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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to report someone fiddling the admissions system

153 replies

notwithme · 12/01/2011 20:19

A friend of mine sold their house and rented a house in our street.

They have sent in their admissions form, the deadline was last week.

They are moving out of their rental this week, into a much cheaper rental on the other side of town.

She says she is having her post redirected so she doesn't miss the schools offer.

It's an oversubscribed school and even some children who attend the pre-school don't get in if they are out of catchment.

I'm not normally the whistle blowing type but this has really annoyed me.

OP posts:
Mutt · 12/01/2011 20:21

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MirandaGoshawk · 12/01/2011 20:22

So, strictly speaking they were in the catchment when they sent in the forms? It might be that they have deliberately played the system, and done something not open to everyone, but they are still, on aper, within the rules IMO. So I would keep quiet, annoyed or not.

LaWeaselMys · 12/01/2011 20:22

Yes I would.

She's not a friend to anyone if she thinks this is acceptable.

stoppinchingthedummy · 12/01/2011 20:22

are you worried about a place for your child as opposed to just not liking that they are being a little dishonest?? I think yabu to report her if your her friend and to be honest im not sure the education people will take you on board if the post is still going to that address. Just my opinion . Keep out of it .

MirandaGoshawk · 12/01/2011 20:22

still, on paper. P not working properly!

NancyDrewHasaClue · 12/01/2011 20:25

She was in the catchment area when the form went in and the deadline passed so she hasn't done anything wrong. She wouldn't have been able to apply for a school for the address she was going to move to so what is the problem?

skyswept · 12/01/2011 20:25

I would report it. It is not fair. There is a lot of this going on in the area I live in and it is not really on.

edwoodwoodwood · 12/01/2011 20:32

If I needed to get my child into a decent school, I'd have no problems doing what she's doing.

Original poster
notwithme · 12/01/2011 20:33

No, my child is already at the school, her's is a couple of years younger.

I have several friends who would love to send their children to this school but aren't in the catchment so can't.

OP posts:
skyswept · 12/01/2011 20:34

There would be more decent schools if everyone supported their local school and went there instead of crowding in on the one oversubscribed place in an area.

Original poster
notwithme · 12/01/2011 20:34

I wouldn't mind if she'd decided to sell up and rent here just for the school.

But it's the fact that she's so cynically now moving out as soon as the deadline has passed.

OP posts:
BluddyMoFo · 12/01/2011 20:35

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

nancy75 · 12/01/2011 20:38

in most areas you have to tell them if you move after applying for a place. in our borough parents had to prove they were still living at the original address ( i think we had to have 3 up to date bills the week before they started school) some parents also got a visit to their home - she probably won't get away with it just by having her post redirected.

toeragsnotriches · 12/01/2011 20:41

My mate fiddled it last year and has just moved back to her original residence (allegedly the marriage is better now.) I didn't report her but things will never be the same between us and she's lost a lot of friends around here as a result. It was just so transparent.

And too right skyswept. It makes me mad. Have you ever visited 'The Truth About Our Schools'? (Fiona Millar's blog.) Interesting debates here about local schooling.

toeragsnotriches · 12/01/2011 20:53

And it was worse because she totally left the area and borough. And now wants it all to be like normal now she's back...

NellieForbush · 12/01/2011 21:02

What she does in her home is 'not your business' but this affects everyone and is everyones business.

So, someone who lives near the school could end up having to drive their dc across town to a school out of catchment because they didn't get in, because people like her have money to throw around setting up elaborate cons.

Report her, if she hasn't broken the rules then they wont pursue it...

NancyDrewHasaClue · 12/01/2011 21:17

For all those saying she is wrong what should she have done?

She has to apply somewhere. She can't apply for an address at which she is not yet living (except in specified circumstances).

Are you all saying she should never have moved into the catchment area in the first place?

OP - how long did she live in the catchment area?

LatteLady · 12/01/2011 21:19

Sorry but even if you do report her nothing can be done at the time that she submitted the forms she was in catchment.

spikeycow · 12/01/2011 21:23

God who cares

usualsuspect · 12/01/2011 21:26

Why do people do this shit? Its madness

CubaCat · 12/01/2011 21:28

I'd report her if I were you. From what I'm aware, if a family live in a catchment and their child starts at the school, then the family move, the child can stay in the school. However, if a family apply for a school in their catchment area then move from the area before the child starts at the school, they should tell the education dept and resubmit their application for a school in their new catchment area.

By them doing this, they may well be stopping a child who genuinely lives in the catchment area from attending the school. When I applied for DS's school place, I put school A then school B on the form. I preferred school A, which is a very popular school and oversubscribed every year, but we live a few streets out of the catchment so expected to be allocated school B (also a good school but not quite as good Ofsted report). As expected we were allocated school B, and I rang the education dept to see where DS was on the waiting list for school A, so I could decide whether it was worth him staying on the list. I was told that he was 10th - and the top 7 on the waiting list were kids living in the catchment area. I'd be willing to bet that there are some parents who lied about their address or twisted the system like your friend has, whose kids got into school A at the expense of kids actually living in the catchment area.

IMO it's unfair, and I'd report her to the education dept.

mumtoted · 12/01/2011 21:31

Glad you're not my friend

CubaCat · 12/01/2011 22:55

I'm devastated.

It's fraud, and should be reported, friend or not. What about kids in the pre-school that the OP mentioned who can't get into the school because these parents (and others like them, no doubt) fraudulently obtained a place? If this family are so desperate for their child to go to this particular school, they should have stayed where they were instead of moving across town the minute the application was submitted.

bettiejane · 12/01/2011 23:03

I agree it's tricky. Where I live the school is excellent, we have a lot of young families living here and move right out of the cardinals , once there child has a place.

mercibucket · 12/01/2011 23:04

any worse than buying a place near the school then moving straight away? or is it just that not everyone can afford to do that but almost anyone can afford to rent for 6 months? so it annoys people when the system is manipulated by people who couldn't usually afford to send their kids to the good schools in the middle class areas? downright snobbery. She lived there when she made the application and the deadline passed- end of. anyone else who's worried about getting a place could have done the same as her. It's only when you're not actually living in the house you put down as your main residence that it's fraudulent

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