Fuming - friend lying where she lives to keep DC at local school

[ukgirlatheart]

One of the mums has moved out of the area with her boyfriend, they have bought a house together but atm has kept hers to rent out once she has secured her 2 x DC's school places at local school (she has used address).

Im annoyed as she was telling me laughing at it, it isn't right at all in my opinion, when I suggested this she said well tough my kids are getting these places

We've had a child lose their place this year (used grandparents address on application ) so councils are definitely checking

I'm still not clear whether the child is starting school in September or the mum plans to apply for September 2016 ...

To clear a few things, I said a "Mum at school" not a friend.

I take it means they are already in school? Then they aren't breaking any rules.

I'm in process of a house move and DD1 is going to attend the school she's been allocated based on our current address. We do not have to move her even after we move. The address is based on the one you live in when you are applying. (And we have lived at this address since before DD1).

The title of the thread says 'friend'

So her children are starting school this September? Because otherwise how has she made an application already?

In which case, she's done nothing wrong. You only have to live at the address when you apply which would've been before January this year.

Most children I know miss out on places because of siblings rather than fraud, our catchment is 380m. It's not even the whole street, but siblings come from miles away.

To clear a few things, I said a "Mum at school" not a friend

Look again, you called her a friend in the title.

I think most people would "screw over other children" if the benefit to their own children was big enough. It's just a matter of where your line is. You might think lying for school places deplorable, but you'd fight to the death if their was only one kidney, for example.

You still haven't clarified the timeline beyond the fact it seems she moved in June.

If her children are already at school she has done nothing wrong. They are entitled to keep their places.

If she moved in May or June and they are due to start in September she has done nothing wrong. They are entitled to keep their places.

If she is applying this autumn for places next September and intends to use an address where she is no longer living that is wrong. However, the fact that you refer to her as a "mum at school" suggests that at least one child already attends the school. If that is the case and the school prioritises siblings it may be that her use of the wrong address has no effect on the outcome.

Well that's a preposterous argument Urethra because where your child goes to school isn't a life or death matter.

I think this Mum at school is a fool for fighting to get her children into a school on the other side of the city. Her children won't thank her for it when they start to want to walk home with/socialise with kids from their classes.

Yes dear, thats the point

I think you are right Mintyy, state schools have to follow a lot of the same standards. Yes, they are all different, but not so different that it is worth spending 5 hours a week commuting and having all your school friends in a different neighbourhood. Especially at primary age.

Well what is your point if you are using it ?

Try not to post platitudes dear, they add nothing.

What do you think a platitude is? Because my post isn't one. If you don't understand a post, don't reply to it.

I'm sorry but if schools in this country were ALL of a decent standard then parents wouldn't feel under so much pressure to secure their children "the best" education possible, as this would then be readily available to them, but as it stands some schools, quite frankly, are shit!

I myself have "cheated" at the school game and I do not regret it, not one bit. I wanted/want my children (who are now 9 and 8) to attend a particular primary and secondary school (both Catholic) that happened to be the top schools in our area. Despite living in a sought after area, in a lovely neighbourhood the schools locally do not reflect this, all are shockingly bad, and I refused to even list them as choices.

My children are practising baptised Catholics, as are me and my dh so we wanted them to go to a catholic school but the only Catholic primary was two miles away and we weren't technically in the right parish so me and dh decided that we would rent a house close by for a year and rent out our mortgaged home to another family in order for us to be in the correct parish and as it stood, a mere 0.2 miles away from the school and as we expected, our children were both allocated a place. Like I said I do not feel bad about what we did. We are genuinely practising Catholics, yet I know of many families who pretend to believe in order to get their children into the school and as far as I'm concerned that is far worse. At the end of the day no parent (or no decent parent) wants their child to attend a bad school, and why should they have to?......

Everything tiggytape said.

Urethra your arguments (and particularly the kidney 'comparison') are beyond daft.

What do you think a platitude is? Because my post isn't one.

I would say the "yes dear" post fits the bill perfectly.

An empty remark made as if it were important

Either report her or forget it - whining and doing nothing is stupid.

I say report her, just incase you're wondering op .

Report it, then if they've broken the rules the place can go to a child living in the right area. It's dishonest and fraudulent to get a school place you're not entitled to in this way.

My children are practising baptised Catholics, as are me and my dh so we wanted them to go to a catholic school but the only Catholic primary was two miles away and we weren't technically in the right parish so me and dh decided that we would rent a house close by for a year and rent out our mortgaged home to another family in order for us to be in the correct parish and as it stood, a mere 0.2 miles away from the school and as we expected, our children were both allocated a place. Like I said I do not feel bad about what we did. We are genuinely practising Catholics, yet I know of many families who pretend to believe in order to get their children into the school and as far as I'm concerned that is far worse. At the end of the day no parent (or no decent parent) wants their child to attend a bad school, and why should they have to?......

I'm intrigued. How well did that go down with the priest when you confessed it? I can't imagine that he would have absolved you of your sin given how little remorse you show in your post.

It appears that those who pray and preach Christian values of honesty and virtue can conveniently forget this when it comes to getting in the best RC school. Forget the RC child who lost a place or a child that lives on the doorstep

I'm not totally sure I could look at our parish priest in the eye taking the sacrament every Sunday if I'd done that, but each to their own I suppose.

You still haven't clarified the timeline beyond the fact it seems she moved in June.If her children are already at school she has done nothing wrong. They are entitled to keep their places.If she moved in May or June and they are due to start in September she has done nothing wrong. They are entitled to keep their places.If she is applying this autumn for places next September and intends to use an address where she is no longer living that is wrong. However, the fact that you refer to her as a "mum at school" suggests that at least one child already attends the school. If that is the case and the school prioritises siblings it may be that her use of the wrong address has no effect on the outcome.

A lot of very sensible points here. Can you clarify some of them, OP?

It is an application for secondary for child 1 and Juniors for child 2.