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Original poster

pretending i live in a decent catchment area?

76 replies

biscuitdunkernomore · 30/04/2006 17:36

would this work?

My dd is due to start secondary school in sept 2007 and the local secondary school is terrible (one of the top 10 worst schools in the country, plus bullying, riots etc etc)

There is another school about 5 miles away, that is much better, but we can't afford to live there Sad

could we rent a small flat there and pretend this was our primary residence in order to get our daughter in? would this work and has anyone else done this?

your thoughts please ladies and gentlemen

OP posts:
Original poster
biscuitdunkernomore · 02/05/2006 10:03

Hi Lou and Nighty,

If we could only get a place in the 'bad' school, i would refuse to send her there and keep her at home. Its not just the appalling standard of education - (at a pinch, we could give her extra tuition at home in order to keep her grades up) but its more the bullying and intimidation. It is really really bad there (i have several friends who children go there and they are spat on, hit, pushed, threatened on a regular basis)

Thats what worries me, as it is not something that i could protect her from. So i am absolutley adamant that she won't go there, even my husband is adamant about it!

Spent last night on line looking at houses in the area nearer the new school and wondering if we could afford it. We would have to increase our mortgage term back up to 25 years and get a much smaller house. Think we will seriouly consider this though. I would cut off my own head to give my children a decent education and to protect them from the suffering i endured at school Sad

feel really sad today as if we did move we would leave all our friends behind, at the moment we are lucky enough to live opposite a little playpark where so many of their friends hang out and where they can play safely in view of me and we would loose that if we moved. No famly here either, so can't look to them for a solution.

Thanks for all your advice, im sure we will work something out, good luck to everyone else going through the same thing too! Smile

OP posts:
Blu · 02/05/2006 10:13

I think renting a flat and genuinely living there for a while before application and up until term had started would work - it is a loophole for these situations, anyway. But then you have the sibling issue.

If you buy a new house, at least you will have the continued higher value of it when you sell, and maybe once your younger child is in the school, you could move back to the cheaper area.
You'd only be 5 miles away from your current friends if you move - but your children will be closer to school friends from the new school.

shimmy21 · 02/05/2006 10:21

HI BD - we're in exactly the same situation as you. I have spoken to the LEA admissions people a couple of times to find out what the situation is. I put it that we are planning to move and that we want to be sure that we move to a place where ds will get in to X school. (although like you we are priced out of the area). Among other things they told me that they visit anyone who they have 'suspicions' about and she said for example people who put their grandmother's address. She implied that it is sometimes the primary school that alert them to these suspicions. Unless your kid is a consumate liar it is hard to keep from their primary teacher that they live round the corner, not in the posh area 5 miles away. I also asked about when we would need to be in that address and asked if they look at electoral rolls (as we would need to be there earlier if we had to get on to that) and she said that they take the single date in March as your registered address and providing you can show evidence such as a tenancy agreement by that date, you will be counted as there. After many hours of worrying dh and I have decided that the only thing for it is to actually move, whether this be selling and buying (in which case we will have to sacrifice a bedroom or a garden) or doing the renting ours out and renting in the new area. We don't know which yet. I don't think I could look my neighbours in the face if I lie and my kids get in and their kids don't (plus I guess they'd feel 'obliged' to report the deception out of justice to their own kids.) Good luck to you. I am sure you'll get in because you're prepared to do what it takes.

Kelly1978 · 02/05/2006 10:30

I agree that you would prob get caught out, especially with four kids to get through the school. I think if it is that important, you would be better off moving, even if it means other sacrifices. I also think it is wrong, and that sort of thing would piss me off tbh. We are lucky that we do live in the catchment area for good schools. We looked into that before deciding to move here, but all my four kids will still be lucky to get in, as the schools are so oversubscribed,. So they could end up going to a school miles away instead of just down the road, while some people are travelling in 10 miles plus to get to the school because they don't want to use their local schools!

SSSandy · 02/05/2006 12:41

I would risk it but I would be very quiet about it. There is no need for your neighbours or anyone else to know how you managed to get your child into that school. Could have just been good luck after all.

Where we live these days - Berlin , it's common practice. You just register your child as living with some friends of yours near the school you want. Nobody runs any checks, so there is no risk of being prosecuted. For me personally, the well-being of my child comes before any other considerations.

grumpyfrumpy · 02/05/2006 12:53

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

shimmy21 · 02/05/2006 12:54

But if you live in a place like me where your distance from the school is measured literally to the metre, with neighbours all down the road with children the same age as ds all trying to get into the same school, it would look mighty fishy if ds got in and not their children. I can't believe they wouldn't be highly resentful (as I would be) if they could see blatant cheating of the system to the detriment of their children.

grumpyfrumpy · 02/05/2006 12:56

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

shimmy21 · 02/05/2006 12:59

I wonder if the informant got their kids in? Maybe that's the way to get ds into the right school -just wait to se who's dodging the system and shop'em (might even be able to buy the nearly new uniform off the too!)

grumpyfrumpy · 02/05/2006 13:01

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SSSandy · 02/05/2006 13:02

I'm beginning to think it isn't that bad living in Germany after all!

