Relocation in Grammar school catchment

[june23]

One of the grammar school mention this condition "If you own or rent a property, and you buy or rent another property or live with family or friends temporarily, and state that this is your and your child’s home address, we will not use the second address for school admissions purposes."
Does this mean that one can't have 2 properties on rent/own at same time?

These conditions are so confusing. We plan to relocate to SE London on rent to be closer to the grammar school that we are interested and also that we work remotely. Meanwhile, I am happy that my mum lives at our current house that we own. But I am assuming with this kind of situation, the school will not consider our second rented house as the permanent address of the child?

It’s considered a fraudulent application if you temporarily rent or temporarily move in with relatives to gain access to a school. And rightly so.

It's probably to stop people renting close by or say they're living at an address with family and being offered a space then moving away to the original home. In reality taking a space from someone who does live in the catchment area. I can see this being very annoying for parents of children who don't get a space yet do live in the catchment area and see day on day out parents driving from miles and miles away to drop their DC at the school.

So yes it's basically to stop you doing what you plan on doing. (From what you say in the post)

Though..... How do admissions know?
Will they ask for proof that someone is renting your home long term? Do you have a long term rental agreement if you plan on renting?
They may wonder Why would you own a house and then rent elsewhere?
If you don't disclose it and they find out later on you have withheld this information will that place be taken away?

Potentially yes it could be discounted as the child's permanent address, especially if the original address is not far away. Bucks have a similar policy.

I would contact the school for clarification, but be prepared for them to assume that 'letting a family member live in the house that you own' would indicate that at any point, the family member could either relocate themselves for you to move back in, or not even need to move out for you to do so. You might have a slightly better chance with a proper rental agreement giving your tenant normal legal protection against you moving them out again, but the school has obviously had problems with the issue of address fraud in the past.

If you are moving to be nearer to the school, why not move properly? You could always make your mum a loan, or even a gift, from the proceeds of the sale of your current house, if she needs assistance with accommodation?

If this is a clause in the school's admissions policy for 2024 entry, you could lodge an objection with the Office of the Schools Adjudicator, stating why you feel that this aspect of the policy is unjust.

Can assure it is more than annoying!!It absolutely destroyed my faith in human nature when my daughter was robbed of a place.
We didn't give up and went to the ombudsman and finally won our place. It was proven that at least 10 girls had got in because of their parents lies.. Guess what they lost their place offers !

Yes as above. The admissions process is stringent - we live in a particularly sought after grammar school area and had to supply a significant amount of documentation when DCs were offered places to demonstrate we were making bona fide applications. Any suggestion that you're trying to manipulate the system (it sounds as if you're contemplating a temporary move just to be in catchment and then potentially move back again) will be checked and if the school think you've been untruthful then the place will be withdrawn.

If you don't disclose it and they find out later on you have withheld this information will that place be taken away?

It can be, yes. One of the very limited grounds on which an offer can be withdrawn is if the offer was made based on fraudulent or intentionally misleading application. If an admissions authority decide that the address you applied from was actually an address of convenience, used to gain an advantage in application, the application can be deemed fraudulent and the place removed.

It happens, especially in areas with very sought after schools such as grammars. Additional checks are normally done in such areas to ensure applicants are not attempting it. Don't underestimate the willingness of other parents to supply information too, as soon as it becomes clear where you actually live!

Yes, frequently there are checks and (as others have mentioned) parents who believe their child has missed out on a place because of fraud may be pushing the school or LEA to investigate.

Is the move permanent? So are you planning to tell your mortgage company and change the mortgage to a buy to let, change council tax, change your GP, do a change of address for your driving licence, notify the primary that you have moved, change your TV licence, utility bills? Otherwise it may appear you still live at your current address.

In my area they ask for proof the house was sold and a long term rental agreement. You would have to change everything as above and probably issue your mum with a tenancy agreement. This is rife where I live and the schools are stringent.

How far are you moving? If it’s from Manchester to SE London or whatever, might be a different story to if it’s a few miles.

either way, it isn’t just grammar schools that do this.

Where I live (not in the UK but with similar systems) the education authority has been known to doorknock addresses 6 months after enrolment to see if it was fraudulent as parents have rented or purchased small flats in catchment with no intention of living there.

In sought after areas they hand application forms in class to children to complete their home address before then sending them out to parents to indicate their school preferences. Children are unlikely to lie about where they live and if parents cross it out and change it they follow up further.

Also you have to remember that your child’s future classmates may well have friends who missed out on a place. When they discover you only moved temporarily and have a permanent home elsewhere, don’t be surprised if there’s a complaint. This sort of practice is beneath contempt as far as I’m concerned, people using their wealth to rort the system.

Am guessing that as OP hasn’t replied she has got the message!

You want to cheat? You think your daughter deserves a place so much more than someone else’s daughter that you’ll lie another where you live? Lovely.

Surely it is not cheating the system, just buying opportunity on the same way as tuition or private schooling/heaalthcare

Tuition and buying private education/healthcare are very different from faking permanent residence. I live in a grammar school area and have known places to be withdrawn when similar situations have been discovered, even after the DC has started at the school. If you don't have the moral compass to stop you from doing this, hopefully the risk of being caught out will stop you.

It is cheating the system if the rules disallow it.

The rules don't stop tuition or private schooling. They do stop addresses of convenience.

(Actually part of me thinks that if someone applies to grammar they should then be forced to attend state school even if they don't get the grammar. Too many people seem to like the grammar system if their child gets in, but deem it not good enough if their child doesn't. I know it's unworkable however.)

One of my friends children did not get into our very popular catchment secondary school and due to county boundaries and catchments were placed 13 miles away. Luckily they did on waiting list so all was good.
Few weeks into second term of year 7 their child said they were going to a new friends house. New friend lived in a place that will never ever get into our school on catchment but my friend assumed there must be another reason and dropped off but she did comment how they live a way from the school. The parent gleefully told her how she used her mums address and how pleased she was to get him in and that it doesnt harm anyone but you have to do what you do for your kids. My friend explained how her son had initially been sent 13 miles away, weeks of anxiety and worry and how her and her partner had had to prep for appeals and try and work out how to make a 26 return journey work not just for school times but social life etc. Apparently the parent did say they didnt realise and then obviously stopped talking as what else could they say. My friend did tell the school but as it was after 1st term apparently they will not take the place away. But their younger sibling is not at the school so it obviously didnt work 2nd time (out of catchment siblings are low down on the criteria here).

You don't state if you intend to continue to live there after school starts. If not then yes it's breaking the rules.

I used to be easy to move - but most places haven't allowed temporary addresses for the past 10 years. If you are not intending to stay there you are depriving someone else of the space. So no you shouldn't be doing it.

Tuition / private education is LEGAL and not the same as lying and giving false address …it’s robbing another child of her place ! Am glad to hear that schools do now check more thoroughly for fraud . Absolutely no one’s child is so fucking special that they deserve a place through lying over another child!
Have noticed that there are far less flats to rent along our local main road that has the Grammar schools .
10 places at our local Grammar school were taken away because the parents were found to be liars …not nice for their daughters…tough lesson on consequences for them as well !

This year at our local grammar school for admissions in 2024 after looked after children, SEN, staff's DC ..............

1. Children living in the catchment area of the school must be living in their home

continuously since 1 September 2023

This is specifically to stop people renting properties for a short period and then moving back again.

There is always a victim in these cases who looses a place as some one wealthier cheated the system.