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?

Bellini I think faith schools are a different issue. Admissions are like Elizabeth I - wanting outward conformance but not looking into people's hearts.

I think it's very naive to expect families trying to get their kids into decent or suitable schools to care about other families

I think it's very naive to expect families trying to get their kids into decent or suitable schools to care about other families

Maybe, but it is also very naïve to expect not to be dobbed in.

It's definitely every man for himself when it comes to school places these days.

You can apply to any (uk) school you want your child to attend.
You would probably be low down the list...
But there is nothing to say you can't apply from any address.

I applied for dd. She was accepted in the village primary.
We then had to move. Very quickly, not our fault.
We now live in a big town about 12 miles away from the village primary.

I explained everything to the head before she started. He said it's all fine. She has her place. The only "downside" is it's my responsibility to get her to school. I know it was anyway as she is young.

I think it's very naive to expect families trying to get their kids into decent or suitable schools to care about other families

Is it? Surely it’s the difference between being a decent person or not?

Isn't the community registered checked with applications nowadays. You'd have to get your daughter listed as residing at grandparent address and that in itself would cause an awful lot of other questions eg where are parents/why living with you/legal guardian. There was so much if this a few years ago that all the systems were tightened up. Have know folk having to produce council tac, energy, driving license details when applying to school. Just not worth it.

When we moved, just before DD started school, they rang and asked for proof of our new address as we still on the electoral roll at our old address. (More than a few years ago, but, if anything, things have got even stricter.

Not read the full thread but im a single mum too. Tax credits pay a proportion of my Childminder fees. That’s one of the main benefits of tax credits, to support single Mums to work and pay for child care...

Not sure if this is the case nationwide, or now, but when we were applying for our eldest ds's primary place a few years back our childminder lived in the village with the school and we lived about 3 miles away and there was a box on the form for out of catchment applications to explain that we needed this school for childcare purposes

You’ll have to find some way that doesn’t involve your child lying every single day and making it impossible to make play dates and parties etc.

I know someone who did this but with a view to move into catchment ASAP anyway, they just weren’t quite financially ready when school applications came around but did move during Reception year. They pretended they lived at their parents house and even had the teachers there for the reception home visit! Worked out fine for them but as I say, they didn’t live out of catchment for long. I don’t know how you could attempt to keep up the deception for any length of time, children can’t lie well and parents love a gossip. I’d spend my life constantly worrying about being caught out (but then I’ve never been a rule breaker!).

Our preferred school is just out of our catchment area but we've applied anyway and are just keeping everything crossed we get in bug if we don't it's tough..

I wouldn't dream of lying. I agree with other posters that maybe consider moving in with your mum for a year and renting your house out?

I feel for you. I'm also a lone parent and although working full time I struggled to make ends meet. My solution.

Rent your house out for 6 months. Move in with your mum and get your child legitimately into the school. The rent will cover your mortgage and probably leave you with a little bit extra. Sort yourself out financially then move back in when you're ready.

I moved in with my mum for 5 months and it really helped me. We've now bought a house together which we've divided into 2. So 2 kitchens, 2 staircases. She effectively lives next door to me and helps when I need it. I'll be there for her too as she gets older.

Try asking to see the head of your school you want and tell her your situation. Where I live when I was young my catchment area was a 20 min walk and yet there was a school literally 2mins from are house you could see the school from my front door that the council said I wasn't allowed to go to because it was out of are area. my mum had a meeting with the head teacher and she personally wrote to the council and that worked if you have a fair reason the school should help you. I'd do it legally if I was you don't want to be looking over your shoulder for a year or two.

I think it's very naive to expect families trying to get their kids into decent or suitable schools to care about other families

Well, that’s why most councils have a policy of checking addresses and removing a child’s school place if they catch people using fraudulent addresses, isn’t it?

They might not care about other people’s children, but they’ll (probably) care about the consequences of getting caught.

I've been the parent who didn't get a place at their catchment school due to fraud. I was also a teacher at that school. For 50 years, everybody who live in catchment got a place. Not our year. We moved, legitimately, into cathcment to ensure that I could see out DC growing up (no time off for assemblies, plays etc when you're a teacher). We were allocated a school that meant that we'd have to be out of the house by 6am if I was to continue working (non-negotiable due to high mortgage) to get kids to school and childminder. We found 5 frauds that got places withdrawn and a further 5 that didn't because the children had already had their visit day and according to the Council, "it would be unfair to the children to remove them from school."

We made some big life decisions and moved completely away from the area. A class lost their teacher at Christmas that year, and my son started school a term later than he should've in a different part of the country.

I feel for you OP, I really do. But the hurt caused by false school applications is real, and in this case affected not just my DC, but 90 others losing a teacher. Please don't fraudulently apply.

It was so common when mine started school. But I think authorities have got wise to it. Could you move in with your mum for foreseeable future? If she doesn’t mind! Rent your place out to pay off arrears?

Sorry I've not been back... I'm just catching up on all the posts.
I phoned the school today and they told me to get back in touch towards the end of 2019 to discuss options. They said my situ wasn't unusual and that they could set up a meeting closer the time to discuss.
Thanks everyone

Whatever cutesy name you try to give it, it’s fraud and it’s illegal

And the school is required to follow its published admissions policy so if they claim to be able to break the rules for you they’re either so undersubscribed that you’d get in regardless of where you live, they’re lying, or they’re acting illegally.

That's encouraging OP.
I'd apply normally. If it's rejected, get in the waiting list. Someone might move area and not many accept the place once their children are settled somewhere else. That said, it's going to be 7 years, so I'd look into moving there by renting or selling and buying. More than anything because that way your child can get a proper network of friends with whom to meet after school, go to clubs, have sleepovers, etc. Otherwise your child might have childcare but not many friends outside school?
We moved area exclusively for the school, it has hard to do but the best decision we made.

I know of one family who did this, someone else reported them, they lost their place. It is a serious consideration.

That seems encouraging fingers crossed for you :)

My ex partner did it to get his girls into a good school. He rented a flat for 6 months in the area, told the school they were living with him so they got a place using the address and after they were settled he moved address and the girls told the school they had moved back to living with the mother and caught the bus to school. He never got prosecuted.

“ think it's very naive to expect families trying to get their kids into decent or suitable schools to care about other families”
Yes, well. Some of us feel differently.