-brothers/sisters attend School or Nursery Unit. (Indicate name and year group)

and so it goes, there's no mention of LAC or needs

That’s because schools don’t have any choice regarding admitting children who are LAC or who have the school named on the EHCP so it doesn’t have to be outlined under their admissions criteria, they must admit those children by law. All state funded schools have to give priority to LAC children or where the EHCP names the school. These children have priority even to the extent that even when a school is full they usually still have to admit them and give a place and are allowed to go over the class size limits.