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Original poster

I hate to ask and I know it’s bad but…..

179 replies

Cornishwench · 15/09/2021 18:30

Has anyone put a grandparents/relatives address down on a secondary school application form due to being out of catchment and successfully got a placement?
Child is in feeder primary
All family live in area
We live hear but may have to move next year
I know morally it’s wrong but if it’s in the best interest of the child?
Thankyou

OP posts:
Changedname1468 · 16/09/2021 20:10

Which year is this for?

PandorasMailbox · 16/09/2021 20:19

Several parents got caught out at my daughter's school, doing exactly this. The kids lost their places and the parents were named and shamed.

A very unpleasant experience all round. I did feel sorry for the kids, but not the parents.

mayblossominapril · 16/09/2021 20:21

If the address they currently live at is in catchment and they are not going to move until after the applications have been submitted they just use the address they currently live at. If it’s a possible move hold off until application time has passed.
I was in a similar situation where I knew I was going to move but didn’t know where to so applied to the very popular catchment school. As it happens I still haven’t moved but will do this year I won’t be changing schools as in the area I live in there is usually an in year waiting list at most schools as well. Schools are a nightmare when you are moving

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General education
33goingon64 · 16/09/2021 20:21

We live in a heavily oversubscribed area and I have heard that there are people who do this. I just hope for it's not my area and I never meet you.

angela99999 · 16/09/2021 20:26

@IveGotASongThatllGetOnYNerves

Do you have to move? Could you delay the move? If you live in catchment now then you wouldn't be doing anything against the rules if you moved after she was at the school. People move for all sorts of reasons.
This. It's the only way you can do it without risking losing the place later. If you do have other children they should get a place as a sibling later.
saraclara · 16/09/2021 20:33

[quote MyPatronusIsACat]@Cornishwench Of course you know it's wrong. Surely you didn't even need to ask. Confused

Why does the needs of your child trump the needs of others? Hmm[/quote]
You, and all the other posters ganging up on OP should actually read her posts.
This isn't about HER child. It's about a relative wanting to use her address for her own child.

FFS, if you're going to attack someone, get your facts right first.

LidlMiddleLover · 16/09/2021 20:33

Loads do it Yes its immoral but pretty minor Lots also claim religion to get the kids into a specific school which is just the same.

Nottheduchess · 16/09/2021 20:40

Yes we did, the school nearest us was awful, had really bad results. So they went to a school just out of catchment (10 min drive away) and they had a fantastic start to their education. We eventually moved much further away and they changed school but I never regret doing it.

VenusTiger · 16/09/2021 20:50

6 pages in and pps still think it's the OP who wants to do this ffs!

OP, ppl move all the time and take their kids out of school to move them to another school - your family member can't go on 'what ifs' - they will have to tell the council that they'll need definite dates or a definite placement for their child - seeing as it's the council doing this, it's up to them to help your family member out here.

VenusTiger · 16/09/2021 20:55

[quote MyPatronusIsACat]@Cornishwench Of course you know it's wrong. Surely you didn't even need to ask. Confused

Why does the needs of your child trump the needs of others? Hmm[/quote]
It's not the OP's child.

Secondly, the needs of your own child will ALWAYS trump the needs of others. Doesn't mean you don't care about all children.
What a weird thing to say!

tillytoodles1 · 16/09/2021 20:56

Can the child stay in the village with family from Mon-Thu, then go home after shcool on Friday. I know two people who've done that as they were working single parents.

VaccineSticker · 16/09/2021 20:59

The whole system is messed up. No kid should miss out because their local school is under performing.
Children should have an equal opportunity to decent good quality education. The system is very unfair and encourages people to cheat. How about fixing the schools that need improvement to make them highly desirable rather then penalising the child whose parents cheated and withdrawing their place? I don’t advocate cheating the system, but people can’t be blamed for seeking good quality education. That’s the very least one can equip a child with for a good future.
It’s not that cheating parents needs sorting out, it’s the undesirable schools that need a good look at and sorting out.
Seems like it’s always someone else’s fault. The root cause here is the under funding schools are facing and lack of support to get them level up with high performing schools.

olidora63 · 16/09/2021 21:03

Absolutely not the right thing to do …my child was one of those children that lost her place at our very local grammar school because of people lying ! it took months of appeals and going to the ombudsman which was very stressful for my child and us !! She got in eventually in the October half term and yes we did report the liars to the school and LEA . Those children lost their place.

