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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

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.

86 replies

Flibbertyjibbet · 18/02/2009 17:00

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

OP posts:

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differentID · 18/02/2009 19:04

I would say report her.

Nabster · 18/02/2009 19:06

I think you should report her.

It isn't fair.

lou031205 · 18/02/2009 19:18

Report, IMO.

piscesmoon · 18/02/2009 19:18

I would report her-it is very unfair.

MollieO · 18/02/2009 19:33

Sounds as if she either doesn't know or doesn't care so imo I would.

Sidge · 18/02/2009 19:53

I would report her.

In some ways it's no different to benefit fraud, or credit card fraud - she is acquiring something (i.e. a school place) by deception.

And it's morally wrong too.

ja9 · 18/02/2009 19:56

i'd report it.

Bumperslucious · 18/02/2009 20:10

I'd probably report her too. It isn't fair on other people.

IwishIwasmoreorganised · 18/02/2009 20:14

I would have to report her.

Like you say, even if your child gets in somebody elses won't because of her dishonesty.

It's not on.

redinthehead · 18/02/2009 20:45

Report her, I agree with sidge, its no different from benefit fraud. And the fact she had no shame about it, telling everyone at a kids party.

bruxeur · 18/02/2009 20:47

Shoot her in the face with a gun.

Alternatively - take off and nuke the entire woman from orbit. It's the only way to be sure.

clare21 · 18/02/2009 20:54

I'm with thirtysomething - ask her if she knows what LEA can do if they find out. I am sure there were stories in Camden local paper not that long ago about children and parents being accosted by LEA officials in playground and marched off the premises, and off the school roll.

Nontoxic · 18/02/2009 20:56

Wanting to have mates among the parents is no reason to cheat in order for your child to have the place; it hardly counts as a pressing social reason.

You'll probably feel awful about it, as I think honest people don't easily 'shop' others.

But you would be perfectly justified, and as others have said, you'd feel you had let your own child down if she wasn't offered a place and this woman's child was.

imaginaryfriend · 18/02/2009 22:14

If she had a really good reason for lying then I'd probably keep quiet but seeing as they're in a good position and have good schools locally to them I'd probably shop her.

Will you let us know what happens?

apostrophe · 19/02/2009 09:44

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Claire2301 · 19/02/2009 09:52

Def report her.

GossipMonger · 19/02/2009 10:04

do it!

She will only boast over the next few years about how she conned the LEA and it will wind you up!!

DontlookatmeImshy · 19/02/2009 10:09

Def report her.

gladders · 19/02/2009 10:22

I'd def report her - any 'social fallout' will be far outweighed by the fact that your child has got the school place they were entitled to

Katiestar · 19/02/2009 12:49

Report her NOW
That will give them chance to investigate before places are allocated.If it is done afterwards then she may suspect it is one of those parents whose child hasn't got a place In our LEA they have the school check all addresses given on application forms and addressses given for early years funding to see if there is anything suspicious.So i don't think she would suspect she had been grassed up by a parent

TheyCallMePeachy · 19/02/2009 12:58

I would probaby report but mainly for the reason that is she is foiund out (and if she'sthat open very possible) then her child will be pulled out of school and end up wherever, which would bbe horrid for them I think

paolosgirl · 19/02/2009 13:19

I would report them now. We had a similar situation in DS's school which is always vastly oversubsribed. The parents of a girl in his class gave a completely false address (why the Council didn't pick up on this I don't know). I phoned to report it, but they could only act on it if I gave my name which I wasn't prepared to do - it's not a family you'd like to cross.

Anyway, there was a child protection issue, the police were called and went round to the address the school had, and of course the people there knew nothing about the family. It took the police a while to trace the family but by then the Council wouldn't move her from the school because she was settled.

If you report her now the LEA will have plenty of time to withdraw their offer.

It's funny (but good) that so many people on this thread are saying report her - when I posted about the issue with the girl in DS's class (which was before the child protection issue) I was told by a large number of the posters on my thread to keep my nose of it!

Ceebee74 · 19/02/2009 14:05

This thread is pretty clear really - report them!

I know I may have a vested interest, as you have said, even if your DS1 gets in, then - depending on the school - another child would be missing out and that could well be my friend's DD1

Katiestar · 19/02/2009 19:09

Even if you have to give the council your name ,they won't tell the family who it was

bamboostalks · 19/02/2009 19:17

A different view here, unless a child is in danger, I normally say mind your own business. That goes for tax dodgers etc. I think nothing good comes of involving yourself in the affairs of others. I know that it is galling and frustrating to see people getting away with things when we all toe the line but actually things have a way of working out. What goes around tends to come around.

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