Secondary School Appeal

[LouBaker56]

I'm facing a major dilemma and could really do with some advice. Please note that I have not made any final decision and am open to your suggestions!
Here is the dilemma:
Secondary school application made in time. 2 x proofs of residence requested. One was emailed and one was sent in the post. The one in the post never arrived with the council. We were not made aware of this. School admission places were communicated to parents on the 1 March and DS did not get his school place.
DS is number 40 on the waiting list (-which takes into consideration the distance a child lives from the school).
The only process open to me is to appeal.Which I am working on.
The dilemma is this. A family friend has offered us the use of their address to get moved up the waiting list. Should I...? Or would this be a red flag to a council...?

As someone that works for a local authority I can tell you whoever would open your change in address will be asking their colleagues if you think they are stupid.

Can I ask what council you work for?
Would it automatically raise a red flag even if I provided council tax name change, updated electoral roll and changed over my bank statements?

I’m not going to advise you how to commit admissions fraud.

And there is the answer to my dilemma. It’s fraudulent. I should know better. I needed that abrupt response. Thank you

Dont cheat the system. If you are found out, they can still remove the place from you.

IF the second proof of residence had been received, would that have affected if your son would have got a place?

My son would have definitely got the place if they'd received the send proof of address.

I'm just hoping we'll be successful at appeal.

So what address have they used to get him 40th on waiting list? Presumably both pieces of evidence were the same one. If they correct it now where does he cone on the list? Do not fake an address, if he would have qualified before he should now.

He's 40 on the waiting list, using our home address - position on the waiting list is determined by distance from the school.
I'm already working on the appeal - and hopefully we will succeed that way

"My son would have definitely got the place if they'd received the send proof of address."

"He's 40 on the waiting list, using our home address -"

So was the second proof of address you sent in proof of a fraudulent address then?

No not at all. The first proof of address was bank statement - which they received. The second was utilities bill. Both were posted. At different times. But the gas bill was never accounted for by the admission department. They say they never received it.

And the council don't inform parents if documentation is not received.

But was that for your "home" address or your family friend's? If he would have qualified regardless why is he not now top of the waiting list?

That was for my home address. He's 40 on the waiting list as there are 39 children before him, who also want to go to the same school who happen to live closer to it.

But would they, or at least many of them, not have also applied originally so your ds would not have been allocated a place either.

How is the unreceived letter relevant? It sounds as though the school was heavily oversubscribed and your son would not have got in regardless?

I am confused on what basis would he have got a place?

Why would you have got a place if 39 children who live closer didn’t ?

Is it that because the second document wasn't received your application basically wasn't completed and therefore not counted as an on time application?

So there are 39 children living closer to the school who want a place, but you think your son would have got a place living further away than all of them?

That doesn't make sense as I doubt 39 other children that live closer also made a late application. So why would he have trumped those 39 if his application paperwork was received?

I don’t think I’m explaining myself very well. I have been informed by the council that if my documentation had been received in time then he would have gotten a place.

Maybe I’m just kidding myself. Maybe he wouldn’t have got a place anyway.

I think you need to repost in secondary about the missing documentation and appeal because it doesn't really make sense to me. There are various admissions experts there who can advise.

(Do not mention fraudulently considering a different address as you have now quite correctly dumped that idea. You will annoy everyone.)

Do you believe he should have been placed in a higher priority than his current class mates? Tbh it would not be the proof of address alone which caused him to lose out in that case but another piece of information. Otherwise he would be as now in relation to them.

Just seen your other thread but circumstances seem rather different

Why isnt the council using your council tax or electoral roll entry as proof of your address? Or are you using a different address now to the one you originally used?