School Admissions & Address Checks

[LondonSuperTrooper]

Do the school admissions really check addresses etc? And how throughly do they do this?

I need to apply for a school in September and I am horrified to find that some mums will rent a house to be closer to the school just to get their child into a particular school..... and 'move' back home once their child has a place. I am so about this!

If it is found that they have done this and it isn't their permanent home, the place can and often will be withdrawn, even after the child has started at the school if it is found that they would otherwise not have been given a place. It depends on the area, some places don't check but in areas where there is a great demand for places or that things like this have happened before then they are likely to check. It's not worth the risk because those children could end up in a much worse position than they would have been with a truthful application.

If you know for a fact it's happened I personally would inform the admissions people - it's not fair that your child should potentially miss out on a place they were entitled too because someone else has played the system.

This thread happens every year. It happens every year, its not fair every year. I think that's one of the reasons the school does home visits.

Thanks for the replies. I'm in surrey and this particular school does not do home visits.

I will now search for previous threads - thanks.

Not sure much can be done, especially is someone rents a house or even a maisonette in catchment for say six months then moves back out. That's a big investment, but if its gets your kids into a great school without the expense of moving, it's a winner.
It's unfortunate, but it does happen a fair bit and probably always will.

Some LAs will ask why you have a short term rental and want proof that you were renting before etc. If you have a house nearby still in your name and either empty or rented out, they may deem that you are playing the system not accept the rental address.

Some LAs are very good at catching people who rent for six months then move out. Remember that they can take the place away even after the child has started at the school.

True, but a six month rental then a move to a cheaper area, as an example, is hard to prove is anything except a genuine change of circumstance.
Take thornden school, pretty much the best performing and regarded comp in the county.
Rent yourself a maisonette there for a few hundred quid a month, move out once the kids start school because you we're 'unable to find a house for reasonable money in the area'. There's a couple of those every year and it is hard to prove untrue. People do rent there whilst looking to buy and people do find the 50k premium that the catchment area commands is enough to make them move two roads out of catchment into the less desirable school's catchment.
Kids at thornden, 50k saved and still in a decent area, with a believable argument to back you up.

The point is, did they sell their house, and then rent? If so, then they will get the place - their home is their rental. Not so if they still own a house. Some people pretend to split up, with one partner (and DC) moving to the rental. A family near us did this some years back - was obviously bogus, mother and DC supposedly moved to a tiny flat in catchment, father remained in large house just outside. They never got a fixed phone at the new flat. Then they moved back 'reconciliation' after the start of the term. They would not get away with that now.

my area did an address check. they didn't adj for a rental agreement they asked for utility bills and council tax statements. I only had about 3 days to get all the evidence copied and back to them so no time to set up accounts or anything.

Dred to think what would have happened if I had been on a short holiday.

MrsSalvoMontalbano but this must happen in 'real' life doesn't it? A friends had to do this as her ex hubby was an utter prat and kicked out when she was cheating. However, her move was genuine and I think that this type of scenario is difficult to prove.

soapboxqueen good that they carried out address checks :)

Yes, but the usual scenario is that the children live with the parent in the large house, and the other parent moves out to a small flat. Obviously sometimes it might happen the other way (eg DV), but DV is a big accusation to make to get a school place, especially as the intention is to get back together again. In the case of the family I mentioned, no-one dobbed them in, but hey were pretty much ostracised (parents, not DC), and moved away when their DS was in Y3 to a grammar school area. thus depriving a child who would have stayed till Year 6.

QuiteContent - The LA don't have to prove anything. All they need is reasonable grounds for believing that the application was false or misleading. If this is a regular problem the LA should know which addresses are often used by parents renting short term to get a place at Thornden and should view any application from those addresses with suspicion. Even if they didn't catch the family before the child started at school they would be entitled to take the place away as soon as the family moved away. It would then be up to the family to prove to an appeal panel or the courts that the move to rented accommodation was not purely to get a place at Thornden. You may think their argument is believable but my guess is that most appeal panels and courts simply wouldn't believe them.

OP, I may be misjudging you, but I get the impression you are thinking along theses lines. Apologies if I am wrong. If you are intending to try to play they system you need b*s of steel and be aware that you cannot have friends... not really worth it, surely?

I'm in Surrey we had to take our council tax bill into the school office.

No I'm not intending to 'play' the system. I'm getting peeved off that people rent and then leave. I'm more annoyed as I've just paid a huge premium in buying a house just so i can be in the catchment area.

Thanks Ranf

Sorry about previous post- I'm on my phone.

Random, thanks for your reply but that's just my point. Anyone can rent a house and pay council tax to prove that they are living there...... But they actually are not.

London, the checks do get stricter every year. One or two people may get away with it but it's a heck of a risk that I bet fewer people are taking too.

What happens if you move at the time of the application deadline? We're buying a house and it's taking longer than we'd like. Once it's ours it needs complete renovation. I'm hoping we'll be in by the January deadline but we'll be cutting it fine and are unlikely to have proof of address in time. But we'll be genuine applicants obviously.

If you are in London you can change your address up to mid-February. If you are elsewhere you will need to check with your LA.

Is that a concrete fact bridge? The woman on the phone kept talking about September even though I know the deadline is January. She vaguely mentioned a feb date if you're moving but I wasn't sure if it was discretionary or not. We are moving to a house facing a school, if we didn't get it I'd be beyond gutted!!!!

Yes, it is a concrete fact. They will start accepting applications in September but the closing date for primary school applications is 15th January 2014. All London LAs use a common applications system and they have agreed that any address change by mid-February (it was 16th February this year) will be considered in the initial allocations without penalty provided you have submitted an application from your current address by 15th January and provided you can supply the required evidence of your new address.

Don't forget in a small catchment area parents that missed out on a place due to illegal moves like this have justifiable grievance against parents doing it and report you.

I know, thats what I'm counting on :)