Is this admission fraud? AIBU to report it?

[grammarmom]

Here's the situation.

We live in a grammar school catchment area that gets smaller every year. When we bought our house several years ago, it was very comfortably within the catchment for an excellent local grammar (very high in the league tables), and oh boy was it reflected in the price. Now we're right on the boundary. Among the thirty or so houses around us, some children got in last year and some didn't, literally a difference of a few yards.

Another child on our street, who is in the same class as my DC, only just passed the 11+ (a few points above the pass threshold). We live on the same road, but they are about 50 yards further from the school gate. Based on last year's distances, my child would likely get a place while theirs wouldn't.

Over the weekend, during a sleepover, the child mentioned that her mother has now rented a house much closer to the school to secure a higher priority for admission. The tenancy was apparently signed one day before the cut-off date, making it "legal" for admission purposes. She still owns their original home, but the story being presented is that relatives who were previously "homeless" will now live there free of charge, and all bills and utilities have been transferred into those relatives' names (I strongly suspect that the mother will in fact pay these bills as those relatives are penniless).

She's even moved the children's belongings to the rented property and makes them spend nights there (they hate it). There's no doubt that once the school place is obtained, they will move right back.

This effectively pushes my child down the priority list and means they may now miss out.

Would this constitute admissions fraud? It feels incredibly unfair that someone with £40k to spare for rent can effectively buy their way into a top grammar school, especially when their child didn't perform particularly well in the exam (despite being tutored for hours every day).

Should I report this? I have no more detail apart from what this child told me (and they obviously weren't too sure about some aspects of it due to age).

Yup.

I’m sure you’re only thinking of reporting her for morality reasons. Lol

It's morally just as dubious that this child innocently gave you information thinking they could trust you, only for you to report them.

If they're living there then there's nothing you can do.

I don’t know the admissions process, it’s just my summary of life to be honest.

t's naturally expected that at least one school-age child would live there

now you are talking absolute nonsense

I don't think you did anything wrong in buying the right house, I did exactly the same! Catchment was my first criteria. But I can't say the other family is committing fraud, because they are not.

This is impossible. These relatives are refugees whose visas are expiring in a year. One way or another they will leave. Neat, huh?

I am just so angry at the world and unfairness of it all today.

Someone with desperation screaming from every pore. It’s embarrassing

Report, in my borough the fact she still owns her real house would make this fraud.

Elon Musk with his Hobbit comment comes to mind.

I'm not sure it's entirely ethical to report something like this based on an account shared in innocence and trust by a young child in your home. The child thought they were with a friend / most likely didn't think at all.

I don't know, if it were me and my child ended up not getting in and that child did... maybe I would consider reporting them, if they were going to end up in a crap school. Though who knows if it would make a difference... and I wouldn't kid myself that any of it was about ethics.

It’s legal. Annoying for you but legal.

How can you not see how unfair it is that your own money bought your own children an advantage over other children. There will always be someone with more money so welcome to real life for the majority.

Zero sympathy

This is very common practice. I do see your point OP but I don’t know what good reporting it will do. There is a row of houses not far from here opposite a v sought after secondary and it’s so well known that people do this that it’s known colloquially as ‘renters’ row’.

Surelyif you report it they wont offer her daughter the place.

If she’s moving into newly rented house there is nothing you can do

She took an extreme action (renting and a temporary move) to ensure her child got a place. You thought you had done enough by buying close to the school and you're frustrated to discover you haven't.

She's played by the rules of the game but not the spirit. But then, however moral and upstanding we like to think we are, most of us do whatever we have to, to get what our children need. Be that a school place, a diagnosis or some help.

Sadly this is just typical of the inherently unfair grammar school system. I live in a grammar area - houses are ridiculously overpriced to begin with so people are priced out of the area straight away. Then you're up against people who have the money to spend on hours of tuition (sometimes per day, I kid you not!) so you're priced out on that level. Then you have people out of catchment who have to score higher than local children to get in, and they are are really giving it their all with the tutors and learning which means fewer local children achieve the pass mark (a set % pass). I was on a group chat where people were literally touring the country taking 11+ exams and would decide where to move based on where they got offers. And then of course you have the people cheating the system or making sneaky moves like your friend to get in too.

This year I know fewer local children than ever who got into our local grammar, and certainly none who hadn't paid for excessive tutoring. The whole thing is just pointless and awful (and yes, my child did pass when she took it so I'm not bitter!).

She’s doing what she can legally with her money, same as you did when you bought your house. It all sounds quite unpleasant but you’re both playing the same game.

Me too. Injustice gets to me all the day long.

I know some local authorities have wised up to this tactic and have rules in place to remove school places obtained in this way.

I would let the council know.

Honestly OP. Report this! Part of my job used to be investigating school place fraud. This isn’t fair. There is more than one way to skin a cat, so I can think of lots of things that can be done to catch her out.

Oh stoppit 😂😂

I mean you did the same, you had the money to buy there when others can’t. And if she plans to live there a year it’s perfectly legit.

Life is a lot happier and far less stressful if you just mind your own business.

And do they really allocate places based on proximity to the school gate and not just if you’re in the catchment?