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).

Watford Grammar School for Girls https://www.watfordgrammarschoolforgirls.org.uk/admissions/year-7-entry-forms/

An address is presumed not to be a genuine address if:-

• the address has not been the girl’s normal home address since 1st September of the calendar year preceding proposed admission;
• the property is rented and the tenancy agreement is less than 12 months, or
• if a parent/carer with whom the girl is resident for the majority of school nights, owns an alternative property further from but within 20 miles of the school which has been the main family home within the last five years.

In these cases, further evidence must be provided to demonstrate that the address given as the girl’s normal home address is genuine. The school may require additional evidence of residence qualification if there are reasons for casting doubt on the accuracy or completeness of an application. The trustees may refuse to base an allocation on an address which might be considered to be only a temporary address. If an address is found not to be a genuine address, the trustees may withdraw the offer of a school place or refuse future applications made on behalf of the girl’s sibling under the sibling or cross-sibling criterion.

West Berkshire

The child’s permanent home address is where he or she lives with his or her legal parents/carers and are living at the closing date for applications in the normal admissions round (31 October 2024 – secondary; 15 January 2025 –primary) Future addresses must not be used on the application form. In the majority of cases, applicant’s rent or own one property, however, family circumstances vary so we have identified below how we will consider different cases.

If you own a house or a flat and are renting and living in another property, we will consider the rental address as your permanent address if:

1. 2. your owned property is rented and you have been living at the rented address for at least 1 year (we will require proof) In some cases we may consider a rental address where you have lived for a period shorter than a year as your permanent address if your owned property is a considerable distance away from the rented accommodation where you are living. In these cases we will decide what evidence you should provide us and we will review it and make a decision.

If you own two or more houses, the permanent home address is where you live and we may ask for evidence to determine which address is the permanent home address.

If your permanent home address is not owned or rented (for example living with parents) we will consider it as your permanent home address if you do not own or rent another property. We will require evidence to show that you do not own or rent another property. If you cannot show evidence that you have lived at the current address for more than 1 year we will need to see documentation that confirms what the previous address was and that you do not own or rent the property.

If you own or rent a property and have moved because of an emergency, for example fleeing domestic violence, we will consider the address where you are staying as your permanent home address. We will require evidence such as a police report. Where parental responsibilities are shared and the child/children live at both parent’s addresses during the school week on a permanent arrangement, either address will be considered the permanent home address. To establish where the child resides we may ask for the following information:

1. Any legal documentation confirming residence if such an agreement exists.
2. Information on the actual pattern of residence.
3. The length of time the residence arrangements have been in place.
4. Information on the actual pattern of residence. The length of time the residence arrangements have been in place. Council Tax bill and other utilities bill

Do you know what Op, I’ve had a few drinks tonight and this thread keeps popping to the top of my “threads I’m on.”

of this is your biggest concern in life, count yourself very lucky. Even if it’s not, what a sad little life you must lead to care. In less than 100 years, you’ll be dust and no one will utter your name again.

This is just bollocks. Let it go, said Elsa, that silly tart was correct.

So because she’s a single mother she can’t be a high earner?🤔🙄

I moved house into the catchment area of 1 of the best schools in Scotland when pregnant with DS1
i accept that this was gaming the system and as given my political views was hypocritical
I don’t care as my DC all did well,but I do own it for what it was

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.

That surely has to be based on scores though, not on distance.

I'm struggling to understand how a grammar school which is very high in the league tables can having children winning or losing places based on distance from the school when we are talking about such small distances in the first place. In a very high performing grammar you'd not expect to see several children all having to fight over the same places within thirty streets, let alone thirty houses.

Most highly selective grammars have huge catchments, or no defined catchment area at all. It's all about the results, not where they live. They want only the brightest children and they'll take them from absolutely anywhere, so long as they can physically get themselves to school each day. They wouldn't care if they were helicoptered in, so long as they were the cleverest to take the test.

Distance from the school is only usually a factor in the case of a tie break on scores for the last two places, after the higher scoring children have all been allocated a place. If the next two were a dead heat on test scores, it would go to the child who lived closest, but even they might live 15 miles away.

Did you read the rest of my post or just that bit 🤔🙄

This 100%.Lots of kids who are smarter than yours will never get a chance to go to those schools because their parents can’t afford the fees or to live in those areas. You’re taking the spot of another talented kid. There’s always someone richer who can buy their way in. That’s the unfair reality and the system that allows it to happen.

This is what I don’t understand. We are half a hours drive from dds grammar. If it was catchment area, we’d be fucked, it’s by score. It’s the only (single sex) grammar for 20 miles though.

If the relatives have moved in and she is moving out to the rented house then she is doing it. So I am not sure you can report tbh. She’s put the effort in that’s for sure.

There are two types of grammar school, I think - super selective goes in score order, regardless of distance, and the other type is more “usual” criteria (distance, staff kids etc) once the pass mark has been reached. Different areas have different kinds of grammar school.

Right. and yet two more policies that precisely do not say what people are claiming.
In fact the Berkshire one specifically says you can rent and own if you've been there a certain time and your owned property is rented out!

I had to get my son baptized at age 5 to get into the local primary school.
It was that or go to the end of the queue for the school down the road. I resented having to do it as my husband and I are both atheist but needs must and I was not alone.

@prh47bridge may be able to advise - he is clued up on school admissions and on legal matters

It does seem unfair, and I think they may well regret it if, as you say, the relatives are living in it free of charge. I find that difficult to believe, as they must be ignorant of the tax laws.

What they are doing is subletting the house they are renting. If I am right in my thinking, they should be charging a market rent and that will be added to their income and they will have to pay tax on it. If the relative they are subletting to is on benefit, they should be declaring that they do not pay rent. Is it likely the DWP will swallow any of that?

I may be wrong. I am sometimes.

It seems odd that they should go to such lengths, but I don't think it is against the law. If it is fraud, there is no finishing date for that, so you have years to report it. In the meantime, pray that your daughter is accepted.

I've never known this issue with our local grammar schools. Usually only 75% of students who get into Grammar schools have actually passed the 11+. The rest go to students who gain a place through Review .

They usually calculate the boundaries and the pass grade boundary so this stays as the case. I know in recent years they've really tightened the boundaries and out of county entry etc. I would hope the calculations would include your child if you are on the same road.

I’d report it . Not her permanent residence

I hope you explain to your child the religion he was baptised in. It is sad.

That certain time is at least a year, not one day though. They’d have had to living in the rented property since Oct 2024.

And the first one clearly states that a rented address is presumed not to be the child’s address if a home is owned nearby. The onus is on the parents to evidence why they are owning and renting and then the admissions authority decide whether the parents have done enough to prove there is an exceptional reason to go against the default policy of using the owned address as the child’s permanent address if parents own one property and are renting another.

Again, though, in the scenario of the OP, the West Berkshire policy would not allow the neighbour to use the rental address because she hasn’t been there for a a year before the application and isn’t one of the exceptional cases like fleeing DV.

This

Has this ever been tested in court, do you know?

This

If you could have easily afforded that, why aren't you considering paying for private school? By your logic, does this mean your child is cheating a child from a less wealthy family out of a place at the Grammar?

It definitely sounds suspect. You will need to file your complaint with the school in question, as it will be their responsibility to investigate the claim. A school application is a legal document and if an applicant is found out to have applied fraudulently, an offered place can be withdrawn

Hold fire until you know it's affected your child then use as leverage.

However, the world is unfair. The quicker we all get that the better....