Suspected School Place Fraud

[SchoolFraudDilemma]

This is more a WWYD.

If you suspected someone had fraudulently applied for a secondary school place, would you report it?

There is a very outside chance of an EHCP but it is unlikely.

I suspect that they've used a different address to their actual address when applying.

They live approx 6 miles from the school. According to the local authority data, the furthest place offered was 1.2m from the school.

Would you report it or just mind your own business?

I'd mind my own.

What benefit is there to you in reporting?

Report. They are denying a rightful place to another child.

MYOB

you've said yourself you don't know the details, so just mind your own.

I was someone who's child was high up on a waiting list (and never did get a place at that school).

I'd report to the schools and LA as a potential fraudulent application.

If they are entitled to the place then they'll have all the right evidence to prove it.

Did your child not get a place at the school?

If I had absolute concrete evidence I might consider it, but you don't so mind your own business. I thought it was quite hard to commit school place fraud these days anyway?

It depends, if my child had missed out on place because of it I would be more likely to want to report it. if it didn't affect me I'd keep out of it.

Report. Someone else's child has missed out on their rightful place.

There are other reasons such as being an adopted child which would put someone up a list without you knowing. Some adoptive parents keep very quiet about their child being adopted.

It isn't victimless though if it is fraudulent, as the child top of the waiting list has been defrauded of their place.

If you report saying 'concerned X has applied using fraudulent address as they actually live at Y' then it can be checked. No harm done if all above board.

Maybe the child has previously been in care? They could be adopted?

I'd report it. If they did nothing wrong then there won't be a problem. If they did make a fraudulent application, a child who should have got a place will get one.

It will take an admin person all of 5 mins to check whether the address you provide is the same as the one on the application.
If it is then no further action is required by anyone.

If they have used Grandma's address however...

Why are you interested? I appreciate that this might be annoying but if there is something else in the background which you don’t know about, like an EHCP, adoption, family breakdown you could be adding to an already horrible situation. If you really do need to get involved couldn’t you just ask the family themselves?

I'd report it
But round here you have to upload a copy of driving licence and 2 recent bills 1 to be the annual council tax bill as evidence as a check

Report it

@Wearywithteens

Report - they’ll be duty bound to investigate and if the child has a rightful place then no harm done, but if not they have denied another child their place.

This ^

There are many reasons why a child may be offered a place if they are not in catchment- including being adopted, being forces children, SEN, etc.

If you want to report it really is up to you, but what are you motivations for reporting? What do you hope to achieve?

Report it and then stop worrying about it. They may follow it up, they may not, but also there may be a legit reason such as adoption.

I’d mind my own business. But then I live in an area that doesn’t have huge competition for school places and the majority of kids get their first choice.

I might feel differently if I lived in an area with an insane amount of competition for school places.

Report. Not any point in having boundaries if people can just lie with no repercussions. May as well be a free-for-all and kids just go where they like

Mind you own. “Rightful place” is crap in my eyes-a lottery where kids lucky enough to live closer get the best school place. Shit system and none of your business

Gosh, I think it's terrible so many people are saying report it.

You don't even know for sure if there is an EHCP, let alone any other reason.

Schools do much more careful checks these days, it's harder than it used to be. It's so unlikely to be actually fraudulent, why do you care anyway?

Report it.