to consider reporting this family for having lied to the school?

[mnbvcx445566]

Two parents and one child. They live nowhere near the primary state school they applied for and got into. I think - am pretty sure - they used a different address to the one they live at.
School very sought after. Shall I report them?

I've looked carefully into myself and this is what I think:

1- I am not jealous. If I had the chance to do the same I would not. I would like my child to go to a great state school so they are lucky for that but I would not play the way they did.

2- If I report them the child will have problems at school (? don't quite know what happens in those cases). The parents might have a breakdown or something having to face the backlash. Obviously they have brains and made their choice and would only pay the consequences of their actions but - I - would have precipitated the situation by reporting them. Maybe the system is so fucked anyway that what they did is not that big of a deal. Surely the school should have done 1000 checks before awarding places so there might be something I do not know. What I do know is that they live miles from that school, which has a very very small catchment area.

3- I should report them because if my child did not get into that school 'legally' I would despise people who took advantage of a loophole and took 'my child's place'.

WWYD?

I am a long-time poster/user but I have opened a different account as I do not want to be recognised. (If I do not want to face them and tell them that they are committing an illegal/immoral action does it mean that I am in the wrong thinking of calling the school anonymously?)

Thinking that it's odd that someone got into a school as they live a few miles away isn't legitimate reason to report. As for the comparisons to actual crimes, murders, drug dealing and so on, what absolute rubbish. It's a school place, that's all. Hardly a crime. A bit unethical perhaps but maybe if the education system was consistent across the board people wouldn't feel the need to abuse the system in this way anyway.

I hate the thought of reporting someone and looking like a malicious or vindictive gossip

I swear that's probably what these people are banking on. After all these things are always someome else's fault never the "victims" for basically being a liar and a fraudster.

You can also bet your arse they'd not think twice about reporting you if they thought they could get their kid in. They are expecting more of other people than they are of themselves .

Between erratic shifts, language barriers, lack of knowledge about the system and lack of money, there is so preventing people from being able to put an appeal together or even know where to start in order to put their case across. It's just not right.

I sympathise whole heartedly with trying to avoid shitty schools believe me I know all about that.

But it's not right and If someone's prepared to do that to another person they have no right on this earth to be pissed off at someome reporting it.

As you say, the being the victim of a fraudster is worse than being the person who reported the fraudster.

Course it's a crime.

It's taking something that's not rightfully yours through fraudulent means.

It results in costing people alot of money, their jobs perhaps, costs sone poor sod friends and a life they should have had.

They may not have been held up at knife point and they may not have known a life they would have had.

Makes it no less a crime though.

I'd report it, although be prepared for the council to do nothing. A local estate agent who works in the town but lives approx 13 miles away rented a place for 6 months to get their first.... of 5 children into our school.

She told people about it, it was a massive bulge year in our area and so lots of people were worried about getting any space in their local schools, let alone a preferred one. The council took the place away, she had excellent legal advice, and appealed. The council's policy was not to go to the stage after appeal (sorry, can't remember the term), so the space was reinstated.

She and her family (including the kids) openly boast about how they tricked the school. The kids (who can only have heard it from the parents) laugh about how stupid the teachers are because their parents tricked them.

A lot of people in the area didn't get their initial school place in the town and were shipped off to a failing school in the next. Only after a massive outcry was a bulge class put into one of the other schools.

It isn't victimless. They openly live 13 miles away. I have friends who have to walk their kids past our school to one further away because of her behaviour (one was first on the waiting list, so know for definite that she took friend's child's place). 5 of her children have or will take local children's places, unless they change the current sibling rule.

This is not a question of parents doing everything they can to get them into the best school. Their local school is outstanding, they just wanted the convenience of being able to drop them at school and go straight to work.

I think our council will have to change their policy at some point, because a lot of people now buy or rent to get child no.1 in, then move way out of catchment for a bigger house to get the rest in. If they changed the rule so it was siblings in catchment, children in catchment, then siblings out of catchment, it wouldn't be quite so attractive.

Yes, I probably do sound bitter and overinvested. But I'd never cheat like this, and I think it says a lot about the people who do. To those who say interfering, and nothing to do with you, I say if it was your child who lost out you'd care, and you'd be bloody glad if someone spoke up and reported their suspicions.

Actually, this is why I think everyone should have to go to their nearest primary school, as in America. It would stop all this behaviour, and hopefully, get parents to pull together to improve their local school.

Giles Exactly right.

And I've no idea if my son lost out to a liar or not this year but there were some new children suddenly appear in the school nursery last term to get used to the place for reception. If they've just moved to the area and now live nearer to the school than me then fair enough but if not I'll be honest and say I'd be sad about it

I just filled out my application for my sons school place, and there were so many more things to note down than just distance. I don't remember them all but there were boxes on applications that were if the child had a sibling at the school (including half siblings and step siblings in our area, apparently that bit is down to local council), religious beliefs and a few other things too.

We chose the one nearest us anyway, with backup at the next closest...but it seems distance is not the only thing they chose on.

admissions.oxfordshire.gov.uk/admit_transfer/NetHelp/default.htm?turl=WordDocuments%2Freasonsforpreference1.htm

Here is a list of reasons that looks very similar to what I filled out. Should maybe have searched for this before writing my post xD

Exactly!! Not everyone lives in areas bursting at the seams with nearby schools. It seems some posters live in their own little bubble...

