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

You'd be surprised, PuttingDownRoots. Some use a private school bus system for children out of the area.

This happens all the time in my area and nothing ever happens, they always get away with it, I always wondered how on earth they manage but they do. People put grand parents/family members addresses that live in the catchment, it's definitely something that needs cracked down on.

Yes, we were in a grandparent's house, and very much was their's, not our own, I shared a bedroom with my child. Other family have done the same. Not that unusual, given the housing situation.

Absolutely report her shes happy to step on other kids to get hers ahead.

My child has an ehcp and usually these aren't confirmed in time for allocations (DS' wasnt finished until just before term started so taking them over ICS) although they can be if it was sorted during preschool.

What do you do when it's obvious? In the case of a family member, if they had done a home visit then the elderly grandparent would have very obviously been there in the sitting room. It was the grandparent's home, yes, but the parent and child did not have another.

Report them if you like. These cfs are scum.

The other child will be enjoying getting ready for their new school and won’t care half as much as the parents.

Email or call your local school admissions dept. If you call you can be anonymous if you want. Give them the details. They will investigate. That person has lied to take a place away from a child who should have had the place. They deserve to be reported.

Stuff like this happens all the time. It’s really unfair, but it does happen. A family in dc school used a grandparents address. They said there had been a family break up so had moved back to grandparents. This was a total lie. Another I know of got a place at a very oversubscribed catholic secondary by having their child baptised Catholic when they had already been baptised CofE. They didn’t declare any of this to the priest who did the baptism (you can’t do this) and didn’t declare it on the faith form for school. They 100% wouldn’t have been allocated a place. The school is massively oversubscribed and there are usually at least 3 full days if appeals for the Head to get through.

Maybe everyone is like @Liverpoollass2 and complains about it but doesn't do anything about it

This isn’t a kindness to the child. It’s done by ruffled parents because they are feeling ruffled.

I’d leave well alone.

That's the fault of the parent(s) though.

What about the feelings of the child who missed out in a place as a result of their dishonesty?

And surely it's better to know now, than much closer to starting dates - many over-subscribed schools do check.

I'm guessing you are in Wales and this is a faith school? That would explain the lack of any mention of LAC, although there is likely to be a note that says LAC are given priority in the category in which they fall. The rules on LAC are different in Wales to those in England.

But these people are paying council tax at their home address presumably, so unless that place is currently a massive construction site they clearly aren't living with family

We had our address used years ago for one of my OH's nephews re primary/junir school. No one bothered and even if they did - the reason that was used was, we picked up the kid from school as parents worked. It would take a lot of monitoring etc to catch someone out and indeed circumstances can change, EG we stop picking up my OH's nephew after school and the school could do naff all

OP - report your friend as its not fair on the others and you are so agitated about it

This is your friend or maybe you’re not really a friend …I would never be jealous of a friend full stop …..you are literally outing her on MN glad I don’t have friends like you ….wow just wow ….you need to mind your own and stop calling yourself her friend

Relationship break down, DV, how do these very strict LA'S handle life situations that are hardly uncommon?

This happened on my street! Someone didnt get their child in but at the top of the road a couple’s granddaughter got in - parents lived 20 miles away but they argued it was okay because they did day care😡. That year four children ‘changed schools’ during the first week of term, including the granddaughter. Grandparents no longer speak to other child parents - who was able to get a place in the school during the second week of term.

I think she’ll get found out anyway. A credit card bill? My daughter is in reception, I can’t quite remember the process but I didn’t have to show a utility bill, just pick out my address from a drop down menu on the online application. That address then correlates to my council tax bill, my green bin subscription, they even know my number plate from tip-runs, I had to subscribe with the council to get nappies collected. The local education authority know where people live! If they check, that address won’t correlate with any other address that parent has ever been connected to.

But yeah for what it’s worth, I’d probably ring the LEA anonymously and tell them and maybe tip off the school too. I know a mum whose second child hasn’t got in the same school as their older sibling. It’s a nightmare. She’s lives far out but she’s never lied, like this person has.

I'd imagine on a case by case basis, but I'm not sure that's relevant to lying on the admissions form

My kids are still quite a long way off from this, so I find it hard to care that much. I probably will later though!

Saying that, we did a similar thing for a cousin.
We had a much older cousin, who wanted to get on the course to learn to be a train driver. But you could only do it if you lived within a certain number of miles of a mainline railway station, which we did. He used our address, got on the course, trained, and has now been a train driver for the better part of 20 years now.

It's relevant because the harder they crack down on people who lie, the harder it will hit struggling families in difficult situations too.

Don't they just accept alternative proof of your living situation? I'm not in the UK, but for something like that or if you were applying for benefits, an affidavit or proof of seperation, court or police records could all be included. You cant be given a school place based on the criteria of catchment and not expect to have to show some proof as to where you live, if they are just going to go by the fact you filled xyz out on your application form then I guess you just count yourself as being very lucky!

Sounds like the mum working there may have been a factor?

So why have you condoned this and done nothing about it?