Nightynight · 02/05/2006 13:08

it is GREAT living in Germany! even MunichAngry

good luck biscuitdunker, whatever you decide to do. I couldnt face those options, which was one reason for leaving UK.

SSSandy · 02/05/2006 13:13

Hi NN! Reading this kind of thread makes me feel a lot better about sending dd to school here, but living here was never my choice. I'd much rather be elsewhere.

Still, better not hijack the thread. Wouldn't like to be in biscuitdunker's shoes. I'm very concerned that dd gets a good education too. I just couldn't imagine having to send her to a school that I wasn't happy with. If home-schooling is really an option, I'd look into that until you move to an area with a school you're happier with. Don't think I would feel up to home-schooling myself though.

louise35 · 02/05/2006 14:55

Oh biscuit I didn't realise the school was so bad. I agree with your plan, buy a smaller house, incrrease your mortgage term if you have to, if your child's welfare is at stake then the sacrifice will be worth it. I'm lucky that the school my DD will be going to is not brilliant but they do NOT have a problem with bullying thank god. The other school we could have sent her to was more appropriate for her as it was an arts college, (dd loves drama, dance etc) but the bullying was the problem, too many kids wanting to mess about and picking on those who wanted to work. The school in question was burnt down a few months ago by a 14 year old pupil one evening when my daughter was training in the gym that her gymnastics club use for training. Thats the sort of kids we are talking about! Oh, and its the second time the school has burnt down in 3 years! I must admit I would have happily done the smaller house, longer mortgate etc to have been able to move further afield and get her in at a brilliant school but it would not have worked out with my job as I do not have a car (can't afford to run one) and would have been relying on public transport etc and the places we were thinking of were not easy to commute from. Its a terrible time to go through as I felt like I was disadvantaging my DD by sending her to a school that I did not think was up to standard but luckily it is getting better now and the results are improving so I am quite "happy" to send her there now. I I think alot of it depends on the child too and I could have sent her to a fantastic school but at the end of the day its down to the child and if she wants to do well she'll work at it and if she doesn't, then the school she is at is irrelevant. Good luck and I hope things work out for you xx

AngelaD · 02/05/2006 18:51

If the "new" house in the better area would cost more than £6k per child per year then you'd be better off paying for private education and adding that to you mortgage instead of going through all the trauma of moving and downsizing.
We worked out to move in catchment would cost another £150k, to educate all 3 girls privately would cost £160k but we wouldn't have to pay 6% interest on it and have the hassel of buying and selling.

mrsdil · 03/05/2006 15:23

I put down my partners address when trying to get ds into school as it was only over the road. The school never checked that we didnt live there but i would have just moved in with him if i had to. I even delayed moving house as i didnt want ds going to any of the 4 schools closer to the new house!

When it comes to education you have to do what you feel is best.

Northerner · 03/05/2006 15:25

Am Shock at your posting name Mrs Dil. It is the shortened version of my real name!

speedymama · 03/05/2006 15:55

This thread confirms why DH and I don't want to send our DTS to a church school, even though we attend church services and they will be going to Sunday School when they turn 3. Too many dishonest (imo) parents send their children to these schools because they want what is best for them (fair enough) but they are not prepared to live up to one of the moral codes that these same schools strive to instil in their pupils, i.e honesty.

The original poster says she wants what is best for her children (fair enough) but how is teaching them that in order to get what you want, you have to lie, cheat and deceive, is in their best interest? What about the child who should get a place at the desired school but won't because a parent has decided to cheat the system for the benefit of their own off-spring?

I don't mean to be harsh but surely you have had several years to realise that your local school is rubbish and surely you should have considered moving to another area with better schools if you feel so strongly about it? I have a male friend who was privately educated and he was bullied for being too erudite so it happens everywhere. I just find this thread a sad indictment of society if so many of you are prepared to condone dishonest behaviour.Sad That is my opinion and I will bow out now because I know that I will be flailed for honestly expressing my pov.

speedymama · 03/05/2006 16:30

Thought I would add that I went to an inner city comp and was bullied myself for wanting to studySad so understand bullying. I remember walking down the corridor to the next class and being punched in the stomach for no reason and this was a girls school. Would not wish it on anyone.

mrsdil · 04/05/2006 14:31

Northerner..we must share the same name lol

firestorm · 05/05/2006 19:06

we just moved away from an area with similar schools to biscuit. it cost us another 100k & the house is smaller, but the childrens happiness was well worth the sacrifice. Smile

Northerner · 07/05/2006 08:45

Mrs dil I'd be very suprised if we do share the same name as mine is very unusual and the only other people I know with it are related to us.

Is it foreign?

cod · 07/05/2006 08:47

yes not ahope of sharing her name

cod · 07/05/2006 08:47

and even minimal of mine

ther are only 2 of us int he uk

expatinscotland · 07/05/2006 08:56

have you decided what you will do, biscuit?