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?)

If we wanted to even up discrepancies between schools, a good start would be stopping the parents with sharp elbows from cheating and trying to disadvantage others by getting into schools they shouldn't.

It is much easier for schools with supportive parents to get good grades in Ofsted inspections. And good SATs results for that matter.

CFs are only CFs because of the MYOBers making it easy for them to get away with their behaviour unchallenged

Never has a truer word been spoken...

There's no secret about how hard its gotten trying to get a decent school place.

I certainly don't know of any outstanding or highly sought after schools who have spaces left to fill from three miles awa. These days people in catchment don't even make it in.

It's possible she has additional needs of course.

It is also a possibility she lied

It's interesting that there are so many people on this thread who think that OP is the baddie here, and are prepared to be pretty blunt about that view.

I'd report in a heartbeat. If the other parent has not committed fraud, they will face no negative consequences. I genuinely cannot see the problem with reporting. This isn't some kind of victimless crime where a caring parent is "sticking it to the man" in defence of their loved one.

If the case does turn out to be fraud then - yes - the other person's child will likely have their education disrupted. But in that case, that child's actual problem is that their parent is a thief! The disruption will be a consequence of that, not the actions of the OP. And meanwhile the kid who should have got the place will have it restored to them.

It's not nice having a parent who is a thief and where it turns out that's the case it's a sad thing for the child. This doesn't mean you don't try and get back what the thief stole.

Bluntness not that I can see

You’re actually going to have to read the thread. Not just go back a couple of pages. I specifically addressed this question. As did others.

Until you know everything, which you don't and never will, it really is none of your business.

Unless this directly affects you and your child -which is doesn't - you need to keep your nose well out of it.

I saw a suspicious event in a car park recently (person breaking into car with hammer, albeit with two people who seemed to be the owners standing by).

I observed an apparent water leak further down my road (though it could already have been reported).

A house build seemed to be breaking the rules in its planning permission (though this could have been by agreement with the council).

There was something about a child in my class that could, perhaps, have been related to safeguarding (but equally well, might not have been).

A family who appeared not to live anywhere near the catchment seemed to have got a place in a highly over-subscribed school (though of course there could have been a LAC / adoption / SEN issue).

In all cases, I reported it to the appropriate authorities, and left it to them. In some cases, I have never known the outcome. In others, it turned out to be nothing. In other cases, there turned out to be something not quite right going on.

My grandfather was a very senior policeman, and he trained us always to note and report anything that we thought could be of any significance, however minor, because he knew how often such tiny pieces of a jigsaw turn out to be important. If it's nothing, it's nothing - the appropriate authorities can judge that.

Until you know everything, which you don't and never will, it really is none of your business.

That just isn't true. If I applied that to safeguarding, say, I would be breaking the law - I am required by law, to report anything, however minor, even if I have absolutely no more about the whole picture than the tiny piece that I have. Equally, if I see or suspect any other potential crime or misdemeanour taking place - from what could be burglary to what could be affray or GBH or domestic violence or child abuse - then even if I am not in possession of the full picture, it is everyones role to report it to the appropriate authorities who CAN put the pieces together and take appropriate actions.

To say that something is only a problem if I have every single possible fact or if I am personally affected is a very odd view of the rule of law and how society should function.

I haven't read all replies. We live in a village and we are about 3 miles from our local primary school. It makes me cross that people from several villages away apply and get a place at the school, driving past 2 or 3 other primary schools on their way. It is a good school with excellent ofsted report. Once a child has a place it seems the sibling gets priority over children in the village. So we have families living 5 miles away getting priority if they have a sibling already at the school to a new person living walking distance from the school. All seems daft to me. If there is a place and it's applied for I don't think the school can refuse If no one else wants the place. Maybe that is the case here?

I don't live near my sons school. Several miles in fact. His dad however is a minute away. It is also a very good school. One class per year, swimming pool and gym as well as sports field.. His dad and I will both take him to school/pick up even though we aren't together. Maybe it's a situation like this. If so know the full story rather than go on "I think maybe"

Sorry I can't be bothered to read full 23 page thread. So sorry if this has been mentioned.
Where I live many parents (who can afford too) buy or rent a property close to the school and then move back when their child has a successful place. Very legal.
But regardless of that you wouldn't be thinking like this is you weren't jealous or angry. Personally if that was me then yes I would definitely do that for the sake of my child's future!

fuck

Parental convenience is not a favt in allocations at all.

