ok. help needed with address and school appn please

[poshgirlformerlymaggiesmama]

we are staying with some friends. waiting on a house purchase (again). so we are in the catchment area for a great primary school. but i am certain we wont be living there when dd goes to school - we wont be far, prob just outside the catchment though. so is it morally wrong to apply with this address? i mean, we live there for now, but its not my home. also - would we get into trouble. when i say we, i mean me and my dd. so would i get into trouble? how do they know? help. applying NOW

Have you sold the last house and not completed on the new one?
If so then the friends' house is your current address and you haven't got anything else to put as the new house isn't your current address.

If you have completed on the new house the situation is a bit less clear.
Do you know for sure the new house is out of catchment? The LEA website is normally pretty clear on the boundaries.
Is the other school significantly less good?
Are they far apart (ie would it be a long arduous journey from New House to Good School and a short easy one from New House to Other School)?

You'll need to provide proof of address when you come to submit your application. This proof is normally in the form of your child benefit statement which shows that you have parental responsibility and gives the child's address. Is this being sent to your friend's address?
Personally, I think that if you are actually living within the catchment when you make the application, and until such a time as offers of places are made, then you should be OK. Perhaps it would be worthwhile calling the local education department to explain/find out whether this is OK? I'm sure this kind of situation is not uncommon.

You will more than likely have to give proof of residence for the application address ie a council tax or other utility bill in your name so you can't realistically apply from that address, plus some schools will do home visits too. Once you have proof of exchange of contracts you can apply for a place at a school using what will beyour new address even before you have moved.

nope, old house sold, exchange on new one isnt imminent. so the deadline will have gone for appns.

am just having mail forwarded from old address

new house is only just outside catchment area

In our case we have to supply proof with child's name on (i.e. child benefit) as opposed to just a utility bill.
Think that you will have to apply from your new house (take it that you have made offer, offer been accepted and now you're just waiting for the move), supplying confirmation from estate agents/solicitors regarding the move being imminent. So would then apply for more local schools, maybe with this one being one of those on your list.
I really don't think that they'll agree to an application from an address where you have no utility bills or other proof of permanent residence, particularly if being a great school they'll be expecting people to try and duck in as it were.