Moving into rented accommodation in the catchment area-when can I safely move back?

Is there not someone at the LEA you could bribe? That might be cheaper than renting? Or try Catholicism?

Are the schools near you really awful? Bear in mind that schools scoring less than "good" via OFSTED" are now deemed to need improvement. So if a local school is "good" via OFSTED it should in theory be okay.

It is a minefield....I am in an area where a third of schools have been in special measures but are being improved. One school had a massive jump in GCSE A-C passes over two years with a new head.

Have you looked at results over the past few years in any local schools to see if there is an upward trend? You might be surprised.... Or you might not if they really are dire.

Your You're

See I'm so incredulous I can't even post straight

Yeah your a real hero of the people

I feel for you OP as you just want the best option for your child. You will get a kicking for asking this though. What you are intending to do will deprive another child who genuinely lives in the area of a place.

If you were saying that you would be renting and living there for the duration then fair enough...you would be living in and contributing to the community. To just rent until you have the school, place is wrong.....and the place CAN be withdrawn if the LA find you are living elsewhere before the place is taken up.

If you do elect to do this though then you are looking at renting for at least a year...at the very least until your DD starts at the school. After that I am guessing it won't matter if you move.....sometimes things change and people DO move but elect to leave their children in a school for continuity...especially if they have settled.

Are the schools any nearer especially dire? I honestly DO feel for you as it's easy to judge other people's actions when you are not in the same situation. I am fortunate to have a reasonable choice of schools locally and not have to worry about this.

I think you need to bear in mind that if you do this then you are depriving a child who is genuinely entitled to be there to a place in this school. Perhaps this doesn't concern you.

In which case you need to be aware that this is not going to be as simple as you think. You will need to physically move into the rented home for quite some time. If you keep your old house and do not rent it out the LEA can check council tax records to make a decision about which is your true address (and may well decide that suspiciously renting in catchment just before applications are due makes this a false address even if you are actually living there full time).

They can also ask for which doctor you are registered with to check you are not really still living in your 'old' area.

Most LEAs state that the address on the form must be your child?s permanent place of residence. It should not be a business, relative or child minder?s address. You are not permitted to use a temporarily rented address to secure a school place for your child. It is fraud.

The LEA will investigate any cases where there are any doubts - such as recent moves.

Any application that uses false information may be subject to legal proceedings. If an application is found to be fraudulent after a place has been offered, the place will normally be withdrawn.

The school would be well within it's rights to withdraw the place they have offered your child if you move out of the catchment area even once they have started school. Schools are well aware of parents who try stunts like this to get into a 'good' school - and are on their guard against it.

I don't know who you spoke to at the LEA but it sounds like whoever answered was puzzled and wondering 'why is this woman asking me about making what is clearly a false application?

Unbelievable.

Never. You have to stay always in the catchment area.
If you do it to play the game that is really bang out of order for the honest people that live within the catchment area.
thankfully councils are getting wise to this horrible practice, and revoking the place, even when the child has been attending the school.

Puzzled by your question? Do you mean they couldn't believe your brass neck?

You're a cheeky madam asking how to defraud someone else's child out of a place so yours can have his/her place.