Moving dd to my mums to secure desired school place?

[Shagmundfreud]

Dd currently out of school (long story) staying with my mum in north surrey. We live in SE London. She's staying with my mum for two reasons - firstly because she is attending a private tutorial centre 5 days a week round the corner from mums , and secondly because we've fallen out big time because of her appalling behaviour at home (and previously at school, which is why we took her out. Again, long story but the school was a terrible social environment for her and things were spiralling downwards).

So, we need to find her a place for year 9 for September. If we apply from mums she will fall into the catchment area of a very decent school and can go on their waiting list. Other schools near by are not bad. If we apply from our home then she will go on the waiting list for a couple of very over subscribed but decent schools.

Really want to know what the legalities are of the whole thing. Her continuing living with my mum and coming home at weekends is perfectly feasible. She is currently living there. But 'officially' she is registered in south London (ie on electoral register).

What would happen if we applied separately from two separate addresses to maximise her chance of getting a school place? If she got one in Surrey she would live with mum. If in London she would live with us.

Is this completely illegal? Do they cross-check in year applications across boroughs?

Would be grateful for advice.

To try for the Surrey school you will have to prove that living with your Mum is her usual and permanent home. It may even involve needing proof that your mum receives her CB or that is the address the CB is registered to. That;s how some LA's determine which of two parents addresses a child can apply from, and this is similiar in that is is another adult with responsibility fro her.

Have you looked at the admissions criteria for the school and their definition of the addresses people can apply from?

I wouldn't think that different local authorities or schools cross check.

Your situation is not trying ro use a fake address though is it? Your dd would have to live at your mothers address to atttend the school. All you are trying to do is decide where she should live and ascertain what school places are available

If she is out of school and currently living in Surrey, she ought to qualify for a place under Surrey's Fair Access protocol:
www.surreycc.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/322255/Fair-Access-Protocol-SECONDARY-2012-13.pdf

I'd be tempted to get your mum to approach Surrey CC saying that she has been attending the tutorial centre and so you want to try to get her back into mainstream school.

Given that she has had problems at school and home would it be better to let hre look around each possibility and have the choice herself ? If she is really keen on a school she'll surley be more likely to make it work, even if her preference is not what you would ideally want for her.

Thanks all.

Good advice Rosemary - actually the school she wants to go to would be my first choice. She wants it because she knows some girls who go there - not a particularly good reason, but it is a VERY good school and my mum's house is well within the catchment area. That said, there are other, less desirable schools we could encourage her to consider.

Thank you for that link Banter by the way! Will be writing a very detailed cover letter with information about dd's CAMHS referrals.

Annoying - she is currently living at mum's and going to the tutorial centre round the corner from there. She comes home for a night or two at weekends. Problem is that as we alienate her in turn (by asking her to pick her towels up from the bathroom floor/turn her laptop off/ help a bit around the house/go to bed at a reasonable time/get up in time for lessons - reasonable requests that generate huge stropping and sulking) she is likely to go from one home to the other. She gets cross with my mum, comes home and then gets cross with me, so goes back to my mums. At the moment she's spending more time at mums because she's having her lessons there. She has her own bedroom there and both my mum and my older sister (who also lives there) want her to stay.

I have another child in the process of a diagnosis for aspergers at home and when dd is here things can be incredibly difficult with the two of them striking sparks off each other. I really prefer her being at mums during the week because it gives me a bit of space, and my sister, who is a teacher, is brilliant with her - so understanding and patient. She also does music with her (guitar and singing) and that's really good for her.