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Original poster

Wrong address on school register

90 replies

Tryingiton · 18/06/2026 19:27

I work in a school. If a parent has not changed their address on the school register because they moved in with their boyfriend ( had another baby with him ) almost two years ago would you ask for their current address? I suspect it’s because they have not declared they are living together. We have had lots of dads over the years who lived with their mothers ?? Except they didn’t. I live locally so it’s not a well kept secret.
Do you know anyone who has done the same thing ? Would you report them to UC?

OP posts:
Differentforgirls · 20/06/2026 14:32

BennyHenny · 20/06/2026 14:27

It blows my mind that you are so bothered about this 😂 I have never had a letter posted by the school, they’ve always come by email or given to my child. Schools don’t have the budget for the number of stamps they’d need to send forms by post.

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They get a stamp budget from the LA.

BennyHenny · 20/06/2026 14:27

Differentforgirls · 20/06/2026 12:26

No data form?

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It blows my mind that you are so bothered about this 😂 I have never had a letter posted by the school, they’ve always come by email or given to my child. Schools don’t have the budget for the number of stamps they’d need to send forms by post.

Differentforgirls · 20/06/2026 12:26

BennyHenny · 20/06/2026 09:31

Exactly, I’ve never had a letter from a primary school, it’s all emails and apps.

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No data form?

Thechaseison71 · 20/06/2026 09:46

BennyHenny · 20/06/2026 09:31

Exactly, I’ve never had a letter from a primary school, it’s all emails and apps.

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Even when my eldest was fat primary ( over 25 years ago) we never had letters posted. They were sent home to live in the bottom of school bags

PicaK · 20/06/2026 09:42

If you work in a school then you'll know that you are meant to regularly check to ensure your data is up to date and the parents are required to update you if they move.
Presumably you have sent out data held forms for 2 years and had no response?
If not send them out - cleanse your data - and politely query it.
Knowing most parents it's a total oversight.

BennyHenny · 20/06/2026 09:31

Thechaseison71 · 19/06/2026 21:15

Letters? In this day and age?

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Exactly, I’ve never had a letter from a primary school, it’s all emails and apps.

Thechaseison71 · 19/06/2026 21:15

Differentforgirls · 19/06/2026 17:37

Oh right. Ok. But as a matter of interest, if the school were sending letters to home addresses, how would you know?

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Letters? In this day and age?

Differentforgirls · 19/06/2026 17:37

BennyHenny · 19/06/2026 17:30

I’m not in Scotland though so that doesn’t apply. If that was the rule, I’d follow it.

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Oh right. Ok. But as a matter of interest, if the school were sending letters to home addresses, how would you know?

BennyHenny · 19/06/2026 17:30

Differentforgirls · 19/06/2026 17:15

Well they do in Scotland. If you move out of the catchment, you have to submit a "request to remain" and lose any school transport you had. Is it really that lax where you live? What about children waiting for a place?

Edited
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I’m not in Scotland though so that doesn’t apply. If that was the rule, I’d follow it.

Differentforgirls · 19/06/2026 17:15

BennyHenny · 19/06/2026 17:07

Why would that matter? They don’t chuck your kids out of school if you move out of catchment, and you have to put your current home address on secondary applications 🤷🏻‍♀️

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Well they do in Scotland. If you move out of the catchment, you have to submit a "request to remain" and lose any school transport you had. Is it really that lax where you live? What about children waiting for a place?

BennyHenny · 19/06/2026 17:07

Differentforgirls · 19/06/2026 15:00

Did you move out of the catchment?

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Why would that matter? They don’t chuck your kids out of school if you move out of catchment, and you have to put your current home address on secondary applications 🤷🏻‍♀️

Differentforgirls · 19/06/2026 15:00

BennyHenny · 18/06/2026 19:31

I’d check you’re not breaking any data protection laws before you start disclosing someone’s address. And no, I wouldn’t report them based on gossip, it didn’t occur to me to change my address with the school when we moved house as my email and phone number stayed the same.

Did you move out of the catchment?

Letsgetreadytorhumble · 19/06/2026 14:52

Does the address on file happen to be a location specifically needed for the child to be in the catchment area?

