Cheating admission system

To my knowledge it's only the oversubscribed schools that have checks. It doesn't matter where you live if the school isn't oversubscribed.

I suspect that the school changed its admissions policy because it seems unjust that a school couldn’t be used by the majority of young people in the area.

What school are you likely to be offered if you stay where you are? Have you looked at it? Do you know anyone with a child there? It might be good, even if the other has a reputation for being “better”. In my experience, a lot of the angst - I did enough of it myself - over schools isn’t worth it in the end. I have two friends who sent their DC to the same very highly regarded and sought after C of E school. Both sets of parents were very disappointed with it in the end.

It will ask on the application form, how long at this address etc and potentially to upload supporting documents. Then you sign a declaration that the information is correct. For a faith school you normally have to submit an extra form which the appropriate faith leader signs about attendance and participation. Where will your other child be at school if your dc1 gets this place? How will you manage a commute?

They ask on applications. (I think???)

You would have to lie on a form. I couldn't do that myself.

What's the sibling rule OP?

If you do this fake move to get child #1 in, will you have to do it all over again to child #2 in?

Sounds like your child has had to deal with a lot of moves and long commutes in the car and lots more of those are being planned for her.
She would probably be happier and thrive and succeed if you settle in one house and send her to a local school. And her younger sibling even more so.

I am considering doing similar.

The address you apply from MUST be the address you are living at or you are cheating the system and will probably be found out. So you actually need to move into the rented property - change it to your main address for council tax, bank, child benefit etc so you have proof.

We can move back after the offers are made (March) but check if yours is the same. The admissions policy for my area just says something about being the address you are living at at the time the application is submitted and that you must update them if you move.

It's not illegal and you won't get caught because you aren't doing anything wrong. You are filling in a form which asks your usual address at that time and you are giving the honest answer. If it asks whether you intend to move/when you intend to move then that is different.

If you’re applying for places for next year applications close in 6 weeks. If you were to suddenly move now then it would be very obvious! Chances of getting your house the right legal things to rent out and a tenant in that time are slim too!

Sorry, on reflection OP I’m not sure the second school I mention would allow your plan. I know people who have bought a second home in catchment, moved into it for 18+ months and then moved back to their out of catchment home. I don’t know if just renting in catchment would have been enough.

You would need to be very careful - as others say you’d need to be able to produce a proper AST agreement and if the rent in that was obviously below market I think that might raise eyebrows.

OP you really need to get to the bottom of the admissions policy for this particular school. Those who are saying you’ll be fine if you keep your current house and rent in catchment might be entirely wrong! This is the guidance published by one of two very oversubscribed secondaries near me. If you rent in catchment and hold on to a home out of catchment (even if you rent that out) then they will not consider your rental property to be your permanent address. If they offer your child a place and then find out you did this they will withdraw the place (including after your child has started).

The other oversubscribed secondary in our area does not have the same rule, so you could get away with your plan provided you genuinely moved to the rental property, had a tenancy of at least a year and (I think) stay there at least until the end of the first term of school. They do not however publish their rules in as much detail as attached so you don’t know what is and isn’t “allowed”.

But in either instance if you move into catchment less than a year before the application cut off they will absolutely scrutinise you and want full evidence that you have really moved. So they want to see energy bills showing you are actually living at the rental property, will check which address you have registered with your current primary and lots more.

would I do what you are suggesting? Yes, but only if I could satisfy myself that the school would allow it. If it does, you’re not breaking the rules, as if the school wanted to they could have explicitly banned it like the first school I mention.

Why should you be able to buy a better education by being able to afford a house in a nicer area.

I think the logic behind this is that people living closer to the school pay council tax etc which can fund the schools. Coming from out of catchment you aren't contributing to the local area in the same way.

ctirwued sorry typo. Critiqued.

Have you even done any open evening visits to any schools (Inc this one)? If not, then considering selling your home to move closer to a school you've not even viewed, or ctirwued against other schools nearby is actual batshittery.

Absolutely I would do it! The schooling system is this country is crap and unfair anyway. Why should you be able to buy a better education by being able to afford a house in a nicer area.

What I would do is put my house up for sale at an unrealistic price and rent the other house. If anyone questions you then you are in the process of selling in. Give it a year, you get no good offers, you go back to it.

Yes agree. I don't think anyone is saying that selling up now and buying or renting near the school is immoral. But that was not what you suggested?

You need to look up
the admissions policy on residence, they are usually pretty strict and potentially you may not be able to do this. If you can legitimately fulfil the criteria then I think you’re as entitles as anyone else. Personally I think it’s vastly unfair that state schools are allowed to use any faith criteria and don’t really see why the ability to buy in a much more expensive area are ‘fair’. Obviously you shouldn’t lie but if you genuinely meet the criteria then you’re just as entitled as anyone else

That's nothing to do with the point I was making. I had understoof your situation. Children talk about where they've come from and where they live and how long they've lived there.

But coming from a primary 20 miles away will be unusual even for a faith school.

This is exactly what I was going to sat. People will find out via your child. It will be prompted by them being the only child coming in from out of area as the primary school is so far away.

Further to what I've already said other parents often get to know because the child involved tells people. It's very unfair for parents to encourage children to lie for them.

You can try and cover it up and take a chance but they way lots of parents are found out are by other parents telling the School Admissions dept that fraud is being committed. This is then investigated and can result in the place given being removed. This is often very embarrassing for the child who then has to explain to friends why they are no longer going to the school they've told all their friends they are going to. The stats regarding who gets in from where on what criteria will change every year so should only be used as a rough guide.

If you actually move to the rental there is nothing wrong with it. Only devious if you don't actually move. Stick it out for a year then move back if you can't rent out your house. I say that as a Christian.

It will say in the admissions criteria for the school.

Of course the privileged cheat, but as a Christian OP must refuse to sink to that level