Is this admission fraud? AIBU to report it?

My understanding is that refugees have a five year visa, after which they can apply for indefinite leave to remain. If that’s the case they won’t be leaving in a year.
You do seem to know an awful lot about your neighbour, her extended family, who’s paying which bills and their finances in general . I don’t know that level of detail about my own family, let along my neighbours!

There’s a village near us with a very sought after school and rentals are handed down person to person by private connection. It’s galling because these families could afford the private sector.

I don’t think it’s illegal though? It’s certainly unethical.

That's why (non-grammar) the sibling priority rule is being removed by many counties. So parents can't rent somewhere for the first child, but then move as they are guaranteed a place for the others. Sibling priority must be banned all over the country - the catchment rule should be the same for anyone.

But here? It's legal, they ARE renting a property, and the only rule is the address at time of applying (or whenever that is)

It's legal, it's fine, you might not like it, but there's nothing to report.

Good thing if it also helps refugiees at the same time, it does some good.

They moved nearer to the school.

Just because you don't like it doesn't mean you can predict with certainty or have any proof that they will move back to their other house. So there's nothing you can do.

How do you know so much about this family? You know their kid's 11 plus score, everything about their housing situation, their relatives finances, despite them not even being friends?

Seriously. That rent could have bought a crazy amount of extra tuition.

And do they really allocate places based on proximity to the school gate and not just if you’re in the catchment?

Life is a lot happier and far less stressful if you just mind your own business.

I mean you did the same, you had the money to buy there when others can’t. And if she plans to live there a year it’s perfectly legit.

Oh stoppit 😂😂

Honestly OP. Report this! Part of my job used to be investigating school place fraud. This isn’t fair. There is more than one way to skin a cat, so I can think of lots of things that can be done to catch her out.

I know some local authorities have wised up to this tactic and have rules in place to remove school places obtained in this way.

I would let the council know.

She’s doing what she can legally with her money, same as you did when you bought your house. It all sounds quite unpleasant but you’re both playing the same game.

Me too. Injustice gets to me all the day long.

Sadly this is just typical of the inherently unfair grammar school system. I live in a grammar area - houses are ridiculously overpriced to begin with so people are priced out of the area straight away. Then you're up against people who have the money to spend on hours of tuition (sometimes per day, I kid you not!) so you're priced out on that level. Then you have people out of catchment who have to score higher than local children to get in, and they are are really giving it their all with the tutors and learning which means fewer local children achieve the pass mark (a set % pass). I was on a group chat where people were literally touring the country taking 11+ exams and would decide where to move based on where they got offers. And then of course you have the people cheating the system or making sneaky moves like your friend to get in too.

This year I know fewer local children than ever who got into our local grammar, and certainly none who hadn't paid for excessive tutoring. The whole thing is just pointless and awful (and yes, my child did pass when she took it so I'm not bitter!).

She took an extreme action (renting and a temporary move) to ensure her child got a place. You thought you had done enough by buying close to the school and you're frustrated to discover you haven't.

She's played by the rules of the game but not the spirit. But then, however moral and upstanding we like to think we are, most of us do whatever we have to, to get what our children need. Be that a school place, a diagnosis or some help.

If she’s moving into newly rented house there is nothing you can do

Surelyif you report it they wont offer her daughter the place.

This is very common practice. I do see your point OP but I don’t know what good reporting it will do. There is a row of houses not far from here opposite a v sought after secondary and it’s so well known that people do this that it’s known colloquially as ‘renters’ row’.

How can you not see how unfair it is that your own money bought your own children an advantage over other children. There will always be someone with more money so welcome to real life for the majority.

Zero sympathy

It’s legal. Annoying for you but legal.

I'm not sure it's entirely ethical to report something like this based on an account shared in innocence and trust by a young child in your home. The child thought they were with a friend / most likely didn't think at all.

I don't know, if it were me and my child ended up not getting in and that child did... maybe I would consider reporting them, if they were going to end up in a crap school. Though who knows if it would make a difference... and I wouldn't kid myself that any of it was about ethics.

Elon Musk with his Hobbit comment comes to mind.

Report, in my borough the fact she still owns her real house would make this fraud.