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Primary education

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

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Original poster

SCHOOL ADMISSIONS- anyone given a FALSE ADDRESS and prepared to ADMIT it ??

83 replies

noonar · 01/06/2007 08:32

ok, here's my dilemma: i have 2 dds aged nearly 3 and 5. one is at a fab school, the other due to start in sept 08. the trouble is, we want to move house, as we currently live on a v busy street, are are keen to be somewhere quieter.

we have our hearts set on a semi rural location, 15 mins drive from the school. this would mean that dd2 would not get into her sister's school, as we'd be outside the 2 mile radius for 'sibling links'.

we don't want the dds to go to the village school, as dd1's current school is outstanding, esp as far as multicultural ed is concerned. also, dd1 is happy there, and we'd only be moving a short drive away.

it seems crazy that we'd have to lie in order for dd2 to attend the same school.

my SIL and mum live in the catchment area for dd1's school. IF we think about putting their address on dd2's form, what day to day problems are we likely to encounter, as far as keeping up the pretence goes?

any advice from anyone brave enough to share their exp of this kind of situation?

i realize that this is a controversial subject (so please dont all jump on me!) but i really do think that our case is quite exceptional. after all, my main objective is to keep dd1 at her school, NOT to get her into a school at which she is not entitled to a place.

also, different neighbouring village which we are interested in, which has a good school, has no places for dd1, so getting them both into the same school, even 'legitimately' is proving nearly impossible for us, atm.

apologies to anyone who's had enough of me and my house moving saga!

tia

OP posts:

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Doodledootoo · 01/06/2007 08:56

Message withdrawn

Hulababy · 01/06/2007 08:56

x posts about the junior school bit.

So, the wrong address is going to be a long term thing then? At least until DD2 is at the junior school? I think you are likely to get caught out as it isn't just a case of a few weeks/months, but a few years.

LadyTophamHatt · 01/06/2007 08:57

is the infants not connected to the juniors?

if not yuo're going to have to lie twice once to get dd2 in and again to get them both into juniors which I wouldn#t risk at all.

Your 2mile catch ment thing does seem very harsh.

Original poster

noonar · 01/06/2007 08:57

hula, thanks for your post. our deadline is feb. so we couldnt move 'legally' before then.

we'd still have the same problem when dd1 applies to the junior school in 2 yrs time.

OP posts:

wannaBe · 01/06/2007 08:58

the school obviously has this policy for a reason. It may not seem fair but it's obviously the way things are done. as far as I was aware, supplying false information on any kind of written application is fraud and can be prosicuted so I wouldn't even go there.

Original poster

noonar · 01/06/2007 09:00

maybe the 2 mile radius thing is soething i could appeal about. dd1 is quite anxious. she finds change difficult.

OP posts:

DimpledThighs · 01/06/2007 09:00

can you delay the move?

also I think that different children in different schools would be good grounds for appeal. I would arrange to talk to the head or person in charge of addmissions giving that your circumstances are unusual and say you are delaying the move if that is your only option.

I can't lie - not beccause I am inherently honest but I am scared of being found uot.

Hulababy · 01/06/2007 09:00

And presumably again in another x number of years when DD2 moves to the junior school too? Just think the time scale is too long.

Hulababy · 01/06/2007 09:01

I agree - I think the appeals route is probably your best bet.

Doodledootoo · 01/06/2007 09:02

Message withdrawn

Original poster

noonar · 01/06/2007 09:06

thanks hula. also, the village school is a church school. do you think that i could argue that i dont want them to go to a church school?

as far as keeping the lie ongoing for years goes, i was thinking maybe that we could tell them that we're moving away, then 'move back' at admissions time. may look suspicious, but would be hard for them to prove.

OP posts:

Hulababy · 01/06/2007 09:10

I don't know much about the appeals thing, but yes - can imagine you could try arguing against the church school bit. Not sure though.

I know it must feel like a nightmare right now.

I couldn't take the risk - would be scared of being found out and losing both places.

But you have to do what is right for you, but be prepared to take any consequences if the situation is discovered at a later date.

SpeckledHen · 01/06/2007 09:20

Hi Noonar. If I were you I would stay put and get kiddies into schools of choice or decide on the move and accept what theat means in terms of schools. Honest appeal is your other route. . I know it is easy for me to say. As for my experience , well I am afriad I just reported to LEA a mother who said she lived in our village and did not. Reason I did it was that my son had just narrowly missed a plce at the school. Now my son has got in. I think if you lie and someone misses out you will definitely get reported. It is so unfair on other people. Appreciate your dilemma though. LEA rule may seem unfair but they are the rules and they are enforced.

