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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

818 replies

mnbvcx445566 · 23/09/2017 22:12

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?)

OP posts:
cantkeepawayforever · 25/09/2017 20:01

Surely it's your child that matters?

All children matter, or should matter, to us as a society. Not just ours, not just those whose parents are determined to make them 'winners' by playing the system, but all children equally.

CaptainAmericasShield · 25/09/2017 20:01

2 children were asked/ made to leave in reception from my local oversubscribed school last year. School felt for children but LA investigated reports and parents had lied on application.

If it doesn't affect you though why do it? Seems a bit mean.

FaveNumberIs2 · 25/09/2017 20:02

And if the child is in care or a looked after child (fostered/adopted), then they may have every right to be at that school regardless of where they live.

As for safeguarding issues, yes, if you see something you think off, then you may help a child in need but the odds are, you'll hinder a perfectly decent family.

Op, if it bothers you that much, why are you on here asking the question? Go to your local council and voice your concern.

cantkeepawayforever · 25/09/2017 20:03

Seems a bit mean.

Why? I don't get it. Two children who should have had places didn't, because those two places were obtained fraudulently - stolen - by other parents. iIs it really 'mean' to ensure that the places go to the right people?

cantkeepawayforever · 25/09/2017 20:04

Fave, if the child has a right to be there, then nothing will come of the report. Exactly the same with safeguarding - if there is nothing wrong going on, reporting a concern that turns out to be groundless is no problem, while reporting one that turns out to be serious is hugely beneficial to that child.

cantkeepawayforever · 25/09/2017 20:05

(And to point out the obvious, NOT reporting concerns gives us Baby P and the like)

Someonessnackbitch · 25/09/2017 20:05

Can't keep away forever.... rental I can understand but to sell up, move in the catchment area and then when place is accepted can move again. There's nothing wrong with that except stamp duty.

Someonessnackbitch · 25/09/2017 20:06

Baby P compared to a place in a primary school is a bit extreme?

singledadstu · 25/09/2017 20:06

I'm fairly sure "catchment areas" are no longer used in school place allocation

lukeymom · 25/09/2017 20:07

Alot of schools now allow children to be took to school and picked up by a mini bus ,for those who live outside the catchment area. So kids accepted even outside the area.

cantkeepawayforever · 25/09/2017 20:07

Yes, a double move is indeed possible, but much, much rarer as a way to 'play' the system than temporary rental used to be locally.

Luckymummy22 · 25/09/2017 20:08

Single I wish that were the case - my DD would be at the nearest school

cantkeepawayforever · 25/09/2017 20:11

Someone - it's a continuum, isn't it? if we choose not to report 'because something is too minor', then where do we start reporting? In most serious case reviews of safeguarding cases, 'things weren't reported because they were 'too minor' and 'we didn't have the whole picture' and 'it's only a bit of....'

Someonessnackbitch · 25/09/2017 20:16

Is this really a safe guarding concern?
I live in London and catchment areas are very much active. For the top schools you need to live next door to get a place

cherrybath · 25/09/2017 20:20

I had to laugh when I read that one Mumsnetter imagined that the local authority or the school had the time to visit every home address to check that it was genuinely where the family live.

All the best schools in the area where my DS, his wife and our GC live are very close to each other and are very oversubscribed. My GD did not get into a decent school on the first cut, the second one offered after appeal was not great but they did get into a good one at the third attempt after being on a waiting list. We're obviously pleased but very irritated that one of her neighbours rented a house near the good schools to ensure that her DC got a place. She then moved back to her own house.

We're laughing now because the rules state that the neighbour will not be guaranteed a place for her younger children because she has moved house. Our other GD will however get a place as the sibling of a child who is already there and has not moved house.
But to be fair, perhaps the family detailed by the OP planned to move nearer to the school once they knew that they had a place?

singledadstu · 25/09/2017 20:21

English law states schools can use distance from school in o we subscribed circumstances however they cannot refuse an application based on catchment area.
Other circumstances will also factor in to the decision. One of my children was out of catchment area and I took an ex head teacher with me to the appeal and won the place. The 6 other families also won a place. Actually not one child was turned away because of our children being added. It was a case that the finance to the school was increased to mirror the extra admissions

Bluntness100 · 25/09/2017 20:22

It’s not about not reporting because it’s too minor it’s about not reporting because she has no clue other than they are out of catchment, probably doing it out of spite and wishes to use already stretched la resources to carry out an investigation to service her own personal needs.

Sure the family will know if they start asking for evidence, she said they owned a rental property wIthin the catchment area, and yes you don’t know what’s going on at home, if this family are under a lot of stress and may be put under more for absolutely no reason other than someone feeling spiteful.

I accept the argument to report if you either know or are fairly sure someone has behaved fraudulently, but She has no clue, nothing, other than they don’t live in the catchment area.

cantkeepawayforever · 25/09/2017 20:26

Bluntness, then she reports 'this family seems to be living outside the catchment area'.

It could indicate fraud, or it could not. You don't have to have a motivation, other than simply wanting to ensure that the right children get to the school they have the right to attend. You simply provide the LAS with information that they may not have, and get on with your life.

cantkeepawayforever · 25/09/2017 20:27

Because looked at from the point of view of the family who DIDN'T get a place due to fraudulent applicants taking it, that family too may be under enormous stress....

Daffyduck2016 · 25/09/2017 20:27

everyone has secrets, I'm sure you've bent the rules in your favour in the past or present. You might need to in the future, mind your own business before it comes back to bite you in the ass.

Gileswithachainsaw · 25/09/2017 20:27

Look from op we know

No siblings

Not adopted

Not catchment

School comes out very very short distances and has done for the previous years too.

It's oversubscribed

That leaves -sn (op doesn't suspect that's the case but we can't be sure)

Or shes lying/lied/pulled a stunt.

Those are really the only options left aren't they?

What part isn't suspicious enough to warrant reporting?

Tootsiemcgraw · 25/09/2017 20:29

If the child has an EHCP (rule 1) or has applied under rule 2 (physical, social or emotional needs) then their application will be given priority, including children looked after I.e. A child at risk, fostered or adopted (also rule 1) before distance to the school or sibling rule comes into play. Just something else to be aware of, it's not always cut & dried 😬

pollymere · 25/09/2017 20:30

My dd had a friend who went to her sought after infants, despite requesting the school around the corner on the other end of town. County insisted it was only available place (Mum rang up her chosen school...it had places). It's also worth noting that children with SEN may get priority if a school can meet their needs best.

Someonessnackbitch · 25/09/2017 20:35

Cantkeepawayforever.. as above I was just going to say the child may be a child in need or a child with special educational needs. They will take priority. If they went on a waiting list then they would be priority and others would be pushed down the list.

pizzaparty11 · 25/09/2017 20:36

, where people are cantkeepawayforever

Orwellian society refers to the society described in 1984 where people are encouraged to spy and report on their neighbours, families, friends, parents.Nothing to do with animal farm