Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Is this admission fraud? AIBU to report it?

907 replies

grammarmom · 24/11/2025 16:21

Here's the situation.

We live in a grammar school catchment area that gets smaller every year. When we bought our house several years ago, it was very comfortably within the catchment for an excellent local grammar (very high in the league tables), and oh boy was it reflected in the price. Now we're right on the boundary. Among the thirty or so houses around us, some children got in last year and some didn't, literally a difference of a few yards.

Another child on our street, who is in the same class as my DC, only just passed the 11+ (a few points above the pass threshold). We live on the same road, but they are about 50 yards further from the school gate. Based on last year's distances, my child would likely get a place while theirs wouldn't.

Over the weekend, during a sleepover, the child mentioned that her mother has now rented a house much closer to the school to secure a higher priority for admission. The tenancy was apparently signed one day before the cut-off date, making it "legal" for admission purposes. She still owns their original home, but the story being presented is that relatives who were previously "homeless" will now live there free of charge, and all bills and utilities have been transferred into those relatives' names (I strongly suspect that the mother will in fact pay these bills as those relatives are penniless).

She's even moved the children's belongings to the rented property and makes them spend nights there (they hate it). There's no doubt that once the school place is obtained, they will move right back.

This effectively pushes my child down the priority list and means they may now miss out.

Would this constitute admissions fraud? It feels incredibly unfair that someone with £40k to spare for rent can effectively buy their way into a top grammar school, especially when their child didn't perform particularly well in the exam (despite being tutored for hours every day).

Should I report this? I have no more detail apart from what this child told me (and they obviously weren't too sure about some aspects of it due to age).

OP posts:
Thread gallery
8
NotrialNodeal · 24/11/2025 16:28

I doubt anything will come of it given it is legal.

grammarmom · 24/11/2025 16:27

Defrostedmariahcarey · 24/11/2025 16:22

If it’s legal, I don’t see what good reporting it will do.

It might be legal on paper. But surely morally very questionable, and intentions must count in a matter like this? She already owns a perfectly nice house that she just invited some extended family to stay for a year to create an impression of moving out. There was no need for her to rent anything at all!

OP posts:
SelfRaisingFlour · 24/11/2025 16:26

Schools know about this trick. I'd probably report it.

Crochetandtea · 24/11/2025 16:24

I’d report it. If it’s legal then nothing will happen but it sounds very dodgy.

Magtime · 24/11/2025 16:23

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

Defrostedmariahcarey · 24/11/2025 16:22

If it’s legal, I don’t see what good reporting it will do.

Swipe left for the next trending thread