Secondary school dilemma- wwyd

[Schooldilemma2345]

My ds1 is in year 6 so we’ll be applying for secondary schools this October. We were planning to move into the Catchment area of our preferred school but our purchase has just fallen through. It’s so frustrating as we were due to exchange this week and it’s been going through since just before lockdown. The owners of the house were buying were planning to downsize but they’ve changed their minds and can’t bear to part with the family home. To make matters worse, when we told our buyers about the problem and suggested we might be prepared to go into rented for a while, they have said they their buyers (1st time buyers are having issues with their mortgage as the wife has had her hours cut considerably due to COVID). It looks like the whole chain has completely collapsed.
We have a holiday cottage which is in the catchment area of the school, it’s tiny (2 bedrooms) so we can’t move in (we have 3 dc) but I’m wonderIng If I ABU to use that address to get a school place.
I know is against the rules but what are the chances that we’ll get caught. In all likelihood we’ll have moved into the catchment area before the start of year 7....
I feel it’s unethical but I’m actually really desperate...

There are a lot of 'just sell your house' posts here. The OP has said the chain in probably going to collapse. The chances of OP finding a buyer and selling in the next 6/7 weeks are basically zero. Some places do allow you to amend your address for a certain period and not be classed as late, which might help a bit, but still is a fairly big ask.

Surely if a school is oversubscribed, moving into the catchment or nearer the school to gain a place for your child means that a child who would otherwise get a place misses out?

Can you afford to live between the 2 ( Holiday cottage mon- fri and home for the weekend ) would that make it more bearable. You would be within the rules and lots of people have weekend residences.

It has to be your primary residence, even when parents are separated the address given has to be the child’s primary residence. So my OH moves closer to an outstanding school but kids are with me 70% of the time we have to use my address for school applications.

When we applied for DCs secondary place a couple of years back we had moved house anyway just under a year previously and our council asked us to prove we no longer had a connection to our old house - loads of stuff if I remember, like things from our solicitor to show our old house was no longer ours. We had to make it crystal clear that the old house was sold and not just rented out etc etc. Obviously for us it was fine as we had actually moved proper. So if you move into your holiday house but keep your main residence, even renting it out, you may be disqualified from applying with your holiday house address.

What happens if you get found out? It's your property I would chance it - you pay all the bills etc

@SalterWatcher

What happens if you get found out? It's your property I would chance it - you pay all the bills etc

Your child would lose the school place. How have you read the thread and still not grasped this?

It's your property

What it isn't though is the child's main residence.

You WILL get found out or reported. My DC got a place at our preferred school after a lying family were found out. The child was removed from the school immediately.

Thanks everyone for your responses. I know deep down it’s unethical- that’s why I’m not just doing it. It’s just so frustrating. We have 0 chance of getting into the school we’d love our kids to go to if we apply from our current address. We will have the choice of a school which is on special measures and is totally at odds with our ethos for several reasons or a school with is 20 miles from where we live in the opposite direction to dc primary. There is no public transport from our area (we are very rural). We wanted to move, not just for the school but also so our kids will have a chance of some independence- being near friends, Bus routes, safe cycling options etc. We moved here out of desperation when I was pregnant with twins. It was the only thing we could afford at the time and was practically derelict. Our holiday cottage has one small double room and a second bedroom that just fits a toddler bed. There is one open plan kitchen living room downstairs, it really is tiny. I realise we are lucky to have 2 properties but we are far from rich. Running the holiday cottage has been my job when I didn’t return to work after having kids. I had a very tough time at secondary school (I went to a school 10 miles from my home and I knew nobody, I was badly bullied). It’s difficult not to project your experiences onto your kids. You sometimes consider doing things you would normally not approve of. I really don’t consider myself ‘morally bankrupt’ though, that’s pretty harsh. I often wonder if posters would say things like that to strangers irl?

If you get caught which you more than likely will. Your child will be kicked out of the school. They will have to start again and make new friends. It's not worth the risk.

Could you go and rent now in smaller city? You have income from smaller property. You could always air b and b your current house.

Smaller city? I mean nearer city to work

They do make an effort to seek out cheaters. Why not just move in?

Ugh, two houses and still complaining.

My friend and her child moved into a flat near their intended school whilst dad and other kids stayed in the house which was up for sale. They genuinely lived in the flat, registered at GP, council tax etc. and then the whole family moved once they were able to complete their sale and buy a house near the school. Why can't you do that? Completely above board and you may still be in new house before school starts next Sept...

Ps there are definitely checks that people live there for some over subscribed schools. They knock at 7am especially at certain rental properties well known to the school.

You genuinely have to move in and change ALL records inc gp, council tax etc.

In our area we had to supply 3 specified forms of ID in the 3 weeks after a place was offered. I know of one child who started in y7 and then had to leave. Other parents must have shopped them.

So no moral judgement but you do need to make it your main residence for at least a year before and after.