LIZS · 01/06/2007 09:20

noonar I think you are running a huge risk if you go down that route. If there is choice betwene your dd2 and another sibling who happens to live just outside the 2 miles , and you win/they lose by using a local address , how will you feel and how will that parent react - shop you perhaps ? Where in the priorities would dd2 fall as a non-catchment sibling ? How many out of area kids do they take after siblings ?

Since the issue is likely to be ongoing I really don't think lying is going to help you. tbh think you should just run the risk of applying like everyone else, go private so that address is not an issue or up sticks to somewhere with a school you are happier about. That particular village can not the be all and end all, especially if you are already deciding to opt out of a significant part of community life.

Doodledootoo · 01/06/2007 09:26

Message withdrawn

portonovo · 01/06/2007 09:33

Don't go down that route.

You need to decide on what is more important to you. If it's the lovely semi-rural location, go for it and accept the school problems that might come with that. Or the school might not be that bad? If it's the lovely school your first child is already at, stay put.

Your case isn't exceptional at all.

CarGirl · 01/06/2007 09:33

I'm afraid I'm a 2 mile rule supporter - it's to stop people doing what you are thinking of doing so schools are for children living locally! You have a stark choice IMO comprise where you want to live and stay put in the catchment area so they have a school that you want, or move to the house you want and change schools.

You do have a choice and I think lying to get into an oversubscribed school is very risky and you will get found out.

Lulurose · 01/06/2007 10:40

I do sympathise with you but am a firm believer in local schools for local children...could you perhaps get your youngest in and hold off the move for a little while if it is really so important?

My children aren't approaching school age just yet and my only experience of this is as a teacher (Reception) at a popular school. On carrying out home visits it was blatently obvious who was registering false addresses at an aunties or grannies. The headteacher then had the right to take these families off roll (and she did) even after places had been offered......

sorry, not very helpful but true

Gobbledigook · 01/06/2007 10:48

I think you either stay where you are so your dd2 is entitled to a place, or you move to where you want to and your children go to that local school.

There is absolutely nothing acceptable about what you are proposing. It's completely out of order.

It's also pretty unworkable - people will find out, you'll get 'shopped' and your school place will be withdrawn anyway.

Forget it!

hoxtonchick · 01/06/2007 10:53

it does rather smack of having your cake & eating it to me....

WK007 · 01/06/2007 11:08

Would it be that impossible to find a house on a quieter street that was still in the catchment area? Ok it won't be the place your 'hearts are set on' but if its that short a drive you can go for days out at the weekend etc?

You can't expect your children to lie for you and they'd have to to stop you getting found out. Why not move somewhere quieter but nearby now and then in a few years when all this is irrelevant you move to the village?

wheresthehamster · 01/06/2007 11:10

I think you should delay the move for dd2 but start lobbying the LEA about the junior school rules.

I feel some rules about linked junior schools are unfair because the same rules obviousy wouldn't apply to a JMI school. Effectively the LEA are tying you to a location for over 5 years. Unforeseen financial circumstances could easily mean a family have to move and their school places are then in jeopardy on top of everything else.

We have one linked infants/junior school in our town and three JMIs. The rules are now that you have to apply for the junior school place with no priority for having come from the infants school! If you don't get a place because other children have moved into the area where do you go? The other 'junior' places are not available as they are the same school as their infants so not up for grabs. Ludicrous!

LIZS · 01/06/2007 11:12

wth but junior classes can go over 30 so there should be extra places available at Year 3 in comnbined schools too.

Rusty · 01/06/2007 11:18

In our borough about half the schools are primary and half separate infant & junior schools. I work at one of the junior schools & this year we have at least two children whose siblings have not got places at our linked infant school - but if the older child had been at one of the 'straight through' primaries, they would have got a place in the infant department beause of the older sibling. That's not different LEA's applying different rules, it's the same LEA applying different rules, which does seem unfair to me.

wheresthehamster · 01/06/2007 11:20

Yes, you are right but here anyway that is only the case if they have less than 30 in other years. E.g. 28 in yr4 so 32 allowed in yr3.

99% of the time it works but since the system started there have been a handful of children who have had to go out of area.

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