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?

@ThankYouNigel OP hasn’t expressed any desire to know why this child might have a place. She’s wondering if she should report it as a possible lie. If there’s child has reasons she doesn’t know about, the school will ignore her report and that’ll be the end of it. The school will know the child’s details.

youve been told multiple times that this isn’t the case.

@spekky you’re making a big assumption about OP there. You don’t know what her situation is. And she has no obligation to tell her whole story on MN. She was just asking if people thought she should report it. You’ve already decided, from reading her short post, that her child is absolutely fine, and that she is just wanting to be difficult for the hell of it.

I couldn’t care less if the OP reports it. They just shouldn’t be surprised that there are many reasons why that child might have a place which do not involve being dishonest about an address. It’s not really worth the discussion. Either report it or don’t. OP doesn’t need anyone’s permission to do so.

@spekky so you’re telling me if a child is out of catchment, and is given a school place because they’re a LAC, that the school will have no record of this? And that if a random parent reports that they’re out of catchment, the school will fully investigate, and demand information from the parents? Because no one will have told them the reason for the child getting priority? I find that hard to believe.

@FlagDay OP posted to ask if people thought she should report it. If you don’t care, why are you posting?!

Busybody. Mind your own business.

Report.

It's easy for the parent to prove if they're right. And if they've lied, then another child has been deprived of their place, which is a wrong that can be largely put right.

Thank you for sharing that!

No matter what you decide in relation to reporting to the LA I would ask please don't let this become a matter playground gossip!

I send DD1 to a school that is very difficult to get in to, 1500+ applications for 120 places. As an adopted/previously looked after child she got in even though we are way out of catchment. I don't know if anyone 'reported' us to the LA, I do know that parents were gossiping about it, and I received a few questions from other parents, as did DD!! The fact that she is adopted isn't a secret, but it is her own story and she should never feel pressured to tell nosy adults to explain why she got a place at that school.

My BIL used his MIL’s address to get a school place in a village school where he doesn’t live.

Then he got a letter saying that the LEA wanted proof that he lived there. He didn’t so he couldn’t provide it and their place was withdrawn.

A the moment I’m doing some supply teaching in a reception class in the very school my BIL tried to get my niece in to and where one parent is late probably about half the time and I was talking to the child and she told me that she had to get the bus and that sometimes it didn’t come and so she had to get a taxi and it cost ‘a lot of money’.

Then when the mum arrived she told me that she was on the waiting list for a place for a school in the village that they lived in. The whole thing just sounded super stressful. Getting buses and paying for buses twice a day. Worrying about them not coming and not being on time for school and then paying for taxis.

That’s who people are taking places away from. People who live in a place and should be able to walk to a school in their own area.

Some people are prepared to do things that other people are not prepared to do because it’s dishonest and it’s not the right thing to do.

Yes, my mum is pretty thick skinned and very private, so brushed off insensitive and ill informed business, but I do think for a parent already experiencing so much stress from their own family the last thing they need is random school mums sticking their noses in!

Of course you should report!. The admissions team can double check if the child was admitted correctly. If so, no harm done. If not, the place can be given to another child who should have been admitted.

So @Annoymo
What are you going to do about your feelings now you've heard both sides of the argument?

I’d report your suspicion so that this can then be investigated properly. There would be no harm done if everything turns out to be above board.

All of the posts saying that parents would do anything for their children - fine, buy or rent a property in the catchment area then.

As a parent of a child who was robbed of a grammar school place because of lying parents,until we went to ombudsman I would report without hesitation!
If there is an explanation then the parents will have nothing to worry about.

I knew someone (friend of a friend) who used an alternative address to get their child into a particular school. It was a bit more complicated in that the parents bought a 1 bed flat in the catchment area and then rented it out whilst still living in their 5 bed house out of catchment. So they could prove they owned the property, but they weren't living there.

They got found out (ratted on by another parent I guess) in the June of child being in Y6. It took a few weeks to resolve but the child was denied the place and had to go to a different school. The LA absolutely can withdraw the place if it's been gained fraudulently

I suspect you wouldn't say this if your child had been denied a place in favour of a child whose parents lied

Absolutely report. No harm done if there are genuine reasons for the place. But if it is a lie, the place can be given to a genuine case.

The stress and anxiety of 2-6 weeks (as suggested by a pp) having to prove your address is nothing compared to the stress and anxiety of managing logistics when your child is denied a place at their local school.

The fact that this is a post and run OP combined with a subject matter that’s very contentious on MN makes me very sceptical.

But if this is true, I’m even more sceptical about the idea of an admissions board leaping into action because a random woman “has a feeling”. Not a letter that’s come to her address claiming these parents live there; not positive proof that someone else lives at the address the parents have used… a feeling. It’s worthless in terms of an investigation.

I know on MN we are supposed to all “trust our spidey senses”, and that if you suspect your colleague is cheating on his wife, you should tell her straight away and she’ll unquestionably believe you. But real life isn’t like that.

Also, the people suggesting that any investigation would immediately be dropped if it’s all legit are being somewhat naive - or are at least overestimating the competency of large organisations. Take it from someone who spent over a year fighting a £1400 electricity bill for a) one month and b) an empty one-bedroom flat. The utility company finally admitted they were in the wrong one day before the deadline to contest my rebuttal and take me to court.

As usual MN gets stuck in a particular word “feeling”! Okay so here is factual Information: we live literally 5 mins walk from the secondary school less actually and put it down as first choice, DS didn’t get it. My neighbours few doors down got a place and this particular child in DS’s class lives in another borough completely and definitely can’t walk to school. I know for a fact they put down their MIL address as they live in the next street, we know them quite well; but obviously I’m not going to ask them!

I don’t know what to go honestly. Yes it would make life easier if we got the place they fraudently took but on the other hand I don’t know if reporting them would put us higher in the waiting list. I just don’t know hence I asked on here. I’m surprised by the responses as I thought most people would morally support not lying.

Definitely report @Annoymo you will be higher in the list if they are found to be not eligible.

They don't deserve the place.

I’m conflicted. They are not very nice people to be quite honest but the grandparents are so lovely and I don’t want to cause the grandparents any stress. I grew up knowing them and they are lovely. I’m sure the primary place was gained fraudulently too as there’s no was they could have gotten in being in a completely different borough.

If their place is withdrawn, you wouldmove one place up the waiting list.

I don't even get why you are conflicted.

-They aren't nice people
-They've lied and cheated before
-They've lied and cheated again
-If someone a few doors down has got a place there's a good chance you have very narrowly missed out because of them.

I would feel no guilt whatsoever.

Why is the grandparents being nice people a factor?