Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

What should I do?

27 replies

Jajabinny · 25/04/2018 16:57

I honestly feel awful even writing this but I am suspecting someone I know has pretended they are living elsewhere in order to get their child into the local primary school. I know they are out of the catchment as one of my friends lives nearer than them and did not get a place at the school - they have asked the school and it is correct no-one in that category got a place. I might be jumping to conclusions but I feel like this other person has faked their address and I don't want to be a grass but I just feel like its wrong for other children who actually live in the catchment that didn't get a place. It could be completely correct and they didn't actually put a fraudulent address. what would you do?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Original poster

Jajabinny · 25/04/2018 16:59

Should I just mind my own business and ignore it

OP posts:

Gileswithachainsaw · 25/04/2018 17:01

I would report. If all is legit there's nothing to worry about.

But lying is wrong. It's theft. If a chikd missed out then they had a place stolen from them.

Expect hundred of people saying she could be in care or have AN and you don't know BUT if that's the case the place was legitimate and nothing will happen.

But mistakes cabt he fixed of no one points them out.

It's on them not you if they have offer withdrawn

IAmMotherOfDragons · 25/04/2018 17:07

If you/they have worries then report it to the school.

I know our school asks for proof of residence... (child benefit letter stating the address if I remember rightly)

Original poster

Jajabinny · 25/04/2018 17:09

When I have questioned it to other people this is exactly what I have been told, that their child might be a looked after child, but I am very sure this is not the case.

I know that a few children in the catchment did not receive a place and I just feel like that is wrong and unfair as I clearly know where they live and I know they do 100% live there.

I feel awful for feeling like I need to report it but at the same time I think maybe I should just mind my own business

OP posts:

Gileswithachainsaw · 25/04/2018 17:12

Imagine if it was you .

You struggle every month paying for a house you bought precisely because itbwas in catchment for the school you wanted and someone took your kids place by lying.

You arent a cow. If someone broke into a house you woukd call the police.

This is no different.

No harm will be done reporting .

Original poster

Jajabinny · 25/04/2018 17:14

@Iammotherofdragons This is what I don't understand, how they would of got away with putting another address as they clearly live elsewhere and would of had to change so much data in order to trick the system. This is what makes me think surely they could not go that far.

OP posts:

Original poster

Jajabinny · 25/04/2018 17:18

@gileswithachainsaw Yes, I agree. Even though it doesn't affect me, I feel awful knowing it and not doing anything. I think I am worried they will also think somehow it was me that reported it and I do not want any trouble, I just want to be fair to those who really did stand a chance.

OP posts:

Gileswithachainsaw · 25/04/2018 17:24

There's another thread going where the council messed up. So no one lied bit people were not admitted fairly .

Call the admissions department at the council. No one will know who called ..

Original poster

Jajabinny · 25/04/2018 17:34

@gileswithachainsaw The problem is I only know their first names and their actual address. Would this be enough information for the Council? I actually tried to call yesterday and no one answered the phone at the council, so I thought I would take it as a sign and leave it, but honestly it is playing on my conscience.

OP posts:

Lovejoyfull · 25/04/2018 17:38

I think you should do nothing. People get so worked up about school places, I often wonder if these same people are really do gooders and would report neighbours for sub letting, benefit fraud, tax evasion, all highly doubtful. If they are using someone elses address they will have to show council tax letters proving they have lived there for at least 3 months and a utility bill. It will be very difficult to fake. I’d have to think how I would feel reporting it and it would leave a bad taste, as though I were being petty and negative. Just get on with your own life and put it out of your mind.

Gileswithachainsaw · 25/04/2018 17:39

Should think the address should be enough .

Original poster

Jajabinny · 25/04/2018 18:37

@lovejoyfull Yes, I agree. That’s why I am in two minds whether or not to report. Although I feel like if you need to lie to get your child in, you should just move into the catchment. Though at the same time I feel like it is probably not my place to report this and that maybe the school will pick it up at reception home visits themselves when they then have to give a different address

OP posts:

meditrina · 25/04/2018 18:52

There are three possible scenarios here

a) there is a non obvious reason why this DC was offered a place. Reporting won't make any difference at all, as checks will show it was a correct offer correctly administered
b) the LEA has made a mistake. Councils need to be held to account, they shouid not be making mistakes. Even places offered in error cannot be rescinded if time has passed, so the family, who benefited from a mistake will not lose out
c) the application was fraudulent. In which case it is better they are reported now, rather than after the DC has started at the school. Because in these circumstances places will be rescinded and this can happen even after term has started (indeed it's sometimes a peak time, as other parents, who may have seen their friends surprisingly not getting places, might well report what seems like an anomaly at that point)

I can't see a good reason not to report.

