What would you do? A mum has put a false address on her schools application to the over subscribed primary that we've applied to.

[Flibbertyjibbet]

A mum I know is being pretty open about the fact that she has put a false address on her schools application form and applied for the same two schools as us even though she actually lives 2 miles further away.

Its a relatives house that she used to rent and the relative is letting her use the address still for the schools application. Its closer to the the first choice school than we are. so just on distance her child (then sibling next yr) would get priority over my child this year and his brother next year.

She currently rents a much bigger house 2 miles away where the schools are just as good. We however are in a 2 bed house for our honest application!

She wants her child (and then sibling next year) to go to the school where she will know all the parents as she lived in this area for a long time.

Not sure what to do, cos even if my child gets a place, there will be someone else more eligible on distance, that gets blocked if her child gets in.

I was quite easy about which school my boy gets in out of our two choices, but hearing her on Sunday made me come over wierd and want to push her child out of the way so mine can get in our first choice school before hers!

Should I do anything? Would you alert the authorities? Turn a blind eye? Wait to see if her child gets in but my child doesn't? Do nothing either way?

We get our letters about places in about 3 weeks.

Our admissions booklet dedicates a whole page to 'fraudulent admissions forms' so the LEA must take a dim view.

I thought I'd ask mumsnet what they think. I now going off line and won't be back on till Thurs eve but would welcome any comments.
I'll come back with my hard hat on cos I have a feeling this might be a contentious issue

NB this is not a gripe about her having a bigger house
Even if she was in a 1 bed flat 2 miles way I'd still be asking the same question!

if she is being open about it, then maybe she does not realise she is being fradulent?

Don't you have to provide bills to prove you live at the address, we do - how's she getting around this point ?

I know someone who shopped a family doing a similar sort of thing.

Could you live with the fall out if you did it? Not only personally but socially?

id be upset if my child didnt get in but hers did

you should ask her "do you know this is fraud?" and see what she says
if she laughs and acts all smug then grass on her
if she didnt know honestly then warn her someone will tell the authorities (not necessarily you!)

Couldnt' resist nipping back before logging off -
robin how would she know it was me, she was telling everyone at a party which schools she's applied to and we all know where she used to live and currently lives as we've all been to her kiddies parties.

We don't have to provide bills etc here but the booklet says they do check on the electoral role and council tax if there's any doubt.

I CERTAINLY wouldn't tell anyone else that I had done it, so it couldn't get back to her. If she ever said anything I'd just say 'well I know it says in the booklet that they check addresses....' and then rapidly change the subject...

How can anyone not know they are being fraudulent?

'Address where child resides'

er, thats not somewhere you moved out of 2 years ago now is it?

i never thought i would be like this but you have to be ruthless for your child
stand up for your child

report her

i would therefore report her

she won;t know it is you, especially if she has been telling all and sundry

it is unfair to cheat the system and to do it so blatantly

I think that you should shop her. I can't believe that people really do this.

I'd report her.

In my DC school we had to supply a recent utiltiy bill as proof of living in the area

I would probably tell someone about it if it meant that I would potentially have to drive a long way to take my child to a mediocre school. If her child gets in and yours doesn't then it will be too late and you will be gutted.

If she's quite open about it in this way, then I wouldn't have a qualm. Cheeky mare. If it was something shared in confidence, with a modicum of shame, then I might be slightly more conflicted, but not much.

So I'm plumping for 'report her' too.

Home visit for my dc primary. To ease the process for the child (aka check you actually live there...)

I don't know what I would do. No help sorry!

I would report her. She has no excuse, it is fraudulent and unfair to everyone else

I'd report it.

Our school isn't oversubscribed but parents still have to provide proof of address and there's also a home visit.

Your friend's plan also puts a burden on her children to lie too.

shop her. i would.

Yes, shop her.

difficult one. I'd check to see if she realises and if she doesn't warn her what could happen if LEA finds out....If she's aware of the fraud , which is what it amounts to, it may be worth speaking to the school first? Ultimately, her children stand to lose a LOT. may be fairer to them to give her the chance to come clean and get them into her catchment school, rather than risking legal actions, no school place, mummy in a lot of trouble...it's not their fault but they would ultimately pay the price...

Report her, our local schools do home visits.

I would report her - am guessing you can probably do it anonymously.

Doesn't it say on the forms about proof of address and having to sign the forms to verify all info is correct?

As long as the forms say all that I'd probably report her. I hate liars.