Infant School Admission

[Daddio2019]

About to apply for our son's first school place, never done it before.

My wife and I don't live together and I just want to know whose address we should use for the application.

My wife's address is outside of the catchment area for our preferred school but the address I currently live at (my mother's) is within the catchment. So obviously I'd like to use this address but don't know if it's allowed.

I won't be living at my mum's forever and plan to buy or rent something in the coming months (and I will obviously make sure that property is within the catchment too).

How does it work with split families? Do you have to put the mother's address or is it not important?

You need to put the address where the child spends the majority of their time - their main home. This is normally where the parent who receives the child benefit lives, though not always.

Where does your child spend most of their nights?

Where is child's primary residence ie. Child benefit, doctor, spend majority of week living at ?

As others have said, which house does the child spend most nights? If exactly 50-50, then who gets child benefit?

We split time completely 50/50.

His mother receives the child benefit but could we change this for the school admission purposes? We're on decent terms.

yes the LA usually uses the address for child benefit.
You can phone them and ask what they do for families that do 50/50, what their policy is.

Then you need to check your LAs policy - for example, in a genuine 50/50 situation, Surrey will allow you to chose which address you use.

Did you live together at the house your wife now lives in? I’d imagine with you having moved out into a temporary address they’ll insist on using the original one.

It’s a classic ploy to get a within catchment address for admissions, you must have heard of this? They’re cracking down quite heavily on it now.
I’m not suggesting that your situation isn’t real, btw.

Can you prove you live with your mother? Are you on the council tax or another utility bill? Otherwise the LA may well discount that as the address for application, especially if the split was recent. Using grandparents address or suddenly renting locally are both viewed sceptically.

As others have said I think many LAs faced with your daughters application would view the situation cynically.

Unless:

You are on utility bills/council tax at your mothers house . She will lose her single person discount if she claims it btw.
You have your car /insurance details registered at your mother's house
Are on the electoral roll at your mother's house
Are registered for your daughters child benefit at your mother's house
Your daughters GP /dentist registration gives your mothers address as your daughters primary address.

If you are planning to move I would do it sooner than later, though you technically have plenty of time , if you have your own address by February you can make the application with a clear conscience.

Be aware that LAs can and do check up, and that they can and do withhold or even withdraw the offer of a place if they think it has been obtained dishonestly.

Your son not daughter. Apologies.

Here’s it’s the main residence. They only check your council tax account. ALso in Surrey

There are 365 days in a year. Count them up - how many nights does your child spent at each address? Can’t be exactly 50/50

Also look at the details for your LAs definition of main home. Should be in the admissions info.

In my LA it's the child benefit address ONLY, in cases of 50/50. We used to have 50/50 split with DSD so we had to enquire. Using the "non resident parent's" address is not allowed.