Witchend · 25/04/2018 19:10

Having had friends whose dc haven't got into a school they're expecting to, and seen the stress they've been through I would say report every time.

My experience is it's never the quiet shy ones who need the close familiar place that cheat the way in-they're the ones who miss out.

Think about if you were the one who'd been cheated out of the place-would you want someone to tell the council.

Also if they find out into term time when their child has started, the council can still withdraw the child from the school which would be far more traumatic for them. So you're doing them a favour.

Original poster

Jajabinny · 25/04/2018 20:13

I probably should just keep trying to get through to the council and report it. I think it is the right thing to do. Living in the catchment myself, I know this school is continuously over subscribed. I would feel very angry and would not hesistate to report it had I known this when I was going through this with my DC

OP posts:

Amaried · 25/04/2018 21:30

Honestly it doesn't sound to me that you know enough about these people
to be sure of their circumstances if you don't even know their names. They would have had to provide proof of address to the school
Originally, Maybe they have since moved. Honestly even if she did lie, what outcome would you want, her kids kicked out of school. They're innocent in all this. .I think you should leave it alone.

Gileswithachainsaw · 25/04/2018 21:41

It's not her job to know though there are people paid to do that but they need people to report suspicions.

And yes the kids are innocent. As are the ones now having to get 2 buses across town and keaving all their ore school friends behind.

Only difference is their parents aren't to blame for it. If somone lied it's on the people who lied not the op.

Allthebestnamesareused · 25/04/2018 21:47

I know someone whose child was viven a place in a school when they were not in the catchment area. The father was a policeman who had "nicked" a few of the parents of potential classmates.

You really have no idea under what circumstances the place was offered but go ahead if you feel you must.

Spellcheck · 25/04/2018 21:47

From local experience, I wouldn't report - what about if they have special needs? Or there are other reasons why they are further up the list that are personal and none of your business? Whose address would they use anyway? Just a made-up or random one? I'd be careful, it may cause undue stress for them to be investigated if they are already struggling with a foster child/ SEN. If they're lying, they'll be found out and lose their place.

meditrina · 25/04/2018 22:03

If the have special needs etc, it will be obvious to LEA when they check. The person who made the report would not be told what the reasons were. The family in question might not even know any report has been made, as LEA check might be simply looking at proof of adoption/fostering, or panel result for exceptional medical/social need which they wouid have in their records.

"If they're lying, they'll be found out and lose their place."

Only if they are reported. Better now than nearer or after the start of term.

Shen0102 · 25/04/2018 22:07

Maybe they have contacts in higher places..

Spellcheck · 25/04/2018 22:26

A couple of years ago, someone I vaguely know lost their school place because they were unable to pick up their mail from the school as they'd lied about their school place. It seems the school flagged it up as they were unable to arrange a home visit and didn't hear from the parents. The admissions dept checked the address with the daughter's nursery and then made further enquiries when the addresses were different. They lost their place on the first day of term. Definitely fair enough, but I feel so sorry for their child!

However, a good friend of mine found herself facing worry and stress for several weeks while a decision was made whether or not her autistic son could keep his place for the coming September at our local outstanding school. It's Outstanding, with an excellent SENCO, and oversubscribed.

During a phone call out of the blue, the officer said that several complaints had been made about their application, and he had a duty to investigate. My friend still feels upset and a bit hurt that people living nearby, who knew nothing of their situation, felt they could interfere in this way.

I''d always proceed with caution unless in full possession of the facts.

MumTryingHerBest · 25/04/2018 23:07

Spellcheck so you're saying the LA phoned your friend before they had done any checks to let them know they were going to investigate them for address fraud?

Are you also saying it took the LA several weeks to check under which criteria their DC had been allocated a place and that any relevant, supporting paper work was on file?

Original poster

Jajabinny · 26/04/2018 02:04

Hi @spellcheck

Was your friend outside the catchment zone? As where this person lives it brings them very far down the list. The the criteria of this school only states adoption/looked after child as first, it has nothing regarding children with special needs.

OP posts:

shouldwestayorshouldwego · 26/04/2018 04:52

Children with special needs who have an EHCP will be allocated outside of the normal application round. If the school is named they have to take the child. If you think they might have SEN then that would explain it. Remember that not all disabilities are apparent and unless you knew them when pregnant the child could have been looked after in their early life. If you are going to raise suspicion then do so through the official channels rather than discussion with other parents.

Flip

1 2