NearlyNewNonny · 19/06/2026 12:35

Surely she still has the old address though and is paying for it for this to work?

ProfessorSlocombe · 19/06/2026 12:24

Getbackinthebox · 19/06/2026 11:56

Why not frame it as an administrative update and ask all parents to provide up to date address details? If she lies then you have to think what to do next. Is it a popular school with a small catchment? May she be going to attempt to get the younger child in based on her old address? If so I assume she still has that address but isn't using it?

GDPR places an onus on the data controller to ensure their records are accurate and up to date. As ever the word "reasonable" does a lot of heavy lifting in the legalese. However using the obvious technique of looking at what is not unreasonable (little legal tip there) then an annual confirmation of address and contact details is entirely not unreasonable.

Getbackinthebox · 19/06/2026 11:56

Why not frame it as an administrative update and ask all parents to provide up to date address details? If she lies then you have to think what to do next. Is it a popular school with a small catchment? May she be going to attempt to get the younger child in based on her old address? If so I assume she still has that address but isn't using it?

dizzydizzydizzy · 19/06/2026 11:51

Tryingiton · 18/06/2026 19:37

Obviously I’m not going to actually report her( unless I can work out how to do it anonymously ). If UC actually checked addresses with schools they could really crack down on benefit fraud.

https://www.gov.uk/report-benefit-fraud

it says it’s anonymous

Report benefit fraud

Report someone committing benefit fraud - you can report anonymously.

https://www.gov.uk/report-benefit-fraud

BatFeminist · 19/06/2026 11:49

Exemptions are for disclosing to police during active investigations?

Thechaseison71 · 19/06/2026 11:42

Tryingiton · 18/06/2026 19:44

Because she needs school to she’s difference address to the new boyfriend . We have had several cases of daddies living with their mummies over the years. Except they don’t. It’s to maximise benefits.

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How do you know this?

ProfessorSlocombe · 19/06/2026 11:38

BatFeminist · 18/06/2026 19:32

It’s none of your business

if you report you are breaking the law. GDPR

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The GDPR legislation has exceptions and processes to allow for law enforcement.

hay5689 · 19/06/2026 11:19

Tryingiton · 18/06/2026 21:38

Probably because lots of them have boyfriends who also live with their mummies?
Obviously I’m not going to risk my job for a benefit cheat. Will be interesting to see what the response is when I ask for the updated address to add to the system. And yes the info was sent home in September but obviously wasn’t changed by the parent.

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Yes that’s it. We are all worried now in case it’s us you are reporting 🙄 Honestly you come across as really hating this woman and it’s not a good look.

Baconandonions · 18/06/2026 21:42

BerryTwister · 18/06/2026 21:30

It’s always a mistake to ask this on MN, because most people on here support benefit fraud. They also support not reporting abusive parents. It’s strange.

I don’t support benefit fraud and I don’t support abuse.

Equally, I don’t support a gossip who works in a school, thinking, they know the facts, when they do not, reporting someone on gossip.

@Tryingiton clearly feels bitter about working and is directing this bitterness towards all the apparent fraudsters at her school.

Report based on FACT not on information assumed via your workplace.

AppleKatie · 18/06/2026 21:41

There’s two things here- firstly you have access to her personal details through work and you shouldn’t use these for any purpose other than work.

secondly - you have heard local gossip about her moving in with a boyfriend and not declaring it to UC, you don’t have any evidence of this (even your school address access only proves she’s lax at admin nothing else). By all means report the gossip you’ve heard anonymously online but do not jeopardise your job by compromising yourself in this way.

Also your bitterness isn’t a good look.

Original poster
Tryingiton · 18/06/2026 21:38

BerryTwister · 18/06/2026 21:30

It’s always a mistake to ask this on MN, because most people on here support benefit fraud. They also support not reporting abusive parents. It’s strange.

Probably because lots of them have boyfriends who also live with their mummies?
Obviously I’m not going to risk my job for a benefit cheat. Will be interesting to see what the response is when I ask for the updated address to add to the system. And yes the info was sent home in September but obviously wasn’t changed by the parent.

OP posts:
BatFeminist · 18/06/2026 21:34

There’s a world of difference between supporting benefit fraud and not wanting to tell tales on someone whose life you know very little about.