To be annoyed a friend lied about their address on a school application to get into an oversubscribed school

[Liverpoollass2]

I've recently found out a friend has lied on their school application by using another family members address to get their child into an oversubscribed school. The school is one I would have considered but would have been unlikely to get in as its very popular. Friend lives quite far but plans to move within the next few years closer to the school so wants their child at the school now. Its just annoyed me as I know many people who didn't get a place who are more local and feels Iike friend is misusing the system. Friend was able to get a letter with their name on it at the address by signing up for a credit card/store card I believe. I know its none of my business but I just feel annoyed about it now

Report it. Utterly reckless.

It's not fair on the child, who risks the devastating trauma of being kicked out of school through no fault of their own, for their entire time at the school. "Your mum's a liar..." is not the parting memory I'd want any child to have from what should be the happiest time and place in their lives.

The LA do all sorts of cross-checks and ours at least has zero tolerance for this sort of fraudulent behaviour. The school place is removed no matter when the truth is uncovered.

Do that child a favour and call the LA.

The wealthier families near us rent a house in the correct village 6 months before we apply for secondary school. Seen 3 posts in the last week asking if anyone knows of a 4 bed house to rent in such & such village. They'll then rent their house. Get into the school they want they move back to their house. It's so sneaky and unfair. I wish I knew how to report it

I work in a school and this is very common and many children get a place even if the local authority was informed that it’s a false address , once the place has been offered and accepted they don’t withdraw the offer 🤢

Rubbish. There have to be admissions criteria, and it shouldn’t be who can lie the most.

Most LAs are onto this kind of thing and won't use a rented address if the parents own a house in the area. However, if you want to report it, tell the admission team at your LA.

There's a mum at school who is absolutely furious that her child hasn't been given a place at the oversubscribed Secondary (CofE).

They don't live in catchment, no EHCP, no siblings at the school, but went for the "get the vicar to sign the paperwork" approach. She has attended church less than a handful of times since her child was baptised, so the vicar said no, I can't sign your form - There's no commitment to the church.

Let me just say this , you don’t come across as a very good friend if you tell in this .

For my son’s school place, I’ve had to provide proof of HIS address as well as 2 different pieces of proof of my own. I don’t know how people can get away with it!

Some schools do have random allocation. Ours does (v large and sought after school in South London). After looked after children and other legal requirements, and a small number of scholarships. Believe me it becomes something of a talking point when a school does this. There’s a lot of instinctive support for catchments, many would say there are good logical arguments for them.

They do in some academies - they are not bound by the county agreed lists (apart from LAC and EHCPs) and often use this to attract teachers to the school.

I think there is confusion because some people are thinking store card like a nectar card or whsmith card etc for collecting points.

I think the OP may mean a store credit card which will send bills usually through visa or Mastercard, with the address The top. Eg a Next account card.

Maybe concentrate on your own life and family and mind your own business.they are doing what they can to better their childrens prospects in life and I commend them for this. Life is not fair, get over it

You would certainly mind if your child was the one missing out on their place because of people lying.

You don't need to be Einstein to game the system.

It really is very simple and for little cost.

Unless it was my kid who was the one pushed out, I'd just let them get on with it.

I'd happily dodge the system to beat their antics if I needed to.

LAs are onto people trying to game the system. It is not easy. Renting generally doesn't work these days. Giving a false address generally doesn't work either.

The person who believes in minding your own business is here to tell you to act differently, OP...

We had loads of people do this one year, lots of children in catchment didn’t get in and it was awful.

Every year people who think it's easy to cheat the system get caught. Local Authority School Admission departments have lots of ways of catching people out, some of them haven't been mentioned on this thread.

Could you please explain how it’s ’beating their antics’ rather than fraudulently leapfrogging, by lying, over a child who ought to have had a school place? Thanks.

Yes same in my area, I didn't have to send proof on address they got the information from the council tax / electoral role. I think this person will get caught.

I was in the position where I could have done this.

where we live our catchment school is 20 mins away. But 20 mins in the other direction is a much better school and it’s right next to where me and DP work, as well as my parents living right round the corner. It’s the village where our children go to nursery so my parents can help with pick ups etc.

my parents offered to say we lived with them (and we actually had about a year before the application process while we were renovating our home) but we declined.

I couldn’t bear the thought of doing it dishonestly let alone being found out. As well as the fact that they could withdraw the place/sibling priority.

we were really lucky that our DC got in and next year we will be applying for younger DC. And it’s soooo much nicer knowing that DC2 is a higher priority for having a sibling at the school.

I can honestly say I don’t think I could go into school every day with a clear conscience otherwise!

One of my colleagues did this and boasted to us all about how far she’d go to give her kid the best start, unlike other mums who don’t care as much as she does blah blah.

I reported her but nothing was done. I hope karma catches up with her eventually.

When are we going to realise that LONG term this is not helpful.
Sending children who live in an affluent area to affluent schools isn't helping in the long term.
It just sets those families who don't earn as much and can't afford those areas, up to fail even more. And the children of those families, the gap gets bigger and bigger and the opportunities given are less.

OFSTED outstanding ratings actually increase house prices in those areas and is one of the reasons that Ruth Parry took her life.
Yet here we are again, as parents, using our fortune to look down on those who do all they can to get their child in a good school.
So this is where I can't get past it.

Should all children who live in poorer areas, have to attend schools where funding is limited and opportunities are limited. Because this is exactly what it all smacks of.
Postcode lottery right.

And the judgement! All because some can afford to move to the areas where there are good schools.
Absolutely ridiculous.

Happy to be flamed.
Do what you can for your child.
Even if you can afford the most priveledged of areas to live,

Funding is not limited for schools in poor areas. Indeed, since deprivation and low prior attainment are factors attracting additional funding, they may be better funded than schools in more affluent areas.

If by "do what you can for your child" you mean that you should try to cheat the system, I disagree. It is likely you will be discovered. If you are, you had better hope it is before offers are made. If it happens then, you will get an offer based on your actual address. If it is after offers, the place you have been offered can be removed even if your child has started at the school. You will get a place at the nearest school with places available, which is likely to be an unpopular school some distance from home. Your child may well be in a much worse situation than if you had been honest.

“Do what you can for your child” so what about the non-affluent family who scrimp and save, take on extra evening jobs etc to buy the crappiest house in the catchment area as it’s all they can afford but they’re desperate to do the best for their child. Then that child doesn’t get a place because someone who lives out of catchment lies about their address and gets the place instead. Sounds incredibly unfair to me!