Private school requiring a strict minimum period of residence in postcode

[susan1984r]

Daughter just misses it by a year. In their application form could we just write she started at the local state school a year earlier? What is the likelihood Private school checking? Would they be contacting the state school by phone or email? We think this is most unlikely. Or is there a written down record that all schools can see and may use?

You don’t want your relationship with a school to be founded on fraud. Which this would be- you’d be gaining the place by deception and in breach of contract if they ever found out.

When we applied to local schools. Our current school had to fill out references of suitability etc….

Is this for a scholarship/bursary? Otherwise very odd behaviour for a private school!

100% likely - they’ll ask the previous school for a reference

Really?! That is so odd. Why would a private school care where you live? Never heard of that before.

Is this so you don't count as an international student?

A year is hardly 'just' missing it.

Don't start your relationship with a school with a fraudulent statement.

They will check. They rang DDs primary school and they also wanted a written report from her Yr 6 teacher.

How odd.

The only thing I can think of is that they were originally founded with some kind of condition that they had to educate local children.

Is it a long established school OP? Sometimes these quirks can date back centuries.

The CTF from primary will have the date of admission.

As a mother of a child who missed her first choice of grammar school because of fraudulent applications from others I feel very strongly that this is so wrong!

I don't know, but I didn't realise private schools have conditions like this. Is it common?

Private schools can do whatever they want and set whatever criteria they want because they are independent of the state.

No idea about private schools as I didn't think they were that fussy about catchment but I do know even comprehensive schools will expel any pupil whose parents have been found to have lied about their main residence, ie a grandparents address put down instead of their own. Not worth it OP.

Not at all in our experience. Private schools usually attract kids who move around a lot or have lived abroad due to their parents career. To have a policy like this is quite bizarre and unusual

I realise they can, I didn't realise they'd want to restrict their market like that

Surely the OP has misunderstood. I agree that most private schools attract international families.

Could it be a traffic management requirement? Or something imposed by the Council when the school expanded etc?

A private school can set any entry criteria it likes as long as not racial discrimination etc. who knows what this one’s business model is?

Where are you, roughly?

I think some private schools are so over subscribed that they can do what they like to cut things down. DS got waitlisted but not a place for one we applied to - they had 652 applicants for 120 places. Schools with those sorts of figures can afford to impose whatever criteria they choose.

OP I really don't recommend you do what you're suggesting. Private schools will check and usually some records will be passed on to the secondary school from primary so it's very likely to come to light

This sort of thing is unusual for independent schools but not freakish. St Paul’s School for Girls now requires pupils to live within a 50 minute commute.

A quick google brings up residency requirements for students who hold a certain type of visa.

Isn’t that more for state schools? I’m not seeing that for private ones.

you might be right @Cheeesus maybe the @susan1984r will return and the hive mind can help understand/unravel the mystery.