Cheating to get into secondary school

[lupy]

somebody I know had given a false address very near to and got a place in a secondary school that was my first choice. I haven't got a place even though I live nearer to the school than this person. It doesn't pay to be honest sometimes.

This used to be a regular occurrence at our primary school, but school got wise to it and made unannounced home visits. At least one child got removed in my DS's year, which must have been really unsettling for the child. Probably a bit harder to police in secondary but goes to prove that it doesn't always work

and there are all the people with 10 year olds (and three year olds) who suddenly start going to church when school admissions season comes round

I have heard of epople renting houses and not living there, in our town to get their kids into the primary and senior schools.

I recall that the boys' infant school used to ask for evidence of the address to which child benefit was sent. Many people give a false address or even rent somewhere, but rarely think to have their child benefit redirected.

Lupy, have you told the school?

There is now a word for using grandparents' address to get into a school:

grannying!

Those who suddenly get religion ought to be made to KEEP GOING to church once their child has started. Until their child leaves school. So maybe for twelve years.

I'm an atheist and would happily see all faith schools scrapped, but if people are going to do this, they should have to live with the consequences!

to OP.

I would return the favour and shop them.

Yeah - shop them to the school. It's not fair on others who use the system honestly.

..and it might send a message out to those who are contemplating dishonest tactics in the future.

I was reading an article in our local paper today (about a school which has admitted pupils when it shouldn't have done so) that, once a school has made an offer to parents, it cannot withdraw it. So perhaps checks into the veracity of an address should be made before the offer is made and not after.

Not sure about that- there's a thread in 'Education' about children actually being removed from a school once term had started when it was discovered the parents had cheated their way in. Which, IMO, is fair enough. I also believe that when a family move away from an area/ cease going to church etc their child's place should be terminated at the end of that year, or at least, Key Stage. Yes, of course, people have to move for all sorts of reasons, but short of making everyone stand up in a court to prove their reason for moving 10 miles to a leafy suburb away from the primary (with its excellent OFSTED but down at heel location) a week after Reception started were ENTIRELY 'unavoidable' and not just 'expedient, that's the only fair way of doing it.