Wrong address on School Admission - please help!

[namestresses]

Hi All,

I need your help - I am so stuck, I just don't know what to do.

When we applied for a primary school place, we lived at house X, close to our preferred school but out of catchment. Catchment is a not-so good school.

We moved house in April, just up the road to house Y, same catchment as the not so good school but slightly further from the preferred school.

We got the letter in May saying we hadn't got into the preferred school and we had got into the catchment one. Disappointing, but unsurprising since preferred school is oversubscribed. Went on waiting list for preferred school.

ANYWAY... (sorry for long story history!)

I got a letter yesterday saying that we had been offered a place in preferred school! I was SO SO SO happy I screamed.
Until DH pointed out that the letter was redirected from old house X.
The LEA didn't have our new address.
I informed the council but didn't realise the LEA was a separate 'entity' as it were.

I feel sick. I mean, I actually feel physically ill. I don't know what to do. Accept the place and change address with the school once we start, or tell the LEA we aren't at that address and lose the place we wanted?

We WERE at house X when we applied. I THOUGHT I had done the right thing by notifying the council. But now I am so worried that if I am honest and correct it now that I know my mistake, I will lose a place we so desperately wanted.
Can anyone offer advice? Please be kind - I was naive and I feel like an idiot already, I don't need to be flamed :(

Whether you may or not get caught is a red herring.

The fact is you were (possibly) awarded the place on the basis of the wrong address.

It doesn't matter if you told 'the council'. If you didn't tell admissions, they won't know.

Do the right thing. How is your DS going to learn how to behave if his own mother can't follow the law?

Imagine the next 7 years, knowing or even suspecting that you took a place that (perhaps) wasn't yours.

Imagine the fury you would feel if you knew that there was a child starting your preferred school, taking a place that belonged to your DS, if the roles were reversed.

So many posters are frankly hippocritical - if this was a thread from someone who suspected they lived closer than another family, everyone would be giving them tips to track down the information. When it's the other way around, everyone says 'look the other way'.

just politely decline a home visit.

But spiderpig op may not get enough notice of a visit to do so ! The place has been offered so late that there will only be a few days prior to term starting for letters, visits etc. If her letter gets delayed by postal redirection then it is possible she won't get the opportunity to cancel and if someone turns up and finds the address empty with a For Sale sign outside then the question will be raised. Not sure if op has kept her same phone number as that may mean she can at least be contacted direct.

And a home visit MAY be compulsarly, it is at DD's new school

I'm getting a bit confused here - some posters are stating that you informed the Local Authority, but reading your initial post you mention just 'the council'. Did you just inform e.g. the Council Tax department in a wholly other context, or did you to the best of your knowledge inform 'the body you thought was responsible for school stuff' even if you did not actually send the information to precisely the right person?

Hi All,

Thank you for your posts, I have been reading them over the weekend.

So this is where I am at.

I have accepted the place.

I am not going to ring the LEA. I live in a highly urban area and as a previous poster said, 200 yards up the road can mean a drop of 10 places.

The school will now no doubt want to arrange an interview - either at my house or at the school. I am going to politely decline a house visit, but if they insist, I will inform them of new address and explain predicament honestly. If they want me to go there, of course I will with relevant paperwork. Again, if I cannot supply correct paperwork, I will explain predicament.
I am going to decline a house visit on the basis that because we didn't go to any inductions, we have not had an opportunity to look around the school and I think that DC would appreciate a look around.

So that is step 1.

Step 2, if we get that far, is to start the school, continue postal redirection and keep quiet.

Step 3, change address with the school when the dust settles.

I am aware that some of you may think this highly immoral, and as many posters have said, taking the place of another child, what if it were me and the other way around, pitchforks at dawn etc etc.

But my question is - what would YOU do?
Would you turn down a place at a good (not great, but good) school in favour of one with terrible grades that had a massive pile of broken glass for 6 weeks in one of the common rooms and leaking pipes in the corridors?

I feel embarrassed, and ashamed at my mistake. It's my first DC, I thought that telling the council was telling the council, end of.
I did not mislead deliberately and my DH went mad at me when he realised we had gained a place under false pretences. I feel stupid and the whole thing has made me feel sick with upset and worry. I have lost many nights sleep and am so angry with myself for getting us into this mess.

But that said, here we are, and have to make the best of it.

I apologise to those who are taking the moral high ground, and perhaps if I were in your shoes I would too. But if you were in mine, maybe you, like me, would have to try.

Yes I am aware it might all turn around and bite me in the bum... and I am shitting myself that it might. But if I call them now, having accepted the place last week, it will DEFINITELY bite me in the bum so I am going to take my chances.

Thank you all for advice, support, warnings and empathy. I really appreciate it and you have helped me make my end decision (whether you agree with it or not )

Hi Namestresses - I still think you are doing the right thing. You didn't do anything wrong as far as I'm concerned. If the move is picked up on just play innocent and say offer came to new house and look surprised if someone points out had been redirected. Once your DC starts the school I don't think they'll take the place away on the basis that the council didn't change your address as requested and you didn't think anything of it.

I think the fact that it is not an outstanding school that is massively oversubscribed and that you still live v close will make it less likely that anyone will pick up on the fact you've moved.

