Second property and school catchment: fraudolent?

[thelmafitzgerald]

Please don't flame me, I am just trying to understand how the school catchment system works in the UK as I am from a European country where the system is completely different!

This is the scenario:

Family with small DC owns two properties, a 2 bedroom flat that is where the family currently lives and a one bedroom flat that is technically empty (not rented out).

2 bed flat is in a deprived area with really bad schools, while the one bed flat is in a really nice affluent area with outstanding schools.

Would it be fraudolent or illegal according to the UK system and law if the family moved into the one bed flat for a while before and after the DC started school in order to secure a place in outstanding school in affluent area? Let's say if the family actually lived in the one bed property for 6 months?

So essentially my question is: can a second property lawfully be used in terms of school catchment?

Many thanks!

I'd also love to see the evidence for several hundred kids a year being removed from schools after the school year has started. I had a quick google but I couldn't find stats anywhere. The guidelines specifically steer boroughs away from excluding a child after the first term even when a fraudulent application is discovered but I can't find stats for during the first term when fraud is confirmed, much less for when fraud is suspected.
I find it hard very to believe it would be so many.
My understanding is that in my borough a big effort is made to target the real chancers (kid staying with Granny, maintaining 2 homes and not really living in the important closer one etc) but that they feel they are on very sticky legal ground if you have genuinely lived there throughout the full application process. If they excluded your child after he/she had settled in a school, and you made a case that there was a genuine reason your plans changed and you moved house and therefore your application was not fraudulent, that they would be very vulnerable to a compensation suit for the trauma to your child. If they accuse you of fraud the onus is on them to prove it as long as you can provide a reasonable explanation for your actions.

Out of over 600000 offers nationally just over 600 were withdrawn. This is 0.1. My error. Apologies.

When I said checks aren't made as standard, I meant into the council tax status of second homes etc. Of course the main residence address is checked.

There's no need to be rude and sarcastic in your replies. I'm offering my opinion that's all. For what it's worth, I happen to know that both Barnet and Brent have lost personnel from their admissions teams and are hard pressed to chase up fraudulent applications.

Emma

Of course lots of people move and move again.

Most people do not move from one house or flat they own (and have lived in for years) to another flat they own without selling the first flat, then move back to the first one post applications.

If OP wants to sell the newham flat and buy something different later, there won't be a problem as she'll only own one property at the time of application.

A primary school commute from Newham to Westminster would be awful. Really horrible. No way would I want to make two return journeys a day, in rush hour, with a small child when they could be skipping round the corner with their friends, What a way to live!

And are you 100% certain that you would be in a good catchment and get a place in Westminster?.

Have you visited the Newham schools?

Thank you all for your kind advices. As I previously stated, I am still trying to wrap my head around the whole system so the wealth of informartion in this thread was hugely helpful to get a clearer picture of where we stand.

Many thanks!