Lalliella · 16/09/2021 21:03

@TintinIsBack

You’ll find pele in here saying you are an awful person, it’s unethical etc…

In reality, people do it all the time wo a backward glance.

Besides, you haven’t moved yet. It’s in the pipeline only. You might well not have moved before all the paperwork are sent (which I would advise anyway. It’s not that long away)

Even dead Brazilian footballers think it’s a bad idea!
Lalliella · 16/09/2021 21:04

Oops he’s not dead, sorry Pelé 😂

ufucoffee · 16/09/2021 21:36

@VaccineSticker

The whole system is messed up. No kid should miss out because their local school is under performing. Children should have an equal opportunity to decent good quality education. The system is very unfair and encourages people to cheat. How about fixing the schools that need improvement to make them highly desirable rather then penalising the child whose parents cheated and withdrawing their place? I don’t advocate cheating the system, but people can’t be blamed for seeking good quality education. That’s the very least one can equip a child with for a good future. It’s not that cheating parents needs sorting out, it’s the undesirable schools that need a good look at and sorting out. Seems like it’s always someone else’s fault. The root cause here is the under funding schools are facing and lack of support to get them level up with high performing schools.
'Undesirable' schools are sometimes that because of snobbery based on area. Not because of the standard of education.
Mollymoostoo · 16/09/2021 21:55

@Cornishwench

Has anyone put a grandparents/relatives address down on a secondary school application form due to being out of catchment and successfully got a placement? Child is in feeder primary All family live in area We live hear but may have to move next year I know morally it’s wrong but if it’s in the best interest of the child? Thankyou
If your child goes to a feeder primary you must live out of the catchment school for the one they already go to otherwise you would be in catchment for the secondary. We did this for a primary place as we needed child's name down and were moving into that area. FIL has same name as my DH so we just got their council tax bill
Mollymoostoo · 16/09/2021 21:57

@olidora63

Absolutely not the right thing to do …my child was one of those children that lost her place at our very local grammar school because of people lying ! it took months of appeals and going to the ombudsman which was very stressful for my child and us !! She got in eventually in the October half term and yes we did report the liars to the school and LEA . Those children lost their place.
When I worked for the local authority I used to do home visits to families where we suspected they had lied about living at a certain place. We checked the bins and knocked on the door from 7.30am. Amazing how many were using friends addresses.
Dancingonmoonlight · 16/09/2021 22:04

I know people who have done it.
They live in a shit area with shit schools and they said they lived in the catchment of a very good school.
The eldest child got a school place and has been there for approx four years to date. Her younger siblings have followed her due to the sibling policy.
I'm envious but completely understand why they did it. The alternative would be to apply only to their local school which isn't a good school. The kids in the good catchment area have a choice of decent schools.

Dancingonmoonlight · 16/09/2021 22:08

'Undesirable' schools are sometimes that because of snobbery based on area. Not because of the standard of education

Undesirable schools around here have a high staff turnover and have many pupils who don't aspire to third level education. Teens look up to their friends.

myheartskippedabeat · 16/09/2021 22:39

Ultimately if you want a specific school go and live in the catchment area!!

Suredsun · 16/09/2021 22:44

I know morally it’s wrong but if it’s in the best interest of the child?

It's not just morally wrong, it's despicable cheating. The lowest of the low. Sorry to be blunt, but you did ask.

What about the next child on the list who doesn't get the place they should rightfully be offered because your lie pushed them down the list?

I would have no hesitation whatsoever in reporting anyone I knew who was doing this, especially if my own child (or a close friend's) was also intending to apply to the school in question and it might affect their position in the line.

ANameChangeAgain · 16/09/2021 23:02

You made the right decision, but only because it will be worse when they are found out.
I have to say though, the real morally wrong thing for me is that parents have to use underhanded measures to ensure their children get into a half decent school. I don't buy being guilted into taking the place away from another child. This is the fault of the poor secondary education system, not parents trying to do the best for their child.

Bertiebiscuit · 17/09/2021 00:15

Absolutely No - it is fraud - I bet you tell your children off for lying, yet you prepared to do it - no way, you should be ashamed of yourself for even considering this nasty behaviour, robbing a child who does live in the correct area of their place at school - what a nasty selfish thing to consider doing

Dancingonmoonlight · 17/09/2021 00:21

Ultimately if you want a specific school go and live in the catchment area!!

Why do you suppose they don't do this?