Is it ok to use father's address for a school application?

[MyopicBunny]

Just that really. I know people who have done this but I'm not sure if it's a good idea in practice. If your child lives with you, should you only apply for your own catchment?

@MyopicBunny as long as the child is co- parented there is no issue- after all they will be going to school from both addresses

This is incorrect!

Honestly, have a look at the link I posted earlier. Surrey, for one, is very clear about which address counts for the child.

I most certainly will use my own catchment - really not worth the stress of doing something that's not correct.

You can always apply for the school further away from you, you are allowed to put any school in the country down. If you put catchment down as first choice, they will only look further if no spaces, so if you genuinely want the school nearer her dad, put that 1st and catchment 2nd (the order will have no impact on her getting a place at your catchment school, if she is too far from the other school).

Surely your child's home is with both parents? I'm suprised at the comments on here. I wouldn't think twice! Just do it.

The comments are because there are rules! And if the council investigates, they will simply process the application based on the address that fits their rules.

I don’t think OP is out to commit fraud or anything, but there is a definition of a child’s main address for school applications.

It isn't always that easy. With my children there was no court ordered contact schedule, the children stayed in whichever house they wanted to stay in, I had CB but his house was where they were registered for school/GP/dentist as that was the former marital home. So I don't think we did fit neatly into their set of rules.

@ancientgran sure, there are some edge cases, I was responding to a poster who was basically saying “do what you want, who cares”

So this is OK? Exactly the same circumstance but you don't think the rules apply here? I'm not sure you can judge my comment really.

<shrug>

it is not the same, the child in this case lives more with OP than with her father. If op gets the rules wrong, the place might be withdrawn. Your comment was cavalier, “just do it”

bye.

Of course it, if the Father pays council tax on his property your child is just as entitled to attend that school as they are yours. When I applied for DS school place I had to provide a copy of the latest council tax bill and a utility bill. DP pays the bills in our house so my name was not on them, the school didn't say anything.

The only thing is you'll have to put the Father on the application form as the resident parent and primary contact, or you would at DS school anyway.

I would use the childs fathers address OP, if you want your child to attend that particular school. I wouldn’t even think twice.

I had to supply a letter with the child's name on it, either child benefit or universal credits . Dentist etc letters were not included. Don't know what they'd have taken if I wasn't entitled to either. This was last year

It is fraud.

I reported somebody this year who had used her father's address to get her child into a more desirable secondary school than her local catchment one. This was after she could have fraudulently affected other children not getting a place. Turns out she did. It's now being investigated by the Council. She is lamenting all over social media about her child possibly losing her place and now be placed in a school much further out. Sounds callous, but I have little sympathy as she knew what she was doing when she did it.

So the child's grandfathers address?

Thats completely different. I think that if there is a shared care arrangement with 2 parents then either address should be accepted

Yes, obviously putting the grandfathers address wouldn't be right unless he had PR.

That’s correct, the child will also presumably have playdates at some point and people will find out where she lives.

All you need is one parent in the class to realise that you’ve lied about where she lives and her school place will disappear overnight leaving your child devastated. I couldn’t risk that. Apply in your own catchment unless you’re happy for the child to live permanently with the dad.

This.
They do check the child's address during the application process (unless you are in an area with plenty of school places and then they might not bother)
The website for your borough/council will tell you what the criteria are. It is usually either the address to which the child benefit is paid, or calculated on the number of nights they sleep there, max = main address.

If you use another address you risk that your application is discounted. You may even be prosecuted for fraud. But the effect of being discounted is that you have to put in a late application, which means you can only got one of the spaces left after all the other kids places have been allocated.

Surely you can use your address and still ask for a place at the school nearer the father?

I know there are criteria other than distance and if there is a space there is no reason not to give it to your child.

If both you and the child's father agree on the school then the worst thing they can do is say 'no'.

There is not one balnket rule, each council has its own rules. You may find that your council is willing to take either address from sepearated parents.
It is worth phoning to check.

It also depends on the school place situation. In our town we don't have the horrendous squash for places, so they are more relaxed about the process, and I am not sure if they check everyone's address.

Other parents do report 'rule breakers' and you can lose your place even after your have started there. But in this case dad's home is genuine, so it is a matter of if the council will accept it or not.

As pp said though, you can put ANY school down on the form, and put them in your order of preference. If school 1 is a long shot, and you don't get it, you are still considered for school 2 alongside those who put it first.

The school that he particularly likes isn't oversubscribed. It's quite small but they aren't at full capacity, they told us and my daughter's year is also quite a small year.

As a parent though, if there is one thing I've learned about schools it's that you have no idea what it's actually like or how your child will get on there until they have been attending the school. So I'm not sure it's worth the hassle of messing about putting a school on that is 20 minutes drive for me atm. Even setting aside the legalities.

I find the whole thing confusing. In my town, most of the primary schools are either 'good' or 'outstanding' anyway.

Well the council and the school didn't think the rule applied so he didn't lose his place. They'd have been hard pressed to make a rule about where he lived.

Yes, she used the grandfather's address.

No it's fraud

Sorry I though you meant your dad. I would use child's dads address if he had regular sharing