Primary school admissions in Camden - 50/50 custody

[missjuniper]

Hello,

I'd love some advice from anyone who has an inkling about how Camden primary school admissions work. My partner and I have been separated for two years, and our son will be applying to start reception in 2016. His dad lives very close to our preferred school; I live five minutes from him, but out of the catchment. We have exactly 50/50 custody. His dad has had his house longer than I've had mine, and I will also be moving at the end of this year, so it is not untruthful to say that his house is our son's primary residence -in that it is the most stable, and the one our son knows best. Child benefit also goes to his father, and his address is where our son is registered with the GP.

We want to apply using his dad's address, but have been spooked by something on the Camden website about how in joint custody cases they will decide which address is used for admission. In scrupulously 50/50 situations like this, is there a presumption that the mother's address is the primary residence? The Camden application form is not yet online, so if anyone has applied before, is there a section to explain circumstances, or is it just a case of simply stating the primary address and then them doing their checks?

Many thanks in advance for any answers!

Am not Camden (or even London) but know that in my LEA they would use the address for the parent that receives child benefit. (They would probably ask for evidence of child benefit).
Factors such as how long you have lived at an address aren't relevant.
You will need to wait for admissions booklet for 2016 to come out and see if this gives more information.
Hope that helps

Have you looked at the admissions booklet?

It often says something on the lines that with divorced parents the parent's address with whom the child spends the most time should be used, and if custody is 50/50 then parents should write in explaining this situation, and which address they wish to use.

In your situation it should be completly fine to use his father's address.

I agree with pp. In my LEA it's usual address and child benefit. So in your case of a 50/50 split I suspect they'd go for where the cb was paid.

Don't know what they do if you don't get cb.

In my authority, they base it on the number of school nights spent at the address. My friend has her children Wednesday afternoon to the weekend, so Wed/Thu/Fri trumps Sun/Mon/Tue nights, if that makes sense.

Oh thank you all so much, am feeling slightly calmer now...

Looking at Camden specifically, they say it is up to you and your ex to agree and make clear which address will be used and provide supporting evidence for that address. Camden reserves the right to choose which address is to be used but it is not clear under what circumstances they would overrule your choice. This may be purely to cover themselves in situations where the parents cannot agree.

Thanks Bridge. Fingers crossed!

Camden don't seem too hot on policing so you may well not have any problems. I know they are supposed to be hotter now, but it isn't evident.

I'd check with Camden though and get their response in writing. I have found the education department to be quite "slippy". In this way you are totally covered if Camden decide to make an investigation, which they might not do off their own back but might do if your family are reported.

If child benefit and GP registration is based on his dad's address, that should surely be absolutely fine for admissions purposes? Especially as you can show that you haven't just changed things round in time to complete the admissions form

I would agree, but get it in writing from Camden! You don't want to have to go through stress of an appeal.

I thought that under the law both parents were in theory equal and therefore it would be unlawful for Camden to automatically treat the mother's address as the primary residence all other things being equal. In any case, in your situation all other things are not equal as the child benefit is going to the father's address and therefore that should weight his residence as the primary. I wouldn't waste your time trying to get someone to agree on the telephone that your assumptions are correct. You are making reasonable assumptions based on standard methods of qualification.

I wouldn't waste your time trying to get someone to agree on the telephone that your assumptions are correct

I disagree. You should get it in writing or, next best thing, have a telephone conversation then send an email confirming. If they then do something different to what they have said it gives you ammunition for any appeal.

Especially if the school is one of the ones people are known tocheat for; Fleet, Eleanor Palmer for example. The situation you are describing is exactly the sort of thing parents do try. It's amazing how many local pArents split up and live apart with one renting on the doorstep of the Outstanding school and the other keeping the big home. It's been really easy to get away with
and although you are completely innocent you might also be assumed to be cheating. It's up to Camden to decide and they might decide against you prior to offer day or even after you child has a place.

Surely you would want to know for certain which address you were applying from? You don't want to be in the situation where you assume Camden will accept your ex psrtners address and you put your six preferences based on that but they use YOUR address and the preferences are too far. You would be likely to end up with a school you don't want at all. Best be sure. After dealing with Camden and appeals I really wouldn't trust a telephone conversation with a follow up email either, I'd make sure you got something in concrete and in writing. They are quite bad at getting back to emails so I would phone then and tell them you have emailed...!

This may be purely to cover themselves in situations where the parents cannot agree.

This could be true prh but I tend to think its to weed out the cases where if parent 1 address was used the school the child would get would be the undersubscribed school but if parent 2 address was used the child would likely to get one of the Outstanding schools- the parents would want to use parents 2 address but Camden might decide otherwise all things being equal. Exactly the situation OP finds herself in. Honestly OP, get it ironed out now.

Thank you thank you - this is all extremely helpful. We will talk to Camden. The school isn't in the Eleanor Palmer league, so not so known for sharp elbows, but is Good and on the up I think. Sorry you had to go through an appeal GreenEggs. What a stressy palaver this all is ...

Out of interest, did you win your appeal GreenEggs?

It wasn't EP, but yes, thanks to prh and other mumsnetters :) so I know what it's like to be totally in the right but not get the place and I'd want to avoid anyone else being in a similar situation .

And - (sorry for all these posts in a row) - yes, you have articulated our fears - if Camden can decide which address to use, why would they NOT use the one in the undersubscribed catchment rather than the one in the oversubscribed one?

Especially as prh47 says, Camden haven't explained HOW they would decide. Forewarned is forearmed and all that.

Yes indeed. V glad yours had a good ending. Thanks again.

Harrow use the address where the child is registered with the doctor.

I agree with Tiggytape, what will be the deciding factor here is where does child sleep on nights that have school the next day, so Sunday through to Thursday. If that is 4 days at Dads and 3 at mums then you can use dads address but if as I suspect it is the other way around then you might have a problem.
You obviously need to get something in writing of Camden as LAs can sometimes be quite good at making a decision on which address to use but not good at telling the person till the last moment when it becomes much more difficult and drawn out to argue your case, as you are already in a "no place" scenario and going to appeal.