To ask if you've ever been guilty of 'grannymandering'

[patchworkquilt1]

.... to get your kids into a certain school.
To accommodate your child minder / grandparents?
How did it pan out as your kids got older?
Did you get caught out?
If so what happened?

Could your mum move in with you ?

You have made that word up.

Guilty as charged! Used PIL’s address to get the much coveted place and quickly realised it was a horrible school and totally overhyped. Moved her ASAP - karma’s a bitch!

@icantthinkofanotherone I swear I haven't! I've definitely heard it discussed / debated before

My view is that if kids are able enough they will be able to get into a good school even if not in their immediate catchment area

Admissions aren’t based on ability.

They check up.

With my DD we had to prove our address with a copy of a bill each and her birth certificate.

If it is for September admission you've missed the deadline and your application won't be processed until all the on time applications have been so you may miss out even if you cheat!

My view is that if kids are able enough they will be able to get into a good school even if not in their immediate catchment area

That only works for schools that are selective on academic ability.

My view is that if kids are able enough they will be able to get into a good school even if not in their immediate catchment area.

That really isn’t a thing.

Not all schools are over-subscribed, and actually sometimes those that are have people drop out over the year after application, so those on the waiting list get in. Call the school and ask if they have a catchment and what that catchment is, and how likely you are to get in if outside it.

I'm really sorry you're in such a shitty situation. I would at least get a rental valuation on the house, if the catchment situation is bad news, because quite a few rental places are scruffy and you may find you can cover the mortgage. No harm in getting a couple of agents in to value, at least.

If you went on the waiting list at the preferred school, would your mum be willing to live at yours during the week, just for the short term? That way you could have childcare lined up until there was movement at the preferred school?

And if your child is under statutory school age you don't have to start them at a school but the school has to hold the place, and you're still entitled to the 30 hours free childcare at a nursery or preschool, too. So depending on when your child is born, you could keep to the present arrangements for a fair bit while waiting for a place to come up.

www.eastsussex.gov.uk/educationandlearning/schools/admissions/admissions_rules/addresses/If your child lives between the two addresses then tell them that.

Don’t know where you live but I think this is a common rule

You are not faking an address for a better school you are trying to manage shared care which is perfectly legal

OP when is your child starting school? This Sept or do you have an extra year to think about arrangements?

My school asks for a copy of your council tax bill and they check with the council, which address your children are registered to. A couple of children have been removed from school when they discovered that they were falsely registered to nannys local address.

LINK IS WRONG!!

this was what it said....

1. If your child lives at more than one address

If your child regularly stays with another parent or relative and therefore has more than one address, the school place will be allocated based on the address at which your child spends the majority of weekday nights during term time – so this is the address that you should use on your application.

If you give two addresses, we will decide which address should be used as the main residence for the purpose of processing your application as we only accept one current address. We may ask for evidence to confirm the address given.

If you do it your child can be removed from the school even if they have started. It happens.
That is far harder for the child.

Don't bother with renting your house either, if you own a house then you will need to use that address. Admissions aren't stupid and many people have tried that one.

@whatsleep thank you! I had no idea!
I have another year... eldest is still 2 so lots of time thank god.
A lot can happen in a year I guess

When are your DC starting school?

X post

I've seen it done once and the child was removed from the primary school and placed in a school near home, a good school, but childcare was issue for the parents as the GP did not drive and couldn't help out. They were found out due to people talking and telling the school. No prosecution, but it was an uncomfortable experience and one the family would rather forget!

I am also aware of another family that were accused of this, for a secondary school place, due to selling their own house (out of catchment) and renting in the catchment area whilst waiting for new build house to be finished (in the catchment area). Once again this was people talking that bought this issue up. Childs place was withdrawn until school/council investigation was complete. Child did get a place in the end, but it was stressful for the family.

I had to supply 3 X proof of address for my applications.

Phone the preferred school and ask if they are oversubscribed? And how many siblings are known to be starting in Sept, it might give you some idea of your chances of success. I would still apply for the school you want.

Someone in my daughters school did this and her child's place was revoked. Someone who lived closers child didn't get in and so they asked the mum if she'd put her parents address and she denied it. So the mum went to admissions and asked how did x child get in who lives further away. They looked into it and revoked the place, quite rightly too.

I know of 2 boys whose parents were in a similar position (both work f/t, gran main point of contact during school day but 8 miles away from their home).

They got their places at secondary school a stone's throw from granny's and are still there, Years 9 and 11.

you can still rent your place out if it needs sprucing up, just means you will get a bit less for it, some people are happy to take this to get the size or location of a rental property. Also may be worth renting to people on housing benefits, they can often find it hard to get anyone to accept thus likely to be less fussy on the decor.

f your child regularly stays with another parent or relative and therefore has more than one address, the school place will be allocated based on the address at which your child spends the majority of weekday nights during term time – so this is the address that you should use on your application.

I don't think this is standard. You need to check with @admissions on the Education topics who knows these things very well.

My Dd got a place at our first choice school after a term. A family had lied about their address and the child was removed from the school. What you are planning is very unfair.

The LA checks on who pays council tax at the address. It's dishonest, of course you'd deserve to be prosecuted for fraud.