Cheating admission system

[Anonymousposter17]

Prepared to take a battering here, but interested to know what others would think.

Two years ago I moved towns to try to be able to get a better standard of high school for my dd who is now in y 6. We don’t live in a part of the country where selection is a thing, although she’s bright and I think she’d pass 11+ given the opportunity. Private education is out of my reach financially.

I’m a Christian who has always attended ce church, even before I had dd. Dd is baptised. There is a brilliant ce state school in a small neighbouring town to where I live. I couldn’t afford to buy there. I researched this school’s admission policy and aside from the usual looked after children, medical needs and children of staff it went like this:

1 children living in the parishes v close to school (where I couldn’t afford to buy) with proof of church attendance

2 children living in a few named parishes slightly further from school with evidence of church attendance (I bought in one of these parishes)

3 children in the nearby parishes with no church attendance

4 children further away with no church attendance (I’m pretty far away given how oversubscribed this school is)

anyway I did a freedom of information request before buying my house to ask on the most recent cohort where the last admitted child came on the criteria and it was criteria 3, meaning me being criteria two would have got dd in that year. I’m aware things change year on year but it gave me the general picture.

Now it’s time to apply and the criteria for the next intake has been amended. It now goes

1 nearby children with church
2 nearby children without church
3 far away children with church
4 far away children no church

their admission booklet shows that this year only one child got in based on 3 far away with church so there’s now almost certainly no way I’d get her a place.

my partners mother owns and rents out a number of houses in the nearby names parishes. This presents an opportunity to rent from her at a very discounted rate (but not easily affordable either) to be living in the right place. If I rented one from her, I literally would move there albeit in the short term as I’d be terrified of getting caught lying but I’m not sure I’d get permission from my lender to let my house out so it may stand empty. I’ve no idea about renting houses out. I can just about take the financial hit of renting from parters mum but it would not be easy.

honestly, if you had the means to do this (and the motive- there is nowhere close to this school in standards near and no other option for a faith education for her) would you? Or am I scum of the earth for even thinking it.

I recognise the irony in someone looking for a Christian education being so devious btw

OP you really need to get to the bottom of the admissions policy for this particular school. Those who are saying you’ll be fine if you keep your current house and rent in catchment might be entirely wrong! This is the guidance published by one of two very oversubscribed secondaries near me. If you rent in catchment and hold on to a home out of catchment (even if you rent that out) then they will not consider your rental property to be your permanent address. If they offer your child a place and then find out you did this they will withdraw the place (including after your child has started).

The other oversubscribed secondary in our area does not have the same rule, so you could get away with your plan provided you genuinely moved to the rental property, had a tenancy of at least a year and (I think) stay there at least until the end of the first term of school. They do not however publish their rules in as much detail as attached so you don’t know what is and isn’t “allowed”.

But in either instance if you move into catchment less than a year before the application cut off they will absolutely scrutinise you and want full evidence that you have really moved. So they want to see energy bills showing you are actually living at the rental property, will check which address you have registered with your current primary and lots more.

would I do what you are suggesting? Yes, but only if I could satisfy myself that the school would allow it. If it does, you’re not breaking the rules, as if the school wanted to they could have explicitly banned it like the first school I mention.

Sorry, on reflection OP I’m not sure the second school I mention would allow your plan. I know people who have bought a second home in catchment, moved into it for 18+ months and then moved back to their out of catchment home. I don’t know if just renting in catchment would have been enough.

You would need to be very careful - as others say you’d need to be able to produce a proper AST agreement and if the rent in that was obviously below market I think that might raise eyebrows.

If you’re applying for places for next year applications close in 6 weeks. If you were to suddenly move now then it would be very obvious! Chances of getting your house the right legal things to rent out and a tenant in that time are slim too!

I am considering doing similar.

The address you apply from MUST be the address you are living at or you are cheating the system and will probably be found out. So you actually need to move into the rented property - change it to your main address for council tax, bank, child benefit etc so you have proof.

We can move back after the offers are made (March) but check if yours is the same. The admissions policy for my area just says something about being the address you are living at at the time the application is submitted and that you must update them if you move.

It's not illegal and you won't get caught because you aren't doing anything wrong. You are filling in a form which asks your usual address at that time and you are giving the honest answer. If it asks whether you intend to move/when you intend to move then that is different.

