Friend of a friend renting for school places...

[DoodleNoo]

Ive recently found out that a friend of a friend is renting her own house out and renting another house to live at, well within the very tight catchment of her preferred secondary school, in another part of our London Borough.

I don't know all the details and to be fair I do know that the family has been toying with the idea of moving away for a long time, so I could be generous and assume that they are ultimately planning to buy in the area where the preferred school is. But it still seems unfair that they are jumping the queue to this sought after school.

When I see her in the mornings, dropping her children at primary school near to their old /actual home), I feel so repulsed that I can't bring myself to speak to her.

Am I being unreasonable? I think I feel it all the more acutely as my own DD is applying to secondary school this year and we have been honest and realistic with our choices, even though there is a good chance that we might not particularly like what we end up with.

I think your being way over the top by being 'repulsed' and I don't think she is BU'

YABU. It's not like she's setting up a fake address and trying to obtain a place fraudulently, she's actually planning to move there. Maybe they won't 'ultimately buy' maybe they'll continue to rent for the next few years then move back to their family home. Fair enough. They're not doing anything wrong as long as they live in the catchment. Why on earth do you feel repulsed by this?

So she has actually moved house to be within the new catchment? Sorry, I don't see the problem. Fair enough to feel it's a bit off if she was renting a shoebox of a flat and purely using the address, not living there, but if they are committed enough to actually move then I don't see how it is any different than someone generally looking for a place to rent and choosing the one within catchment for a good school over one with with a worse school.

Wow, they have gone to a lot of trouble, renting and renting is hard work - its frankly none of your business.

Not sure why it is repulsive to want a decent education for your child. What makes those who have lived in catchment longer so special? Providing she is actually living at the rented address, it's just good sense really. Just because the admission rules for good state schools are so unfair and divisive, doesn't make someone a wicked witch for trying to work around them

At least she is actually renting a different house, and letting hers out, rather than just pretending to live at a closer address, or moving one person in the family to the new house.

I think it's always the way in life that some people will do what they can to tip the odds. There is always a big divide between the people who can and do rent places to get closer to their chosen school, and those who don't, either morally or because they can't afford too.

You are BU being repulsed by her. It may not fit your morals, but it's her choice.

If she is actually living in catchment and has rented her other house out, and continues to live there for the timescale the LA specify to gain a place then I guess there is nothing you can do... grrrrr! on your behalf

If the entire family has moved and they are renting out their own home then it isn't their actual home any more is it? It sounds like a long term plan and I find it a bit odd that you are repulsed.

YABU - she isn't pretending to live there, she actually is living there! You are repulsed as she has moved? Weird.

I'm not sure why you're repulsed. She's well within her rights to rent wherever she wants and it's not an unusual thing to do. Would you be so 'repulsed' if they bought a house in the catchment instead of renting. If you're that bothered then why don't you do it yourself? There's nothing stopping you.

YABU. As long as the "friend of a friend" is actually living in the rental, as opposed to using it as a postal address, then I don't see a problem.

'Repulsed'

Get a fucking life.

"But it still seems unfair that they are jumping the queue to this sought after school."

In London there isn't a 'queue'. There are those who can afford to live near 'good' schools and those who can't. Your friend can, so her child will get a place.

It's a horrible state of affairs, but it's not her fault.

I think it sounds like a very sensible decision actually. They don't want to live where they are and they want to send their children to a different school: it makes perfect sense to move. I'm guessing the most financially/logistically sound decision for them was to rent out their current place and go somewhere else.

YABU, she can live where she likes. You sound jealous to me.

A lot of people move to get their preferred school. How is it any of your business? Are you sure you aren't feeling bitter because you feel you aren't going to get the school you want for your own dd?

Not Graveny by any chance? I know of people doing this. Its wrong and ultimately deprives another child who may live near the school but not quite near enough, a place.

I she has actually gone ad far as renting her own house out and moving into the catchment of another school then I do not see how she is doing anything wrong. Plenty of people sell up just to move catchments, and plenty of people are in a good catchment by dint of just renting and not owning there, so I can't see how you can single her out as somehow doing wrong. It's not as though she is using the house as a 'front' - she actually lives in it.

Sorry for garbled crap.

As she has actually gone as far as......

These feels like a huge over-reaction IMO, and has really narked me if I'm honest.

Your comment I could be generous and assume that they are ultimately planning to buy in the area where the preferred school is really annoyed me - do people who lived in rented houses not have the same right as those who own the house they live in??

Who cares whether they are renting or buying, it's really none of your business!

This happens every year. In the end what you are getting is children whose parents are so committed to their education that they will go through upheaval for it .

You could argue that children who have parents this committed will do well wherever they go to school but that's a whole now argument.

Personally in the case you mention it seems they are making a commitment to move to the area so YAB a bit U.

But can understand why you feel irritated

They are not 'jumping a queue'. There is no queue. You either live in catchment or you don't. She does.

Its wrong and ultimately deprives another child who may live near the school but not quite near enough, a place

But the child DOES live near the school so how is it wrong??

I don't see how somebody moving into a catchment and getting a school place is any different from someone who already happens to live a catchment getting one.

Surely though if they were moving and not moving back they would have put their old house on the market??