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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

thinking they have used my address to gain a school place?

201 replies

bostonbaby · 12/06/2015 10:24

We bought this house at the end of last year.
It is very close to an excellent, very much over subscribed school.
The couple we bought it from had a little kids and we're moving to the next (cheaper, not good schools) area along for a bigger house to fit all their kids in.
Not had any mail for them as assuming they had a redirect set up.
This week we've suddenly had a few bits for them. Including a 'to the parent/guardian of xxx' from the outstanding school
It seems they have applied from this address rather than their own, where they stand no chance of getting in.
What should I do? I feel like returning it to school and saying they haven't lived here since December but then I feel sly. Then I think another child will have missed out on their rightful place. And why should they move to a considerably cheaper area and still get the perks of the more expensive one? My child hasn't missed out on this btw but they have 4 kids now guaranteed a place in that school from this.
Wwyd?

OP posts:
Original poster
bostonbaby · 12/06/2015 12:20

I have plenty of hobbies, thank you. Googling an admissions page takes 5 seconds max. Not many other hobbies I could take up to fill those 5 seconds really Hmm

OP posts:
SaucyJack · 12/06/2015 12:20

I'd send it to the school with a note saying when they moved out.

If nothing else, you don't want "official" people having your address down as someone else's.

hoobygalooby · 12/06/2015 12:22

Sorry but I think you should mind your own business, return the letter and get on with your life.

TeenAndTween · 12/06/2015 12:24

If the little girl is excited and then has to be disappointed, that's not your responsibility. That would be the responsibility of her parents who haven't followed admission rules.

What would be your responsibility is the child currently first on the waiting list, who might possibly be due this place that the other parents have incorrectly/fraudulently obtained.
How would you feel if it were your child who had missed out on a place due to someone else cheating/gaming the system?

Pass the letter back to the school, let them deal with it if there is an issue.

MissWimpyDimple · 12/06/2015 12:35

Some one else's child missed out on that space! I can't believe how many people are condoning school place fraud. You obviously don't live in over subscribed areas.

I would send the letter back to school and ring admissions. If they have done nothing wrong then there is nothing to worry about. If they have, then it's the right thing to do.

Would you all do the same with benefit fraud?

QuiteLikely5 · 12/06/2015 12:40

I really do detest the spite that comes out on Mumsnet over school admissions.

The woman, if she already has children at that school and lived in the catchment at the time of applying was well within her rights to apply to that school.

As someone mentioned you can't always apply for a school I your proposed area that you want to move to.

All she is trying to do is the best by her child. That is all.

And you don't even know that she is going to accept the place.

Also how do you actually know that she hasn't told the truth and that this is the school offering her a place still...................

Gileswithachainsaw · 12/06/2015 12:42

or that the mistake lies with the school not updating their records she could have sat in the office and filled out the firm or been told by the LA they'd pass it on....

who knows.

Mochamum · 12/06/2015 12:45

QuiteLikely5 - if that was the case the letter would be going to the new address and not the old address surely??

Also I don't think it is spite at all. An Admissions process has rules and people should follow them. Quite clearly, while the process was open, they did not inform the admissions dept that they were not living in that area. As another poster said it it a form of fraud.

meditrina · 12/06/2015 12:48

"The woman, if she already has children at that school and lived in the catchment at the time of applying was well within her rights to apply to that school."

Yes. But it is also her duty to follow the change of address procedure as she moved before the deadline for applications.

"As someone mentioned you can't always apply for a school I your proposed area that you want to move to."

Not applicable in this case, as they moved last year, and the deadline was not until mid-January.

"All she is trying to do is the best by her child. That is all."

As are the parents of the child who should have been offered the place, had the correct address been used.

"Also how do you actually know that she hasn't told the truth and that this is the school offering her a place still..................."

In which case, returning the letter to the school won't make any difference, but will alert the school that their records are wrong.

Icimoi · 12/06/2015 12:55

Don't send it to the solicitors, it's not their job to forward mail. Just return it to the school.

TwoAndTwoEqualsChaos · 12/06/2015 12:59

Any confusion over who lives at the address ought to be sorted out so there arwn't any problems further down the line, with their admissions or yours.

ProcrastinatorGeneral · 12/06/2015 13:04

Return it to school. Feel no guilt. It's not your cock up, it's either school or the parents who've messed up and if you send it to the scho it can be sorted properly.

DustyCropHopper · 12/06/2015 13:05

Our forms arrived at the beginning of November and all sorted with in 2 days of receiving them. Yes they may have been a little under hand but they quite possibly did live at that address at the time of filling in the form, so it was their address then. They may not have read all the info or deliberately did it but personally I think you are right to just hand it to the solicitor to forward on.

SoupDragon · 12/06/2015 13:07

Some one else's child missed out on that space! I can't believe how many people are condoning school place fraud. You obviously don't live in over subscribed areas.

How do you know someone else's child missed out? You don't.
How do you know it is fraud? You don't.

StonedGalah · 12/06/2015 13:09

Return it to the school with not at this address.

I think it's sneaky too and if they're not entitled to that spot why didn't they update the address on their application?

goandshowdaddy · 12/06/2015 13:09

Return it to the school.

As someone whose DS2 didn't get offered a place at his sibling's school because someone else lied about her child's address (used a family member's address), I'm amazed at so many people saying you should mind your own business. My child missed out (and I know he would've had the place as he's top of the reserve list), because somebody else lied. How is that fair?

AnguaResurgam · 12/06/2015 13:10

"How do you know someone else's child missed out? You don't.
How do you know it is fraud? You don't."

Very true. That's why returning it to the school and leaving them to sort it out fairly is the best bet.

goandshowdaddy · 12/06/2015 13:10

And if it is a genuine error, then no-one will be hurt or upset and the child won't lose their place.

Mintyy · 12/06/2015 13:12

If they have got a place for their eldest child at this school (you don't know that for sure because you haven't opened the letter) then they are definitely cheating the system.

Return it to the school with "Addressee moved away from this address on x date" clearly written on it.

Ignore the posters on this thread who say you are being "mean". If there is nothing amiss then nothing bad will happen to the family who have moved away.

CorBlimeyTrousers · 12/06/2015 13:14

When we applied you were definitely supposed to inform the LA if you moved after you'd applied and before the close date. I agree with others - return to sender with 'not known at this address' and let the school/LA sort it out.

bbcessex · 12/06/2015 13:14

What would you do with a bank statement or an insurance document? What are you doing with the rest of the letters? You seem very interested in someone else's mail purely because of the subject matter.

Are you not in possession of their forwarding address? Send the letter on to them.

midnightvelvet01 · 12/06/2015 13:17

The thing is though, its not cut & dried that they were trying to play the system. Apologies for repeating myself but there is scope within the OP's dates for them to have applied legitimately whilst they still lived there.

bbcessex · 12/06/2015 13:17

Oh - and the title of your post is misleading - they didn't use "your address" at the time of applying... it would have been their address.

FYI: I sound like I have a vested interest; - I don't - both my children got places at schools based on the relevant criteria, but I think you are stirring up a nest here that's nothing to do with you.

plinkyplonks · 12/06/2015 13:18

Seriously just return to sender :/

rockybalboa · 12/06/2015 13:19

Don't pass it to the solicitors, return it to the school marked 'no longer at this address'. Yes, they could be trying to pull a fast one by not changing thir address within the application window, equally it could be an issue with school admin. Who knows. Not your problem. Just return the letter and be done with it.