Moving house during secondary application window

[DontJumpInTheFountain]

Our closest secondary is an oversubscribed outstanding school with a last distance offered between 0.7 and 1.0 miles over the past few years. We're fortunate to live around 0.5 miles away so are as confident as we can be that DD will get in. However several of our friendship group live around a mile away where, dependent on the year, all, some or none would have got a place in the past.

A week ago friend A moved from 0.4 miles from the school to a house around 4 miles away but they've still applied to the local school, saying that it states you should use your address at the time of application, and that because they applied before they moved they were entitled to use the old address.

Some friends are upset. They know that it's touch and go whether their children will get in, and if they do it's most likely via a waiting list. I'm certain that in the likely scenario where one of them has a DC who doesn't get a place they'll complain in the hope that their child will move up the list.

I've tried to warn A but she is so certain she's right she just can't see what the issue is, and I'm doubting myself now.

Which address counts? Could they lose the place if someone complains?

I believe its the address on the day applications close.
It could be seen as fraudulent application

Look at the local county council website education page. It will be detailed on there as to how address changes are dealt with.

Your council's admissions brochure should cover this.

For ours, it's the address on the day you apply but you are required to inform them of changes of address and offers will be made based on the updated address. If the address is updated after offers are made, the offer will be withdrawn if the child is no longer eligible at the new address.

Ours states you have to prove address on the day they start term in September so the place would be withdrawn. It really depends on the LA.

Here, you have to inform them if you move house during the process - any time up until offer day - and if you don't the place you get offered based on your old address can be withdrawn. We moved in December after already applying for reception as soon as it opened. I didn't tell them until after offer day and they wouldn't guarantee the place; they had to go back and find out of we would have got a place based on the new address. Thankfully we still got in. I thought about not saying anything but all the forms and information would have got sent to the old house where a stranger was living.

Thanks all. Like @JassyRadlett ours is date of application then update but Friend A does not intend to. I think she just really hopes it'll all be fine but I'm worried for her if it doesn't work out.

It's a bit risky. When my chid went up to another school it was a very competitive year and some parents were openly speculating how some children had got a place when they believed they lived closer.

DFriend did this and wasn't going to mention it, but the family who bought their old house applied to the school too, so she was caught.

It ended up fine, but that was just luck in the end - the school confirmed the new address takes precedence

If people know... there is every possibility someone will report. Plus do you need to provide council tax records?

I don't know about council tax records - are they requested as standard or just when there's a query?

I'm certain someone will report - I have so much sympathy for her and my DC really wants their DC at the school with them. But equally there are those who are going to just miss out on the school that's by far the closest to them so I do understand the motives of the others.

I'll have one more go at a gentle word and encourage her to apply to the schools near her new place then leave it. Thank you all.

Ours is day the application is submitted house moves can only be considered under exceptional circumstances and you need proof. If you want to help I would suggest she checks the admission information and saves a copy so any reports can be dismissed

People will tell the council about her- I'd bet money on it. I sit in on appeals and it happens all the time. I have had parents come to me to 'tell me' about other parents, we have had notes handed in with parents and children's names and old and new addresses with date of moving or explanations of lies that have been told, we have phone calls, formal letters sent to LA admissions officer. People will definitely tell. It is a contentious issue and parents and grandparents feel really strongly about it if their child/grandchikd is affected by someone not following the rules.

Once she gets the school offer, what address is she going to give the school? (I assume that she's paying for mail redirection for a good long period, otherwise she won't get the paperwork in the first place if it's sent as hard copy).

Presumably you've all known each other long enough that the child in question could have been e.g.adopted from care before you knew the parents?

Will she update her current primary school with new address? Because they do check that those line up

@LuluBlakey1 that's an interesting insight. I'm not surprised, and of course because A is being so open it might not only be one of our group who reports.

Yes @MarchingFrogs, I first met her during antenatal classes but some knew her before that - a lot of us have known each other for ages which makes the upset in the group hard.

Interesting question @Quitelikeacatslife - I've no idea.

Ultimately I can't do anything other than offer advice and hope it works out.