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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:
MotherSnowyMountainGoat · 12/01/2011 23:10

Surely the answer is obvious:

Either you keep quiet and fume to yourself. This is if you believe she is ethically unsound, but legally sound (based on her application before the move)

OR

You grass her up, AND tell her that you have done so (possibly giving her a warning beforehand of your actions, thus giving her the chance to change her application now)

What you DON'T do is grass her up anonymously. That is the action of a coward.

NoseyNooNoo · 12/01/2011 23:14

What she is doing is theft since she is stealing someone else's place. As far as I know most boroughs insist that you inform them of any change of address.

CarGirl · 12/01/2011 23:16

They may come a cropper, we now have to take our council tax bill with us to show the school when we accept the place, none of us knew about it until we received our offer letters!

zipzap · 12/01/2011 23:20

If you are going to report her, maybe wait until she is moved out of your street and well settled in her new, distant, address.

THen when they investigate and look into it, it will be obvious that she hasn't bothered to let them know of her change of address. She might just claim that she is still in the middle of getting herself sorted in the new place and it's on her list of things to do.

if you wait a while, she will be settled and it will be obvious that she has just tried to play the system and they will be able to deal with her properly, and free up the place for somebody who genuinely does live closer to the school!

Vallhala · 12/01/2011 23:20

Surely MIranda is right? At the time of application the parents and child were living at X address, in catchment of the school they've chosen, and so have not broken any regulations. They haven't lied, they have merely moved house, as is their right.

Misfitless · 13/01/2011 00:00

Have you voiced your disapproval to your friend or are you acting as if you are totally fine with it?

Just want to raise the issue of the pre-school. It really annoys me when parents knowingly and willingly choose to send their DCs to a pre-school at a school they know their DCs have almost no hope of getting into and then play the 'my DC won't know anybody at allocated school....my DC will suffer anxiety and stress at being separated from peer group' card.

Why should any appeal panel take this into account when the parents have caused this situation? IMHO parents who put their DCs in this sitation are unreasonable to then expect an appeal panel to give precedence to their DC's case. It's also naive - read the admissions criteria - no admissions criteria I've ever read has ever listed attending pre-school as a prerequisite.

This wasn't aimed at OP, but at the parents who think this behaviour is reasonable - they are no better than your friend IMO.

WilheminaAteHer · 13/01/2011 00:05

Honestly, what is wrong with our country? Getting a place in a decent school should not require military-precision strategy. This nonsense makes Britain look like a country of idiots.

Misfitless · 13/01/2011 00:29

Wil I agree that in an ideal world none of this underhadedness would be happening.

IMO it doesn't make us look like a country of idiots, it makes our country look like it has a lot of sub-standard, underachieving schools and a lot of disgruntled desparate parents and guess what ... it does!

onmyfeet · 13/01/2011 00:37

Keep out of it.

Tryharder · 13/01/2011 00:42

No worse than people finding religion approx a year before they fill out of the admission forms for their local church school...

I think you are being unreasonable. None of your business really. Your child is going to the school in question so it sounds a bit petty for you to try and deny her child the chance of a place there.

You make the point, OP, that she is now moving to a cheaper area which tells us that you clearly live in the expensive part of town. Well good for you - it's nice for you and other well off people that you can effectively buy your way into the best state schools. Your friend wants her child to have the same educational opportunity as your child -what on earth is wrong with that??

WilheminaAteHer · 13/01/2011 01:02

Oh misfit, you said it far more eloquently than me, but that's essentially what I meant! Grin

On a separate note I do think this admissions fiddling business teaches children that it's okay to deceive people as long as it means you're getting what you want. I know none of us is perfect, but I think such open acceptance of duplicity (whether connected to location, religion, or any other factors) is shameful. Now, hiding your deceit - well honey that's just fine! Wink Only kidding - in case that wasn't clear! Grin

peasandlove · 13/01/2011 04:59

if the school has any brains they'll make sure their letters are in envelopes market 'not to be forwarded'. My old doctor kicked me out when my mail was forwarded to my new address as it was returned to them instead.

MommyMayhem · 13/01/2011 05:14

I think it is disgusting the way some people take school places that they are not entitled to, thereby denying a place to a child who is entitled.

I would absolutely dob her in for this and no, YANBU.

coccyx · 13/01/2011 05:23

report her. i live in a small village and we had people fiddling it because they could. we ended up with people who worked for local estate and who rented out their cottages not being able to go to the school. They ended up with trying to get several children to various schools miles away.
They passed the fiddlers driving in from towns some distance away!

MommyMayhem · 13/01/2011 05:36

That's terrible, Coccyx. How people can defend this behaviour is beyond me.

Misfitless · 13/01/2011 07:47

Just realised that I haven't even commented on the IABU thread which was is it unreasonable to report it? To hell with it -yes if you feel you should!

Original poster
notwithme · 13/01/2011 07:57

I didn't say she moved to a cheaper part of town, I said she moved to a cheaper rental. There's a difference.

I did voice my concerns about the school place, which isbwhwn she said she wouldn't inform them just redirect her mail.

I don't agree with the religion thing either and have always refused to do it.

It is a lovely community school with most children living less than a mile or 2 away even the ones out of catchment.

Thanks for all your opinions.

OP posts:
BeenBeta · 13/01/2011 07:59

I never understand why schools dont have a rule that people have to live in the catchment area for the whole time their DCS are at the school.

The reason so many schools are oversubscribed is because people put their DCs in a school and then a year later move out of the area to a bigger house out of town.

It would stop all this renting a house or using a grandparent address. Would stop a lot of the school run traffic too.

Chandon · 13/01/2011 08:03

she should not be fiddling.

but you should really not report her. It's a nasty thing to do, especially to a friend!!!

mozette · 13/01/2011 08:33

Scottish system is like this beenbeta. You can make a placing request to a school outwith your catchment but you must have a very good reason

LIZS · 13/01/2011 08:41

Normally in the small print applicants are obliged to advise of any changes to address before allocations are made. If she has ot provide a CT bill and CB letter I guess she may still have last year's (it may have to be within last 6 month's ) unless they stipulate it has to be this coming April's. Does the child attend the preschool because I doubt he'd be able to keep a move quiet if so.

aPixieInMyCaramelLatte · 13/01/2011 08:45

Yanbu,

My dp wanted his son in a really good village school but there was no places as they weren't in the catchement area.

Instead he put his son on the waiting list for the preferred school and then sent him to his local primary until he was offered a place at village school.

Dss has now been at village school since yr1.

If people really want to get their kids into a certain school they should have their names put on the waiting list and wait like the rest of us, not fraudulently claim the place and taking it off another child who is actually eligible.

FakePlasticTrees · 13/01/2011 08:58

Report her. You aren't going to be able to stay friends with her if your DC don't get into that school and hers do. You'll be too angry at her.

If she's not broken the rules, then she'll be fine.

TheCoalitionNeedsYou · 13/01/2011 09:03

If she is within the rules then she isn't playing the system any more than someone who buys a house in the catchment area are.

Original poster
notwithme · 13/01/2011 09:19

The admission rules state that you have to notify them of a change of address and they can reallocate the place if you move before term starts.

Hence the mail redirection.

OP posts: