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Secondary education

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Original poster

Giving a fraudulent address for secondary school place

149 replies

Claireeo · 01/08/2023 19:02

Hi, I just want to hear others experiences or thoughts on this please.
My daughter hasn’t been given her 1st choice school. She is 1st on the waiting list. One of the parents has given a false address to be in catchment. I know she has lied as we followed her home on the school run several times. She’s lives further than us to 1st choice school.I have also done a land registry check on the house and it’s still in her name. She has said she split up with her husband and has now moved back all in the space of 6 months. If she has moved back should that address be used? Is it something that should be reported? Also another thing-pan is 270 and they also let some in on appeal. They have told me that the student number is currently 270 but shouldn’t it have gone up due to successful appeals? Any help is appreciated. Many thanks

OP posts:
whotospeakto · 01/08/2023 21:26

You know it's true because another gossiping mum told you! Must be the gospel truth then Hmm

RafaistheKingofClay · 01/08/2023 21:31

This is going to come down to whether your LA has anything about living in a rented property if you still own another property I would have thought. I can’t imagine that they will prove or not prove that the parents had split up at the time of application.

And stop ringing them everyday to find out what the waiting list position is. That’s insane.

Original poster
Claireeo · 01/08/2023 21:35

whotospeakto · 01/08/2023 21:26

You know it's true because another gossiping mum told you! Must be the gospel truth then Hmm

I suppose only the LA would know for certain

OP posts:
Original poster
Claireeo · 01/08/2023 21:36

RafaistheKingofClay · 01/08/2023 21:31

This is going to come down to whether your LA has anything about living in a rented property if you still own another property I would have thought. I can’t imagine that they will prove or not prove that the parents had split up at the time of application.

And stop ringing them everyday to find out what the waiting list position is. That’s insane.

That’s very true

OP posts:
VisionsOfSplendour · 01/08/2023 21:40

NerrSnerr · 01/08/2023 21:16

How does the other mum know what address she put on her form?

Just aa a guess maybe she told her, people in real.life have conversations all the time which often seems very different to posters on here

In the case I posted about above many people knew as the mother involved was quite open as she genuinely didn't know it was wrong. Someone or ones told the school and it went from there

drpet49 · 01/08/2023 21:53

ladyvivienne · 01/08/2023 19:51

Your own light doesn't shine brighter from blowing someone else's out.

None of your business.

@ladyvivienne it is the OPs business. I would report the woman OP.

LightSpeeds · 01/08/2023 22:06

ladyvivienne · 01/08/2023 19:51

Your own light doesn't shine brighter from blowing someone else's out.

None of your business.

Maybe you're the sort of person that also pulls this sort of stunt 😂😂

TimeToMoveIt · 01/08/2023 22:16

Don't you have to send proof that the child lives at the address? I had to last year

Summerslimtime · 01/08/2023 22:34

Yes maybe she has an EHCP. I would report though- let the council sort it out.

Re your other question, there will probably be a good few children going to independents who hadn't formally withdrawn yet.

Soapyspuds · 01/08/2023 22:39

Report it to the local authority if you think they are bullshitting on the form.

Yusay · 01/08/2023 22:54

ladyvivienne · 01/08/2023 19:51

Your own light doesn't shine brighter from blowing someone else's out.

None of your business.

It’s the OP’s bus because this woman has literally stolen OP’s child’s school place.

Tell the school OP.

Original poster
Claireeo · 02/08/2023 07:51

TimeToMoveIt · 01/08/2023 22:16

Don't you have to send proof that the child lives at the address? I had to last year

No for some reason they don’t ask for proof. I know a lot of people in catchment and they didn’t have to show anything. They only ask for evidence if you move during a school year

OP posts:
PuffingPuffin · 02/08/2023 07:56

Claireeo · 01/08/2023 19:33

Not followed her home! It’s on my way home and She was in front of me in her car

So either she was in front of you driving somewhere that may have been home, or could have been any number of other places. Or you followed her home. Which one was it?

Iwasafool · 02/08/2023 07:58

Be very sure before you do anything like this. I was going through a divorce when one of my children was in year 6, my ex continued to live in the family home and I moved round the corner but some busybody at school decided to report me as having moved. It caused distress to a child when he was already going through a difficult time. Years later I still think the person who did it was just a nasty vindictive person and my child kept his place at the school so what did they achieve?

TeenDivided · 02/08/2023 08:10

The OP has a reasonable suspicion - that the family decided to 'separate' in order to rent an address near the school, and then 'reconcile' after places are allocated. It happens, along with short term rental, using grandparents address etc.

She doesn't have to prove anything. Yes maybe the child is adopted, or has an EHCP or something. In that case they'll look, see the valid reason, and not look further.

For evil to flourish, it only requires good men to do nothing

For fraud to flourish all it takes is this playground mentality of it being 'snitching' or 'not my business' rather than upholding the rules for the good of everyone.

School application fraud is not a victimless crime, if there is a fraud going on then by 1st September there will be a child who should be in the school, who isn't because of it.

Meredusoleil · 02/08/2023 08:10

TimeToMoveIt · 01/08/2023 22:16

Don't you have to send proof that the child lives at the address? I had to last year

I think in my LA you have to give your council tax reference, as they check where you are paying it matches the address you give.

TheShorestAnswerIsDoing · 02/08/2023 08:58

OMG, you followed her home. What is wrong with you? Have you completely lost the touch with reality?

Her name is on the registry which means she owns it.

Unexpectedlysinglemum · 02/08/2023 09:00

It goes on where a child lives on a certain date. If they did move out and back in how would you ever prove that it wasn't a trial separation?

Dombasle · 02/08/2023 09:10

Why would you take the word of the other playground mum?

Original poster
Claireeo · 02/08/2023 09:48

TheShorestAnswerIsDoing · 02/08/2023 08:58

OMG, you followed her home. What is wrong with you? Have you completely lost the touch with reality?

Her name is on the registry which means she owns it.

Read the post- her route is exactly the same as mine, in the opposite direction of school in question.

OP posts:
Original poster
Claireeo · 02/08/2023 09:50

TeenDivided · 02/08/2023 08:10

The OP has a reasonable suspicion - that the family decided to 'separate' in order to rent an address near the school, and then 'reconcile' after places are allocated. It happens, along with short term rental, using grandparents address etc.

She doesn't have to prove anything. Yes maybe the child is adopted, or has an EHCP or something. In that case they'll look, see the valid reason, and not look further.

For evil to flourish, it only requires good men to do nothing

For fraud to flourish all it takes is this playground mentality of it being 'snitching' or 'not my business' rather than upholding the rules for the good of everyone.

School application fraud is not a victimless crime, if there is a fraud going on then by 1st September there will be a child who should be in the school, who isn't because of it.

Thank you for your thoughts on it

OP posts:
TheShorestAnswerIsDoing · 02/08/2023 10:37

But her name is in the registry. She owns that house. If she pays for council tax there she has a right to apply and be considered as she did. There are legitimate ways what constitutes your address and this is not where you sleep.She can be sleeping with nana one night, then in her dad's house etc. There are families that have shared custody. A child lives 3.5 days here and 3.5 days there. There is no saying that a child belongs more to one house of a one parent than the other. Also, that refers to catchment.

TeenDivided · 02/08/2023 10:47

TheShorestAnswerIsDoing · 02/08/2023 10:37

But her name is in the registry. She owns that house. If she pays for council tax there she has a right to apply and be considered as she did. There are legitimate ways what constitutes your address and this is not where you sleep.She can be sleeping with nana one night, then in her dad's house etc. There are families that have shared custody. A child lives 3.5 days here and 3.5 days there. There is no saying that a child belongs more to one house of a one parent than the other. Also, that refers to catchment.

If the person bought a small flat and was using it as an address of convenience whilst still owning a larger family home she intended to return to once a school place was obtained, then that, I believe, could still be counted as fraud.

None of this matters though.

The OP can report a suspicion and it can be checked out by the right people.

TheShorestAnswerIsDoing · 02/08/2023 10:50

You can own two houses and pay gwo council taxes and in that case it is really where you declare where you live.