Is this fraud and what to do.

[froggola]

Please no judgement. DH and I have been living apart for a couple of years but still together. Me and kids will move back into with him in September.
When applying for reception place I put his address as our main residence. I also didn’t say DS goes to nursery. As the nursery he goes to would prove that my house not in the borough is his main residence. I know that is wrong but I made the decision in a moment when filling in the form….Ds got offered a place and now school want a home visit. It’s feeling really stressful. What’s the plan? To go there and fake I already live there? Withdraw the application? It’s making me feel uneasy. I’d appreciate honest advice. I wasn’t intentionally deceitful, but I was. by omitting information and lying about my address. …which will be my address by September. If it makes any difference I’m on the deeds and have owned the house got a decade…

This is crazy! Im a social worker and I guess a bit of a rule follower, but you really are massively overthinking this. You are literally telling the truth - you are going to be living there as a family when he starts school.

Im not sure the rules with school, but if it has to be you live there right now - then tell a white lie. Avoid the home visit completely (is it compulsory?) or just move in once your eldest has finished term (which surely should be very soon) and then schedule home visit. I think you are massively overthinking this. So so so many people completely lie - using grandparents/friends/randoms addresses. You have got nowt to worry about lovely. x

Just tell them you're on holiday the week of the home visit if you don't want it!
You will be living there in September, I don't think you've done anything very wrong.

Yeah this. This isn’t a random address you have rented or a grandparents house. This is the house of the child’s father. Presumably you have 50:50 custody so you could have used either address surely? Just because you used your address for nursery’s doesn’t mean the father’s address couldn’t be used for the school, particularly as you could argue you are living between the 2 properties.

But surely the child lives in both addresses or does the dad not count?

What the hell… mountain out of a mole hill!

you will be living there and it will be his place of residence when school starts.

stop overthinking!! This is absolutely bonkers.
you’ll be fine!! And all the crazy pitch fork people trying to make you feel guilty come on!! The place will be his home of resident when he starts school!

I’m surprised at the replies tbh - I don’t think it’s fraud - you’re moving house so that will be your catchment- what’s wrong with that?? Seems like quite a normal life event to me. I don’t see why it’s ‘fraud’?! What’s the point in putting your address now and then having to rescind the place later- seems like a waste of everyone’s effort and time! I’d just be honest and say you’re moving back to this address from xx date as you’ve been doing whatever and so temporarily living at xx address but that is ending. If you legally own the property you’ve put aswell I can’t see what the problem is- it’s not as if it ‘maybe’ will be the house you are looking to purchase. I’d just be honest!

Depends on her LA addmission criteria.

I said previous at one point the area I lived in it could be either parents address other posters are saying in their area it has to be main residence.

There is apparently other areas that only let you put down house you own - which would be Dad's address here.

Op hasn't said area she is applying in - so no-one knows what her area say she should have done.

Seperate to that is enforcement - some areas clearly do more than others about fraudulent addmissions when they do occur.

So OP needs to go to her council webpage and see what they say.

Is this a joke 🤣 I genuinely can't tell. They do home visits so the teacher can get to know the child. My children's school do them at nursery not at home actually so not something every school even does.
Utter madness that people actually think the school would give a star spangled shit about this.

I don't see the issue! It's his dads address, so it's presumably one of his two homes?
You will be living there from September.
You can decline the home visit. We did, mainly because I couldn't be bothered with taking time off work for it!

But surely the child lives in both addresses or does the dad not count?

It is not that the dad doesn't count. The address to be put down is usually the one where the child spends more time. If it is 50/50, it is usually up to the parents to pick one. As the older sibling is at a school near OP and the younger sibling is at a nursery near OP, I suspect that it is more common for the kids to be with OP/

(notwithstanding the point that OP still being on the deeds of the marital home might alter matters).

I don't think this is that bug a deal. He will be living there at the time of schooling so surely he is entitled to a place.

Tell them the nursery location is geographically convenient for work

Move a load of stuff to the new place. You will need it soon enough.

but ultimately the council can’t prove any of this. The dad just has to say it is 50:50

i honestly don’t think this is a case of fraud and I don’t think there is any chance the school can prove it is. The dad lives there legitimately and I think ultimately that is the end of it.

I don’t think the teachers could care less honestly. They come in, have a chat and leave. They don’t start going through the cupboards. My sibling has a policy of no child stuff in the front room and so if the teachers went into that room they would have had no idea whatsoever that a child lived in the house at all!

This isn't that big a deal. If you can arrange a home visit on a day you could be there then it will all be fine. You will just be reapplying in September anyway.

Yes I did
Many posters have accused anyone offering advice on whether this might constitute fraud have been called names unless they agree its absolutely fine.
Anyone answering OP's question who suggests that The LEA may indeed see this as fraud have had a certain level of abuse from some other posters

It’s one reason. In high catchment areas they also do it to verify addresses. I’ve got 8 scheduled next term for that very purpose.

Admissions teams absolutely care about it, it’s a big problem in over subscribed schools.

Part of my job involves covering education appeals - this isn't fraud. The School Admissions Code states that when parents are separated, the local authority expects them to agree between them which address to use for the school application. You've used his dad's address, not a grandparent or aunt/uncle/mum's best mate who lives at the end of the school playing field. Don't worry about it, you've done nothing wrong, and it wouldn't be wrong even if you weren't moving back there in time for the new school year.

Is a home visit compulsory? Surely very inconvenient for two working parents.

Just don't bother with the home visit you don't have to. I didn't have a home visit with my son.

Has the op said her school is oversubscribed?

I actually realised the other month when the school sent out an update your details letter that they still have dad's old address (we divorced and then remarried and then bought a house together) never have the school questioned this even though it's blatantly obvious we're no longer a divorced family. The idea teachers are avidly listening to what kids say to catch parents out about minor stuff like this as is being parroted on this thread is paranoid insanity

A home visit isn’t compulsory. Never had them with my DC and that was a hugely in demand primary school. Just say it’s not convenient. You won’t be the only one. Where he goes to nursery doesn’t matter either. It’s not compulsory education and you can go where you want.

Hi @froggola - if it’s the house in which you’ll be living come September, then I don’t think you’ve done anything wrong other than lie about your current address.

Military families give their upcoming address every time they move.
Yes you should have given your current address but with a note saying that by September you will be living at his dad’s address - the one you gave.

Also - just don’t agree to a home visit either! You don’t have to - it’s not law! 😊.

Sorry - edited as posted on the wrong thread!

I don't think the purpose of a teachers visit is to try and uncover fraudulent applications.
You need to try and stop stressing about it

Active Duty military families don't commit address fraud though, as they can legally provide their future address prior to moving.

I'm not suggesting @froggola has committed fraud, as @prh47bridge has confirmed that it depends on the rules in the LA. Hopefully it is an LA where owning a commutable property takes precedence over the current temporary address, so OP used the correct address.

I don't get this. His dad lives there, so why can't dad host the visit? Or decline it?