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

I know of someone who bought a flat near a popular school and moved their family in at the end of y5, and travelled a considerable distance back to their primary school for all of year 6. They did it by the book. But they didn’t manage to sell their old house so the LA didn’t believe they’d actually moved. The entire application was cancelled and they ended up with no school place at all and had to apply as a a late applicant so will have got whatever is left.

OP, what have you got to lose by reporting them anonymously? Worst case they keep the place and you feel pissed off at the injustice. Best case, the place is given to the child who should actually have got it, and this person will be left with whatever is left at this stage….rough justice if you ask me.

Children who are, or have ever been, in care/ looked after are always the top priority (in state funded schools). Beyond that schools can choose their own criteria, so a school can put distance above siblings. Just because some schools put siblings higher than distance mean all do: https://www.gov.uk/schools-admissions/admissions-criteria

Well, yes, but the "usual" order round these ways is siblings then catchment.
Presumably you could have had child 1 and lived in catchment, moved 1 day after joining reception, and secured a place for 3 siblings despite living 45 miles away or whatever.

I think some schools do clarify "siblings in catchment" get priority before other siblings or something.

So say you have an oversubscribed school like Kingsdale in south London, with something like 3500 applicants for 480 places. Some people apply from as far away as North London, Croydon and Wimbledon.

Do you think all of them should be guaranteed a place? Where are they going to teach all these kids, in a marquee?

I actually suspect hre PP was talking about looked after children... 😬

But unless you know that the OP is in your area what happens ‘round these ways’ is irrelevant? The OP has said distance is at the top at this school, so what happens in your area is neither here or there.

Our school is: looked after, exceptional arrangement, child of staff, sibling, feeder, other. It’s always hugely oversubscribed.

@WittiestUsernameEver Oh really? I assumed disgruntled priced-out parent who can’t afford to buy in catchment.

Baffled anyone would begrudge a LAC or child with SEN a place in the most appropriate school…

(edited to clarify who I was replying to)

It's better to report now before the child gets into.the school then possibly kicked out when the parents get found out.

Why on Mumsnet is everyone saying report for this but when it comes to benefits fraud it's always 'mind your own business'?

I dobbed in several cheaters. 2 from another town lost their places.
No regrets, my child had been refused a place with their friends & neighbours. we pay higher taxes in this town.
If they wanted a place they should have moved

well, she's wrong.

"All state-funded schools must give top priority to admitting children who:

are in care or being looked after
have been in care"

https://www.gov.uk/schools-admissions/admissions-criteria

You do realise that the idea of choice of school is a total illusion in a lot of areas. There is no choice if all local schools are oversubscribed, basically you will get the closest school (hopefully sensible enough to put catchment school on the list) with space. That isn't really a choice, unless like some you can aford to move into the catchment of the school you want.

I honestly think we should just have the Scottish system where they go to the local school. Then everyone would be more invested in their local school.

But you were also wrong. You said that top priority is LAC (correct) but then said, ‘Then it's often those with demonstrable need to attend. Then Siblings. Then Children in catchment .’ That is incorrect. Beyond having to give priority to LAC children schools can choose their own order of priority so the order you wrote is irrelevant and incorrect.

Don’t forget those with an EHCP! They are up there with LAC.

I would guess that’s because it’s obvious fraud if somebody actually lives miles away but is telling everyone they put their great aunt Ethel’s address down instead.

Whereas a lot of the benefits cheat posts are basically “this person I don’t like seems to have a lot of spare cash, and I reckon they might be fraudulently overclaiming in some unspecified way. Should I make a malicious report to social services about them?” So no real evidence, just looking to get somebody they don’t like into trouble.

If somebody was openly boasting about fiddling their benefits, the advice would be different.

True

You're wrong, without revealing the school ive copied the start of the criteria, there's 8 listed

1 Children who reside in the .... and whose brothers/sisters, half-brothers/sisters
attend/attended School (Indicate name and year group)
2 Children who reside in the....
3 Children who reside outside of .... but whose brothers/sisters, half-brothers/sisters attend School or Nursery Unit. (Indicate name and year group)

and so it goes, there's no mention of LAC or needs

No mention of EHCP on the school criteria, the area who reside is most important

Unfortunately schools are able to contest admissions for children with EHCPs so they don’t always get priority unless the school is actually named on the EHCP by the local authority.

I didn’t know this. When this this start?

My DC started primary in 2009 & 2010 and we didn’t have to show any evidence of where we lived.

The secondary didn’t have a catchment area so that didn’t matter.

That’s because schools don’t have any choice regarding admitting children who are LAC or who have the school named on the EHCP so it doesn’t have to be outlined under their admissions criteria, they must admit those children by law. All state funded schools have to give priority to LAC children or where the EHCP names the school. These children have priority even to the extent that even when a school is full they usually still have to admit them and give a place and are allowed to go over the class size limits.

I don't disagree, its s good thing as these children are most disadvantaged however they are a small minority, for everyone else applying your hone address is the decider which is why im annoyed they lied

How did you dob, did you ring the school directly?

We moved house part way through the school year, the local school was over subscribed. When we eventually got offered places I had to show a council tax bill and proof that we were registered with a local GP. I would be seriously pissed off if my child wasn't offered a place because of people pulling fast ones