Renting in catchment to get sibling in?

[bubblebubblebubblepop]

DD1 is in Yr2 at school. We are now applying for DD2 to start in Reception next year. However she is unlikely to get in as there are more children in catchment than places available (75 children for 60 places according to council). It is also a very popular school and so expect most catchment children to put it down as first choice. We live out of catchment and siblings out of catchment are after catchment (siblings and non-siblings).

DD1 didn't get into our catchment school as that was also very oversubscribed and we didn't live close enough to get in (we stayed on waiting list even after she started school and she still hadn't got in by the end of Reception year so we took her off the list as she was so happy at school).

We are now thinking of renting in catchment for a year (this Dec to next Dec) to get DD2 into the same school. We would really live there, not just rent a flat in name, but would leave our current house unoccupied and move back at the end of next year, after the whole Admissions process and the first term.

We don't want them at different schools as DD1 won't be old enough to get to school on her own next year and it's not physically possible to do 2 school runs. There is no other school close enough to do it (again, our catchment school is oversubscribed again this year - it's Outstanding OFSTED) so we don't even know how far we would have to travel for DD2 if she got a different school.

I know lots of people say this is a terrible thing to do but I think most people do that to get their eldest in, here we are trying to get our youngest in and keep both children together so I can take them both to school.

Is this allowed? Does anybody know anything about it?

Thanks in advance.

I have responded.

Have you phoned the lea to check that catchment gets priority over siblings.

We're doing the same for secondary. I really don't care about anyone else's children.

If you mean you are renting in catchment in an attempt to get a place in a popular school you should be prepared for the possibility that any offer will be withdrawn when the LA finds out, even if that is after your child starts school. There is therefore a good chance you could end up worse off than you would if you obeyed the rules.

Posies if you are at the receiving end I am sure you would feel very different - just because you want a place for your dc doesn't mean you deserve it more than someone else! Regardless of what you think you will most likely be found out and even if the school don't act - parents wont forget it

I can only agree with PRH's comments, this looks like a school and church that is taking excessive liberties with the admission system and for anybody outside of the school to know anything before the placement date just confirms this needs to be reported to the Schools Adjudicator, so that it can be properly investigated.

Posies,

My understanding is that our local secondary, with the LEA, is checking:

• Registered address in final year at primary
• Address given on admission form
• Address on admission to secondary school
• Any changes of address within the first 12 months of secondary.

As well as the usual checks on 'true' residence during the admissions process, including dates of any moves.

If a change of address occurs in the first year, especially if that is out of catchment and particularly if it is back to a previous address, the child will lose their place (2 children were turned away on the first day of year 7 and several more had their places removed within the first year at secondary). Fraudulent applications are taken very seriously by over-subscribed schools.

Well we're renting because we can't afford to move, we'll be renting for at least two years. Hopefully more.

And I've called admissions already to discuss this in detail. We may end up longer term renting, for say five years or more.