AIBU to consider reporting a possibly false school catchment address?

[Annoymo]

I just found out a boy in DS’s class is going to a certain school that I know has an extremely strict catchment policy. I have a feeling they gave the in-laws address as the in-laws live near the catchment. We actually live close to this school than this boy so I’m really surprised they got a place. There is no SEN or sibling reason they got priority.

Morally I feel this is really bad of them but then I’m thinking why get involved. What would you do? How would you even report this?

Yes I think I would report.

To other posters putting on sob stories: if they haven't lied then there will be an investigation and they will pass. Not an issue.

I understand what people are saying about it being a crap school near them and parents desperate etc. However, another kid who lives much nearer the good school has lost their place and will now have to go to the shit school. If the parents were desperate they should have moved to live in the catchment.

Rules are there for a reason. I understand the reasons for lying but the system is only fair if people play by the rules.

The school deserve to know the facts.

Could it be something like their parent is a police officer and they applied under social reasons as didn't want their child going to school in their area. Eg. Kids could find out their parent was arrested by them.
If they've got the place legitimately they've nothing to worry about if you report.

Report this yes. If all comes out the child has a rightful place then all is well. If not a child in the local area could have been given that place. My daughter has to travel out of area for school in September after a lost appeal. Some of her friends are out of area and were given a place at our local school. The local school is classed as a really good school with top results. It’s well known for parents to do anything to get their child in. I know a school mum gave grandmas address to get him in because she told me. I can’t prove he doesn’t live there but I have reported her.

Most schools ask for proof of address: I had to provide a child benefit letter. Leave them to it.

This is fraud. How can you admire it? It’s awful and takes away legitimate places from others.

Surely the school will investigate though. If it's legit then it won't matter anyway.

*Yes I think I would report.?
You haven't got any evidence.
It's just 'feelings'
If there was solid evidence, then yes, go for it. But to ring up and say I have a feeling this is happening is malicious.

Keep out. Nothing to do with you

Just mind your own business, you have no idea how or why he got into that school, you have no hard evidence just “feelings”. It really makes no difference to your own life.

Is it really though? It’s her property. You are free to work as hard as her to buy another yourself for your child. She’s a very strategic and ambitious mother, someone I’d speed dial in a crisis for sure. Known her for 30 years, loyal as they come 🥰

He presumably isn't there yet.

Surely the school will investigate though. If it's legit then it won't matter anyway.

I have answered a couple of times why false reporting can have a terrible impact on families.

As I have said if records aren't updated it will spark an investigation. The family have weeks of stress gathering evidence, knowing someone in the community has reported them but they dont know who. How would you like not knowing who reported you and it could be someone you say good morning to every day on the playground? I know I would feel unsettled, feel like I'm being punished and not wanted and that people are gossiping about me. I wouldn't be able to trust anyone or be wary if asking friends.
I dont think that's worth doing to someone just because you have 'feelings' and not evidence.

My daughter is one of them going to a school out of area because others have lied to get a place at the local school. It is well k own for parents to do anything to get a place at our local as it’s a very good school. Her only option is a school 7 miles away. I have reported a mother who got her child in the local school claiming he lives with grandparents when he doesn’t. She’s gone as far as moving his child benefit over to them. It’s wrong.

Once as a school governor I was going through the reception applications. I came across an address that happened to be on my road, a few doors down. I thought ‘what kids live there?!’, and eventually realised they’d put down their grandparents’ address. We discussed it and whether to challenge, and eventually just let it go as we were slightly undersubscribed so it made no practical difference.

Move on. You have no solid evidence of it.

@ThankYouNigel I think you’re missing the point. If there is a reason this child got their place, then OP’s report will be immediately disregarded. No harm done. But if it’s just someone cheating the system, at the expense of a more legitimate case, then they should be called out on it.

But it’s quite frankly none of OP’s business? She doesn’t know what’s going on in that child’s life and it doesn’t impact her life in any way.

So if you report them does this mean the child looses his/her place at the school?

They won't need weeks of stress gathering evidence. If they've applied from where they live it will be quick and easy to prove that

I’d report it. Nothing to lose, and if the placement is legitimate and justified, then the family of the child won’t be inconvenienced by it, as they’ll never know.

It baffles me how many people on here think it’s OK to steal a school place from a child in catchment, by lying about their address.

Children in care or adopted from local authority care can get priority for school places even when out of catchment. If you don’t know someone’s entire history, it’s always possible this could be a reason they get a place.

Stay out of this, there could be a lot more going on that you have absolutely no knowledge.

Only if an investigation finds the application to be fradulent.

This can happen after a child starts the school if the school then believes the application was fradulent abd it triggers an investigation.

@spekky maybe OP’s child, or a child OP knows, has missed out on a place despite being in catchment, because someone is fraudulently claiming to live even nearer to the school. That makes it her business.

@FlagDay in which case the school will know to dismiss the report immediately. So what’s the problem with reporting it?