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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to be annoyed about my friend lying about her address on a school application?

112 replies

cavell · 19/02/2014 13:36

My friend wants her son to go to a very over-subscribed secondary school. They almost certainly live too far away for him to be offered a place in March, but her parents live very close indeed to said school. She plans to put her parents utility bills in her own name so she can claim she has moved in with them (with her son, obviously). Since her parents live almost next-door to the school, she hopes she will get a place for her son off the waiting list. If they do get offered a place, she plans to move house "properly" to live near the school, but if the plan fails then they will stay put and her son will probably end up at a good-but-not-great school.

Half of me says that it is none of my business. The other half is a bit annoyed because I think it is unfair and deceitful and it just isn't something I would ever contemplate doing.

I'm not actually considering "informing" on her, I'm just having a grumble. AIBU?

OP posts:
pixiepotter · 19/02/2014 13:40

You say she plans to do such and such on her application for a place in March? Applications were done and dusted months ago?

whatsthatcomingoverthehill · 19/02/2014 13:43

It is unfortunate that we feel we have to make these choices, and no doubt she will argue that she is only doing what is right by her child. It is unfair though because she is probably going to get what would rightfully be someone else's place. Personally, I probably would dob someone in who did this.

NotSuchASmugMarriedNow · 19/02/2014 13:44

I think they check with the council tax

Blu · 19/02/2014 13:46

Pixie - this is her plan B if the school is not allocated in March. She will make the move and then make a late application from the parents' address, or go on the waiting list from her 'new' address.

Which won't look suspicious to the school / LA at all....

whatsthatcomingoverthehill · 19/02/2014 13:52

Given what Blu said I'd leave her to it actually. But YANBU to be annoyed - it's like people who jump into queues.

Original poster
cavell · 19/02/2014 13:55

Thanks Blu, that is exactly what she plans. I think by "utility bills" she is including the council tax. Her parents will still be paying said bills, of course, because she still has to pay the bills at her own house, where she is actually living.

OP posts:
tiggytape · 19/02/2014 13:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

dannin · 19/02/2014 13:59

I would imagine this is a type of fraud and she will be found out and find herself as well as her parents in trouble. Councils and school boards are not stupid, they have checks so people like her can't get away with this type of thing! YANBU!

tiggytape · 19/02/2014 14:00

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

PuppyMonkey · 19/02/2014 14:04

Blimey - op, i think you should show your friend tiggytape's posts and maybe she'll see what a can of worms she could be opening for herself.

SantasLittleMonkeyButler · 19/02/2014 14:05

What about if they check the electoral roll? She cannot be on the electoral roll at her parents' address if she is already on it at another address.

As a previous poster said, has she actually done all of this already? Before making an application back in October? If not, the LEA will smell a rat. Especially if the school is very oversubscribed & they routinely carry out checks.

newgirl · 19/02/2014 14:11

It won't work - the paperwork needs to be dated back to november

tiggytape · 19/02/2014 14:11

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SantasLittleMonkeyButler · 19/02/2014 14:15

And to add to what Tiggytape very rightly says - when places are announced on 1st March & other pupils at the child's primary school go home & tell their parents who is going where, she will have problems. Those parents will know where your friend lives and where her parents live. If their child did not get offered a place at School A, even though they may live a little closer than your friend, what do you think they will do?

They will report the fraud because that is in the best interests of their child - as they may then be offered the place (or at least move 1 place up the waiting list).

I have known this happen at DS2's primary school - although in the year above him - DS2 is in a tiny year, so there were no such problems, everyone got in to the school they applied for. The place was withdrawn in the case I know of, and led to fisticuffs in the playground Sad.

Stinklebell · 19/02/2014 14:15

Our local council is shit hot on this these days

Someone I know tried to use the DH's parents address as the over subscribed, out of catchment school they preferred was on the same road. They were initially given a place in the school but once the council investigated the place was withdrawn - I don't know what triggered the investigation, but once it started it was glaringly obvious they didn't live there

SantasLittleMonkeyButler · 19/02/2014 14:15

Fisticuffs between the fraudulent mother & the reporting mother I mean!

mousmous · 19/02/2014 14:17

our council wants

  • council tax bill
  • tenancy agreement or proif of purchase
  • utility bill

all 3 or school application is invalid...

WooWooOwl · 19/02/2014 14:18

What's unfair is that parents have consider doing stuff like this just to get their children into a decent school.

I know it's wrong, but I couldn't judge a parent negatively for doing it.

SantasLittleMonkeyButler · 19/02/2014 14:21

Also, there was a documentary about this - I think it focused on school places in London, where - I imagine - the competition is the most fierce.

They even had parents who had rented a property within catchment for a period of 3 or 6 months to try and get a place. Unless the family had actually relinquished their previous/other property & moved lock stock into the newly rented address, they were turned down for a place.

Using a 'second address' is not allowed even if you live between both - only the main residence counts.

It's really not worth it.

SantasLittleMonkeyButler · 19/02/2014 14:24

Yes WooWoo, people should not have to feel that fraud is their only option to start with.

However, if OP's friend is going to go ahead with it, she should consider all of the implications very carefully first. Which is why I, for one, am listing all of the problems with it I can think of!

Johnogroats · 19/02/2014 14:26

We legitimately moved to a house near an oversubscribed school...mid year...and were offered a school about 5 miles away. This was in Lambeth. We got a place eventually, but it was very stressful. By the way, the move was a long term thing, and schooling was not at the front of our minds when we bought the house (dim I know, but the truth).

I think your friend is likely to get caught out.

MissyO · 19/02/2014 14:27

IME the council are not 'shit-hot' they have not got the resources or the motivation to do anything other than cover their arses by doing reasonable checks.In our case (we rented a few months in catchment)they asked for copy of council tax bill, NHS card, bank statement or utility bills.

Original poster
cavell · 19/02/2014 14:30

It isn't as if her son will be going to Shitsville Comp if he doesn't get the place his mother wanted. The fallback school isn't a bad one - it just isn't as good as the oversubscribed one.

OP posts:
Blu · 19/02/2014 16:07

What happens if someone gets caught after they have been offered and accepted the place and the place is taken off them? presumably by that time the place they could have accepted, at good back-up school in this place, has been re-allocated to someone else.

Do they have to go to the back of the admissions queue and apply again as a late entry?

Blu · 19/02/2014 16:09

MissyO - what did you tell your DC? And friends and neighbours?

Because I imagine that as big a risk as the LA finding out through investigation is other families reporting any fraudulent admissions. Especially if they are still on the waiting list.