Reporting someone for admissions fraud

[LaTristesseDureraEntre]

NC for this.

I've reported someone for admissions fraud/ giving a false address. Someone in my social circle. They've used their old home address for school applications, but that home is now a holiday let (they still own it) and they've moved down the road to a cheaper area. I sent the LA some info and will let them draw their own conclusions. I did it partly because it affects me/my family (in the obvious way - child in the same school year, tight catchment for desirable school). But tbh I find their behaviour awful so I imagine I'd have been minded to do it anyway.

AIBU? I know on MN the normal response is "keep your beak out" but, really, would you have kept quiet?

And no, before anyone starts, no “Ooh maybe child has special needs / husband is polygamous / there’s a special underground tunnel linking the two properties so that they are in fact one”. Just pure old address fakery. WIBU?

Good for you

I would not have reported them for using a home they own for school admissions. It doesn't seem like fraud to me.

I know a man with the same name as his df. Used paperwork is from his dps address to get the dc into a school
.
Technically op they do own that address.

Good for you. All the people who get all ‘keep your beak out’ when this comes up - well I always wonder how they would feel if they were the one whose child missed out because of it. It’s no different to general crime - I think people have a duty to help the over stretched authorities by reporting it. If they’ve done nothing wrong they can prove so, and no harm done. If they have done wrong then all the better that they don’t get a place fraudulently and someone else’s child will get their rightfully deserved place.

@Macademiamum

I would not have reported them for using a home they own for school admissions. It doesn't seem like fraud to me.

It is, because they don’t live there. They are benefitting financially from renting it out and living in a cheaper area while still having access to the good school which is presumably at least partly why it’s a more expensive area. Literally trying to have their cake and eating it.

It’s also directly against standard admissions policies, if you don’t live there it doesn’t matter if you technically own it. It’s not their home.

It’s not about owning a property it’s about where you main residence is - where you sleep and eat and are registered for your doctors etc. Otherwise people could just buy a bed sit in the school catchment and use that address!
The reason for going to school in your catchment is for the community. Children 1 street from the school should be able to go to school with thier neighbours instead of losing a place to a child living 2 miles away but parents are using another address closer to the school.

Yeah I’d have reported that.

Rules vary by area, so if they’re allowed to do it then no harm done.

But if it’s not allowed they shouldn’t get away with it.

Would you ever tell them it was you though?

I reckon adults who do this were the kids in school who always wanted to run tell teacher. 😂

They do still own it. If that’s good enough for the council, good luck to them. My understanding is that one can’t have two primary addresses. (I’m a landlord* - can I use my tenant’s addy for my kid’s application if it suits me?)

*not really

Well done. We were the victim of this. They deserve everything coming to them.

Also it depends where they were living at the time of admission . They are allowed to move after.

Would you ever tell them it was you though?

Course not. I’d make sympathetic noises when Toby didn’t get into Leafy Primary and wait for them to direct their ire at the council/wherever.

@Ipadflowers yep I think you're right! I'm sure they're just much better people than me

The thing is ipad, I am quite likely to suffer from staying quiet. So aside from my halo - which I like to keep v polished, you’re right - I also want my kid in the school he would likely be in if it wasn’t for people fucking with the system.

I'd have done the same. I wouldn't tell anyone.

If the child has already started at the school then you should keep out of it. Otherwise i think it's ok to report.

I think you were right
Lived in an area where this was v common due to desirability of school and it really irritated me
Even though my DC were private and no difference at all to them!

I think you were right whether or not child has already started.
This isn't a 'victimless' fraud. If people lie about their address then it directly leads to the child who should have been given the place, having to go elsewhere.
If child has a place removed after starting, then it is a shame, but blame their fraudulent parents, not the person who reported.

I think you should never report anyone for anything if you aren't willing to tell them you did to their face. So eg. If one of my friends started using drugs and I reported concerns about their child to children's services, I would tell them I was doing so.

You did the right thing OP, it’s scumbaggery of a pretty high order. Admissions to primary and secondary were a very close shave for my 2 and if they’d lost their legitimately claimed places to someone doing this I’d have been furious.

Good for you. It happens too much. So unfair and wrong.

@Macademiamum

I think you should never report anyone for anything if you aren't willing to tell them you did to their face. So eg. If one of my friends started using drugs and I reported concerns about their child to children's services, I would tell them I was doing so.

So if you saw a 20stone bloke beating up his girlfriend you would tell him you've reported it? Sounds unnecessarily risky to me.

@XelaM - Are you the parent the OP is talking about ? Do you condone fraud then ?

I don't think you sound like a horrible person. I understand your position, for me, what makes a difference here is that your child could be adversely affected. It's more ambiguous when your child is not involved, I feel.