My view is that others in your place would accept the place. You have not lied at any stage and have informed the council.

I hope this all works out and DS likes his school.

Hope it works out for you.

'And a home visit MAY be compulsarly, it is at DD's new school'

How can it be compulsary? What authority does a school have to demand access to somebody's house ??

They will find it very odd that you dont want a home visit. I'd hate to be in your shoes. I think you will find yourself having to do a lot of covering up at least initially.

I was wondering what your final decision was going to be! You're going to be flamed but I reckon I would have done the same as you, and suffered the same sleepless nights. The admissions process is horrendous, and speaking as someone whose child was allocated a school I wouldn't have taken him to with a gun to my head, if I had seen a chance I'd have grabbed it too. Good luck in September.

I wouldn't want a home visit either and I'm not hiding anything.

I've seen so many people on here lie their way into Catholic schools without an hint of doubt that they were doing the right thing. Your predicament pales into insignificance beside that. After all, as is the constant argument on the faith school threads, there is nothing wrong with doing everything in your power to get the best education for your child.

Good luck :)

Is the old house still on the rental Market? You rented from the ll for three years, yeah? I'd be asking if I could have access to the property for the home visit. Bit of 'dressing' and it'd be fine. The shenanigans I'm aware of in DS2s year on the part of the parents of kids trying to get into reception would make your hair curl!

lawabiding, we rented unfurnished so for it to look lived in it would be a full scale van hire and moving furniture back, I am not sure either the landlord or DH would go for that

It's a shitty situation but I only have myself to blame! But yes - I look at the chances of us being 'investigated' and tbh I think it's pretty slim. Yes I will have to be careful and keep my head down... but I think I'll be ok (hope!)

In our favour - we were never in catchment. No-one is expecting us to live next door.
I won't have much contact with other mums as I work full time and plan to use a breakfast clubs etc.
We are still only just up the road still so hopefully it shouldn't raise any 'distance' eyebrows.
The school is quite big and takes over 80-90 per year - I can't see them doing home visits for 90 children? Especially where I live there are a high concentration of private infant schools as well so chances are there will still be movement until the nth hour.

Of course, I may be talking out my arse and a letter to my old address with a home visit set for tomorrow, that I won't discover until wednesday might be happening as I speak... at which point, as I say, I only have myself to blame!

spiderpig -'And a home visit MAY be compulsarly, it is at DD's new school'

How can it be compulsary? What authority does a school have to demand access to somebody's house ??
You appear to be implying that I am fabricating this. It is quite clear in accordance with the rules of DD's new school that a home visit is carried out prior to the children starting school. I suppose I could refuse but then it may lead to the withdrawal of the offer of DD's place. Just because it doesn't happen in YOUR area, does not mean it doesn't happen.

mumofsussex - a place at school is NOT dependent upon a home visit - and will not be withdrawn if the parents say no to it! It woud be a clear breech of NATIONAL admission protocol if the school says they will withdraw the offer of a place if no home visit takes place.

The school/LEA has every right o verify that the address is the correct one, but via council tax, child benefit etc. not by the home visit.

It is not to verify the address, it is part of their induction proceedure. ALL children are visited at home by their teacher during the first week of September and then the following week they start part time. Seemingly this is not a new thing, they have been doing this for several years. They say it is to make starting easier for the children if they meet their new teacher in familiar surroundings although you do have to wonder if it is also to check out the address.

Surely, under these circumstances if a parent refused such a visit, which is supposed to be in their child's best interests, the school would think it rather odd?

I doubt it - if they've been doing that long they'llhave come across parents who just don't like strangers in their house/parents who work and can't/won't be available when they want to do the visit/children with sliblings who make it difficult to have someone come visit/anyone of a multitude of reasons!

Yes it's obviously nice for the child to have someone visit them at home, but not really necessary!

Op, I am glad that you have accepted the place. I would undoubtably done the same thing. Immoral or not I'm afraid if my Childs future education were at stake then I would reached the same decision. Good luck for the future and I sincerely hope you don't get found out :)

Mum of sussex-read my post properly!I was quoting another poster and saying the same thing as you!!!

Sorry mumofsussex didn't read your post properly!
Is it an independent school who can make their own rules? State schools cannot by law withdraw a place once it has been offered except in certain circumstances. Refusing a home visit is not one!

They might think it odd to refuse a home visit, but so what that's up to the parent.

forgive me if i barge in to ask a question
what is this "home visit" business? Is it standard procedure and every school in the country does one to new children? What does it involve? What is the "scope"?

So I know it's coming and start practising scones tea skills :-)

Im glad I'm not in your shoes OP, but at least you've made a decision you can live with and you're aware of the possible consequences.

I also agree with spiderpig8, a state school can't withdraw a place if you don't want a home visit. Do you have that in writing mumofsussex? Any teacher who has been doing home visits for years will know that there are lots of reasons for parents to refuse one.

to OP
I have not read all the posts so someone else may have already suggested it, apologies if it had been covered

Have you thought about calling directly the school and ask how many children / what distance from home have they been admitted since you where offered a place?
Although schools do not run waiting lists they can log onto the system and take a look.
It may turn out that you would have been allocated the place even if you had changed the address.
I would have wanted to know if that place was meant for my child.