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).

The DC passed the exam, that's all that matters.

Sounds like you gave this poor child the Spanish Inquisition

I would be cross in the child’s mothers shoes

and I’m bemused by the mother seemingly being so absolutely transparent with her children about what was happening

oh and because the mother has sneakily / cleverly poured over the legal requirements and kept to them - you don’t have a leg to stand on

Not sure what council you’re under but we got this the other day that mentions renting properties for this purpose..

It's how it works for the grammar near me. Once they take the top scorers, the rest of the places are purely on distance. It doesn't matter if you scraped a pass or did well.

Tiffin Still prioritise based on scores also.

We're right on the edge of the catchment. Based on last year's "furthest distance offered" and what happened with our immediate neighbours, my child would likely have received a place while hers wouldn't. Of course, no one can predict exactly how the catchment boundary will shift this year. Hope this clarifies.

People will find ways to game a system. Do we need more grammar schools or none?

rhats not what the op said, she said all they need to do is pass and then it’s based on distance, yours is like all the others and what I said, priority given to high scores.

Your child’s first lesson in “money talks”! 😜

especially when their child didn't perform particularly well in the exam (despite being tutored for hours every

Surely this isn’t that relevant as the scores aren’t particularly pertinent?

You have an inaccurate username op

you are not a grammar mum!

Thank you! That makes a lot more sense. I was really confused about sibling places when they wouldn't have even sat the exam yet! I don't think we have a grammar school near us and I didn't go to one so it is all a bit of a mystery to me.

You would think with a falling birth rate there would be less competition.

Most schools are seeing falling rolls so it’s unlikely that one dc will impact your dcs place.

If you report, they will investigate and decide if the address is legitimate and if not, use the other address. They won't just take one person's word for it.... there are ways of checking.

If the child is happily telling people she hasn't really moved, other people might report as well.

Can't believe the OP is talking about morals when she took advantage of a child's good nature to interrogate them in order to snitch on the family.
Is this even for real?

Op, before you report them and potentially embarass yourself,email the school and confirm absolutely no priority is given to high scores. Or link the school and we can confirm, but I’d put good money on you being wrong here.

Many admission authorities now have a protocol in place for ‘Address of Convenience’.
Google it to find your local council policy.

@Wickedlittledancer yes scores are the most important.

Its legal surely? Morally horrible yes but legal wins over morals.

Report it but I highly doubt much will be done

Is it a reading comprehension issue. The op didn’t say the kid said that either, they are moving in for a year.

You do not have to judge whether it is fraud or not, and only report it if you are certain. Just report it as ‘potential fraud’ and leave the authorities to do their investigation.

If it’s not fraud, no harm done. If it is, then they will face the consequences.

Can we please take a step back and see how insane this is? I live in Scotland where there is a strict catchment, you go to the school you’re in catchment for. The state schools here aren’t great so there’s no breaking a neck to get into a ‘good’ one. If you’re that fussed you pay to go private. My BIL lives in England and for months before the 11+ every Sunday was revision day for their kids. Months of wasted Sundays, all due to a crazy school system. It’s just so sad. Why are we locking our kids away at a weekend when they should be out getting some fresh air? Makes no sense at all.

Q

If he’s scraping a place despite being heavily tutored he probably won’t do any better than if he was in a decent comprehensive.