Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Reporting someone for admissions fraud

399 replies

LaTristesseDureraEntre · 18/02/2022 16:12

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?

OP posts:
Macademiamum · 18/02/2022 18:33

I shouldn't have said it as a blanket statement @cuno

I agree with @Pandoh what I was trying to say is that it's spineless in this situation to report these people and then still act like their friends. It's two faced.

Tiredalwaystired · 18/02/2022 18:36

@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.
Never?

Even if you’re a DV victim and you have the opportunity to report your partner confidentially?

If you knew your family were at risk if it was known you were reporting someone?

Butchyrestingface · 18/02/2022 18:37

Someone in your "social circle", eh?

Is that code for "friend"?

If so, I'd hate to see what you do to your enemies.

ImGoingOutOut · 18/02/2022 18:37

They own the house though, if anything came of this what's to stop them from giving the tenant notice, them moving in and ticking a box before rerenting it in a few months time? If we moved out the catchment once our children were in the school they wouldn't kick us out the school. A school mum is about to do just that in fact, both kids will remain at the oversubscribed school.

GatoradeMeBitch · 18/02/2022 18:37

Spineless really, if you feel strongly enough to report them it's pretty sad to not stand by that.

Because it's her real life, not her internet life? Telling someone in your social circle you sabotaged their choice of school is a great way to find yourself without a social circle.

ThanksItHasPockets · 18/02/2022 18:38

The fact that OP knows that they have done this suggests that the parents have told their friends. More fool them. I wouldn’t be surprised if OP’s wasn’t the only report.

Original poster
LaTristesseDureraEntre · 18/02/2022 18:38

Why not tell them? Spineless really, if you feel strongly enough to report them it's pretty sad to not stand by that.

What would be the benefit of my telling them? This isn’t a friend, it’s a woman where we’re on the periphery of one another’s friendship groups for lack of a better explanation. We all live in the same town, I know her to nod to because she’s friends with a friend of mine. Shared parties etc. She’s a bit loose-lipped and told a group of us about her school application and housing plans a while back, either intentionally or while moaning about her house renovation. Then mutual friend confirmed to me that she indeed applied to that school in the end.

OP posts:
A580Hojas · 18/02/2022 18:38

I think you're right. Admissions fraud is very low.

A580Hojas · 18/02/2022 18:41

@Zodlebud

Absolutely did the right thing. These people are literally BUYING themselves a place at the school. If they gave the school cash to obtain a place then people would be up in arms and shouting fraud until the cows come home. It's the exact same thing. Using their money to get a place that they are not entitled to.
This is it exactly.

The over subscribed schools in my part of south London straddle council estates and £2million properties. It's always the children from council estates who get bumped down in admissions frauds. I know of several cases in my wider social circle - those fraudsters irritate the hell out of me, even though my children aren't directly affected (as not in catchment for the insanely over subscribed schools). It's just the principle of it.

Erictheavocado · 18/02/2022 18:41

[quote LaTristesseDureraEntre]@Daisycrown we don’t know yet but in previous years the catchment was the size of my backside so it could well make the difference.[/quote]
If the catchment was the size of MY backside, every kid in the country would get in!Grin

OP, yanbu. I would have done the same.

EmbarrassedAllOver · 18/02/2022 18:44

They own the house and maybe they're planning to move back in a year or two and therefore want the local school.

YABU (and game playing)

BuanoKubiamVej · 18/02/2022 18:47

Yanbu and were quite right to report.

Saying that this isn't serious because they do own the other property is exactly the same as saying that rich people who own several properties should have better and extra chances to get the school choices they want than poorer people who can only have one address because they don't ownany holiday let/btl/additional properties. It's bad enough that the wealthy can already buy their way into the catchment of the best schools. Solving that isn't within the scope of this thread but we can definitely apply the rule that each applicant can only apply from their actual residential address with no tricks and juggling of addresses to get the most advantageous position for those from wealthier circumstances.

Macademiamum · 18/02/2022 18:47

@Erictheavocado Grin

Luredbyapomegranate · 18/02/2022 18:52

@Ipadflowers

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

I think you are Princess Petty Pants OP, no way would I have sat with you Grin

TronDeReplay · 18/02/2022 18:52

@EmbarrassedAllOver

They own the house and maybe they're planning to move back in a year or two and therefore want the local school.

YABU (and game playing)

Except it's still directly against local admission rules. If they want to be admitted to the school they should be willing to follow the rules. You don't get to break them by lying, just because you 'want the local school' for whatever reason.

I'm with you, OP, and I think it is more prevalent than people think. A friend let out a house to someone that did similar.
Although as PP have said, I don't get why they don't just stay there for the required length of time? You can move once your application's successful, so it seems a bit unnecessary to break the rules when you can just play by them and still move away.

HeyEwe · 18/02/2022 18:52

We baptised 3 children and don't believe in God, are you going to ring the school and tell them 🤭🤫. We did buy our house in the right area though, we were plotting before we'd even conceived.

Cheekypeach · 18/02/2022 18:53

@HeyEwe

We baptised 3 children and don't believe in God, are you going to ring the school and tell them 🤭🤫. We did buy our house in the right area though, we were plotting before we'd even conceived.
Sad people
tkwal · 18/02/2022 18:53

As long as it serves your best interests that makes it OK???

Original poster
LaTristesseDureraEntre · 18/02/2022 18:53

embarrassed they’ve moved from a starter flat to a house. It seems to me like a one-way move. I’m ready to be proved wrong.

To whoever said about buying privilege etc - let’s not pretend that it isn’t buying privilege when only people with ££££ budgets can buy in places that “happen” to be leafy with lovely schools and low EAL and FSM numbers. With further privilege entrenched because the PTA gets run by a SAHM with a background in event management and heaps of free time. See “Nice White Parents”. The whole system is problematic imo. But one wrong doesn’t negate the other imo.

OP posts:
Widgets · 18/02/2022 18:54

If it was a complete lie (using grandparents or a random friends address in the catchment area) then yes reporting would be the thing to do, I was with you all the way until I read ‘they own the property’ now I’m not so sure the LA would do much once the parents have shown evidence that the address belongs to them?!

TronDeReplay · 18/02/2022 18:57

OP will you update if you find out what happens? Lots of people think the LA would be ok with this because they own it even if they don't live there - I'm dubious...

cuno · 18/02/2022 18:58

@Widgets

If it was a complete lie (using grandparents or a random friends address in the catchment area) then yes reporting would be the thing to do, I was with you all the way until I read ‘they own the property’ now I’m not so sure the LA would do much once the parents have shown evidence that the address belongs to them?!
It is a complete lie though because they don't live there and have lied about their main residence.
EmbarrassedAllOver · 18/02/2022 18:58

I see what you're saying, but I'd still do it.

If I owned two properties, one in a better catchment, I'd lie.

Not ideal but I know I would 🤷🏻 and I'd hope none of my "friends" were snakes...

tempester28 · 18/02/2022 18:59

I think you will find that they move back to the other property!

cuno · 18/02/2022 19:01

@EmbarrassedAllOver

I see what you're saying, but I'd still do it.

If I owned two properties, one in a better catchment, I'd lie.

Not ideal but I know I would 🤷🏻 and I'd hope none of my "friends" were snakes...

You think being a fraudster is somehow better than being a snake? Weird.
Swipe left for the next trending thread