Sounds like your child has had to deal with a lot of moves and long commutes in the car and lots more of those are being planned for her.
She would probably be happier and thrive and succeed if you settle in one house and send her to a local school. And her younger sibling even more so.

What's the sibling rule OP?

If you do this fake move to get child #1 in, will you have to do it all over again to child #2 in?

They ask on applications. (I think???)

You would have to lie on a form. I couldn't do that myself.

It will ask on the application form, how long at this address etc and potentially to upload supporting documents. Then you sign a declaration that the information is correct. For a faith school you normally have to submit an extra form which the appropriate faith leader signs about attendance and participation. Where will your other child be at school if your dc1 gets this place? How will you manage a commute?

I suspect that the school changed its admissions policy because it seems unjust that a school couldn’t be used by the majority of young people in the area.

What school are you likely to be offered if you stay where you are? Have you looked at it? Do you know anyone with a child there? It might be good, even if the other has a reputation for being “better”. In my experience, a lot of the angst - I did enough of it myself - over schools isn’t worth it in the end. I have two friends who sent their DC to the same very highly regarded and sought after C of E school. Both sets of parents were very disappointed with it in the end.

To my knowledge it's only the oversubscribed schools that have checks. It doesn't matter where you live if the school isn't oversubscribed.

@Anonymousposter17

The schools in admission documentation or the council usually say how many months you have to be a tenant somewhere to be considered at this location.
But it is also important how they define " nearby". Is there a specific catchment map? radius from school? You have to be attending church a specific diocese?

Are you sure that the church will give you certificate of church attendance or is it not required?

Also, please have a look at special needs criterion. It may be that your daughter fall under one of these.

If your first child gets into the school, it will depend on where siblings come in the admission criteria for the second. So it isn’t a given.

This is just a wild thought, but have you visited the school and visited or considered any schools that are in your catchment? You might be surprised if you do.

I think your plan is dubious to say the least and probably not in the spirit of your religion. I also think it’s a narrow view and you might find another school meets your criteria. If you don’t get a place at your first choice, you’ll have to consider others anyway.

It’s week documented that buying and selling at the moment is not at all straightforward, so that could scupper your plans.

OP I don't think another house move would be seen very favourably.
However there are supposed to be proper consultations and sufficient notice given when schools including faith schools make significant changes to their admissions policies. I would recommend finding out more about whether this was done correctly.

They can also decide not to have a sibling priority if they like. So whilst they have it now, they may not next year.

Like they will pop into my house where I have been living for the last 11 years asking: Hello how are you?

I don't understand why people who don't want to be part of a faith insist on being giving preference to study at the faith school.

You need to rent out your place even if only part of it to get some income coming. read the policy re home address. It'll state whether you're permitted to still own a home nearby.

Wow and you actually think going to church makes you a better person.
It's Fraud and you are very likely to get caught and prosocuted.

Because it’s the local school?

This wouldn’t work in my area - you have to move to the new address a whole year before even applying.
I can understand your frustration though, op. They whole process is crappy.

How does that work if you genuinely move house 6 months before applying for the place? There must be something in place in that scenario- they can't just base it on your previous address as it could be in another country or hundreds of miles away?

Most of the primaries and lots of the CofE schools where I live have changed their criteria so faith isn't considered when accepting children for school.

They do it on distance like the majority of LA and academy schools.

I know the primaries in particular where fed up with parents finding God for up to 5 years before their child need a school place as it meant some socioeconomically disadvantaged children missed out. It also meant the schools didn't reflect the diversity in the local community, which I know is really important to some of the vicars.

Also as someone who lives near a church linked to such a school, I'm glad as the "pretend god-bothers" caused loads of parking issues every Sunday.

I think you go in as a late transfer so aren’t included in allocations until later rounds.

Jesus would understand sacrificing yourself for the benefit of your child! He was all about doing the best for others even if it’s to your own detriment.

OP do whatever you have to do to get your child a good education. It’s life changing. Screw everyone else, they don’t have your child as their highest priority.

There's usually another option and the faith schools tend to be the one that's oversubscribed.

Really? You think he would have said lie and push your own family to the front to the detriment of someone else's child?