Exactly @Purpletango

Where I live (rural village,) it's seven miles to the nearest primary school, AND the nearest secondary school. And there is no public transport. The nearest bus stop to the closest (market) town with 2 other primary schools, is 3 miles away on the A road.

In addition, the nearest secondary school is in the market town too, and there is a school bus for the 33 children from the village who go there. Fortunately, most people in our little village knows almost everyone else, so it would be quite hard to pretend you lived here.

In addition, the one and only primary school in the village my friend lives in, (20 miles from me,) does not accept any children to the school, unless the parents have lived in the village for 5 years. So if people are thinking about renting just to get their kids into the village primary, they will be bitterly disappointed.

Basically, new people in the village have to go the 4 miles to her nearest market town,and there is a bus, so people can't complain about having no transport. Maybe more schools should start doing this.

I mean apart from the village primary school, it's seven miles to the another primary school .

But yeah there is no secondary school for seven miles. Luckily there is a bus to and from the village though.

I mean apart from the village primary school, it's seven miles to another primary school .

But yeah there is no secondary school for seven miles. Luckily there is a bus to and from the village though.

It wouldn't be you who got the kid kicked out

Of course it would, it would be a direct consequence of your report.

That's the aim of reporting right? If a place has been falsely gained the op wants the kid kicked out the school. Why else does she want to report. It's not so nothing can be done, she wants the kid kicked out if it's a falsely gained place. That's her aim. To get the kid removed.

Yes of course the parents have deprived another child, but there is no way round the fact her reporting is to get the child removed if it's proven they shouldn't have the place and that removal would be a direct consequence of her report.

However all she has is they live outside the catchment area. That's it. She's spent hours thinking about some family who live outside the catchment area, thinking about should she try to get the kid kicked out.

There is a whole host of reasons someone has a school place and is out with the catchment area. But if there is an off chance it's not legit, her aim is to have the parents punished and the kid removed from school

Couldn't do it myself. And certainly not on nothing more than they live outside the catchment area.

Of course it wouldnt be you.

You didn't make them lie did you.

You didn't write the criteria or set the laws that mean they shouldn't be there?

That's like saying your depriving a lid of an Xbox by reporting the favt your height our stole it. Never mind the parents who ski red themselves working to pay for it and the child who it was taken from now went without more stuff they could have had as their parents had to replace it.

Neighbour

Bluntness but you are ok with the fact that as a direct consequence of that child attending the school fraudulently, there is another child living maybe 200m away from the school who has to pass it daily on their hour-long trek to another school across town, unable to do playdates, and forced to attend breakfast and after-school club because they have a sibling at the catchment school and the parent can't be in two places at once? This isn't just a hypothetical, there are families in exactly this situation.

I totally don't understand all the 'be careful before you report, what if SEN/health issues/adopted' etc.

If OP reports and the child is legitimately at the school then nothing will happen. Presuambly OP will be told that there is no issue and the place is legitimate. Maybe she won't evne be told that. There won't be a fuss, or playground recriminations. The family probably wouldn't even know they had been 'reported'.

That's how the reporting system works, surely? OP has a legitimate query. If all's ok she will be told there is not a problem. End of issue.

If there is a problem, they will be nabbed - and good thing - because as others say, that means they've taken a place from a child who should have it.

So OP should report. That's what the system is for.

op if you are still reading then look up the local council site.

Look for the allocation stats.

If it stated that the distabce criteria only went as far as X and you know they live further away that will answer the question (maybe)

It tells you how many were admitted under each category.

Or post the county and someone can look maybe for you.

HornyTortoise you're right distance isn't the only thing but it's probably the biggest as in affects the most people

My advice - don't be such a nosey cow!

Just a thought, does this child have younger siblings, OP?

If you are certain then I think you should. Not sure if it should be to the school or the education authority. It is obtaining services by deception I think.

Not as bad as the person who set up a fake email account in the name of a neighbour, then said they were moving, in order to get the next available place, but wrong nevertheless.

I'd report them, OP. If the suspicions are groundless then nothing bad happens except I'd feel a bit sheepish. I could live with that.

I find it no more appalling than people suddenly "finding their faith" the minute they realise that the only decent schools around are religious ones and little Olivia starts school in 2 years. Would you report that?

Not my kind of people but their business (and integrity), not mine. People play the school system. I definitely would not report and I'd tell a friend who has this moral dilemma to mind her business (and question why she brought it up in the 1st place).

Report! For the reasons others have already said. Not a victimless crime, will mean someone else who actually lives in catchment and should have got that place now won't do, and additionally if this family have younger siblings then there will be more children getting in to places that shouldn't, by rights, be there's. If they haven't broken the rules and they were entitled to that place then the worst that will happen is that nothing will change...,

What are your catchment areas like? Our nearest secondary school is a ten minute walk away. But we are not in catchment for it. It's not oversubscribed so not an issue but still. Our catchment schools are a car journey across town.

"I overheard a woman as I was waiting to pick DC up last winter boasting that she was going to game the system by saying that her DM's address was hers to get into a local , massively oversubscribed outstanding secondary school. Unfortunately for her I work in a role within said school that deals directly with admissions."

Well done, Piggy for confronting her.