Address fraud for grammar secondary

[Daaaaa]

I am unsure what I should do. I know a family that they live not in a catchment and did a test. Taking a test is fine but they need to move to inner area before certain date. DC had achieved a good result and they were supposed to move the house before xx. XX this year but they are still in their house and DC got the offer from the grammar school. It is highly oversubscribed one and they always have enough from inner ranking.

If the OP is concerned, then she should report. The place won't be taken away if the child deserves the place. Places should be allocated according to the published rules. It is not about being spiteful or wanting a place for you own kids. People study and plan their life around these rules. Whether these rules are fair or not is another matter.

If it is the school I m thinking, I have also heard from a parent that their child has got a place there despite being miles away from catchment. Their child has rejected the place and going somewhere else anyway, so it has become an non-issue. The child has no EHCP or been looked after, they have applied to other numerous selective schools in different areas, both state and private and no school is named. I don't know whether the school is doing different things this year or not. Did they actually ask for address proof at deadline?

@SJaneS49 - I didn't say you weren't. Just pointing out that, if the child has got the place fraudulently, reporting it now would lead to a better outcome for them than the authorities finding out later.

Regarding individual deals, the school must stick to its published admission arrangements. If those arrangements give them some leeway to allow for delayed moves, they can do so. However, that is unlikely. A deal with a family to, in effect, change the admission arrangements specifically for them is not allowed.

Is it Latymer? Anyway, I would mind my own business and not meddle in anyone else's.

I actually know a family who definitely committed address fraud to get into an outstanding secondary with a tiny catchment (the girl's mother has told me herself as we live very close and would never qualify for that school). I would never report her. She did what she thought was best for her kid.

@XelaM What about the parents that we’re trying to do their best for their child who did meet the admissions criteria who has been denied a place because of her fraud?

If they are moving, it's possible that they have exchanged contracts and provided proof to the school & LA.
Where I am, the council know where you live and pay council tax etc.
Otherwise the whole world would just make up addresses !!!

Thank you all messages.

I wish I hadn't known their situation as it made me so upset by thinking about a child who could get a place.

However, I don't put myself in a trouble or people I know.
Sorry for not doing right thing in this matter.
I saw the dc was so happy to get the offer.

I think you’re doing the right thing @Daaaaa.

Objectively and dispassionately, dobbing them in is right -it is fraud and some other child will suffer.

However, you know these people, you know the child.

You don’t have to approve obviously.

As someone with a child on a waiting list for a grammar place, I'd disagree that is the right decision. My DC would also be very happy to get an offer

These threads always divide opinion. As awful as it is to query someone's place, it would be anarchy if everyone bent the rules. It only stops if people fear being reported. As I said, maybe they have exchanged contracts or something?

It might well not be fraud or it could have been mistakes by the school, if it is reported it will be investigated properly. No one will be punished, just things remained the same or restored to where they should be.

School admission frauds are not victimless, there are other students wanting the place too,. You might not know them, they are real people nonetheless.

I find all these school admission rules complicated and unfair at time, but they are published in advance so at least people know when they stand, it will be chaos and a free-for-all if they are not followed.

OP you should definitely report any suspicions and the LA can take it from there.

Everyone going on about not cheats only doing the best for their children... seriously? The admission rules are there for a reason.

Anyone who subverts those rules is cheating a child who genuinely qualifies out of the place that is rightly theirs.

Never ok

Truth is people are always bending the rules. I'm not sure which grammar this is: possibly Tiffin which has an IP and an OP but hardly takes kids from OP.

It would be difficult for you to prove anything so I would personally not get involved.

Off topic but The whole grammar school thing is so messed up: people travelling to different boroughs to take 11plus exams as 'mocks' - loads from our borough did that wirh QE boys - it's so unfair on local kids.

Some people don't have the option of moving house for one kid!

It would be difficult for you to prove anything so I would personally not get involved

Just to be clear, the OP doesn't need to prove anything. That is up to the admission authority. They won't take a place away just because someone reports possible fraud. They will investigate and only take the place away if they are convinced that there has been fraud.

Unfortunate for the DC if parents are bending the rules but imagine if a family had bought a house to be in catchment and is on the waiting list. Would be much more unfair