And appeals are infant class size appeals so you have to prove the club cup made a mistake.

You can apply for anywhere you want and once the usual criteria is applied it then goes to distance and anybody else who wants a spot of there's one left.

They may have got lucky however the facilities and job means nothing

Basically the only way you are getting into an oversubscribed school over those in catchment is if you are adopted or have AN or you lied.

Where I live many parents (who can afford too) buy or rent a property close to the school and then move back when their child has a successful place. Very legal.

Where I live, there is a very active investigation process, and in general anyone who does this (but continues to own their old house) loses their place, or [much more usually] isn't given it in the first place, as their original house is treated as their address for admissions.

Unpleasant for them, of course, but simply knowing that successful investigations - often instigated initially by someone like the OP ringing up and saying 'this isn't quite right' - result in the school place being withdrawn or never offered, has hugely reduced the amount of attempted fraud of this type.

mind your own business

That said, I got a place for DS in a popular primary school while living 40 miles away. There was a vacancy, we applied for it, DS got it, and we moved into the town the day he started.

mind your own business

Why? What are the limitations to this? Should you mind your own business if someone appears to be being burgled / appears to be committing financial fraud / identity theft or beating their partner?

I think if you had to hide your identity, you have your answer. There are too many people in the world minding everyone else's business but their own. If you expended more time in helping others than hindering, the world would be a better place. You have no idea of the circumstances of this family so mind your own.

Fuckit

Isn't that dependent on who your child actually lives with though as to whether it's honest or not. Surely it's about the child's address not one of their parents

If your so bothered about this family why don't you grow a pair and actually ask the parents how their child managed to bag a place in the school? Nothing like being upfront and asking... they can only tell you their side or tell you to mind your own!!!

If you expended more time in helping others than hindering, the world would be a better place.

I would rather help the family who have a legitimate claim to the school place (if this child is there fraudulently) than the one with the parents sharp-elbowed and dishonest enough to play the system to get a place fr a child who shouldn't have had one.

By choosing to condone malpractice (by turning a blind eye), you are complicit in the harm done to another child in another family.

Just ring up, or e-mail, and state what you know. End of story. If there is no issue, nothing will happen. f there is an issue, it will be investigated and resolved, using your information plus all the other information from council tax etc that is at the council's disposal. If another child has been denied this place fraudulently, they will get it - you will overall have achieved a good thing.

Do you think an Orwellian society is something to aspire to? No? Then don't contribute to it.

'Why do you notice or care'?

'Unless this directly affects you or your child you need to keep your nose well out'

'Unless you know and have 100% proof say nothing'

Admissions fraud isn't victimless. It has a major impact on those who are qualified for that school place. The victims don't often know they ate victims of this, so if those who know fraud has happened or strongly suspect don't speak, they will lose out significantly. We would all hope our own child won't be defrauded of their rightful place, but as parents we may not have the knowledge to prevent it. Someone else may.

Admissions fraud is serious. People decide that regardless of the rules and regardless of the impact on other children and families, they will defraud the system to get their way. Councils say it is wrong, parents know it is fraudulent and councils rely on people reporting suspicions. It is the council who decides what to do with the info, not the reporter. It is the fraudsters responsibility if action is taken against them.

I hope none of you 'mind your own' people are never victims of crime and see people cross over the road and pretend they don't know or haven't seen enough to even make a call to the police.

Thinking about it and it may have been said already (drtft) is your child in a School you wanted? If so why are the children that you think shouldn't be there a concern? Surely it's your child that matters? Pay more attention there rather than the other parents!

Orwell wrote Animal Farm: 'All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others'.

So families who cheat the system are 'better / more deserving', and shouldn't be reported, while those who miss out as a result are 'less deserving'. Other families are 'aren't affected themselves', they should stand back and do nothing to try to make the system fair to all? Yes, that's Orwellian indeed, so the OP should report, to make the system equally fair to all, and not 'playable'.