Residing with DGP part-time for A levels

[AnotherWon]

DC is applying to local sixth form college next year for entry in 2027 for a number of reasons - primarily atmosphere (wants a more grown-up student experience), and college offers a desired course which secondary school does not. DC knows the college (friends go there and also my dh and his brother went there many years ago).

However I discovered our house is 0.2miles outside the college catchment and as dc is in a bulge year we are worried dc might not get in (last two years the college was oversubscribed).

DC’s grandparents live really close to the college and dc says they would happily live at grandparents during the week - would make it easy to socialise and it’s a short bike ride to college. DC grandparents absolutely love the idea, have a spare room, I have no concerns about the arrangement. The short journey would also free up DC’s time so that they would have time for a part time job.

Is it unreasonable to let dc split home life between our house and DGP, and list dgp’s address on the college application form?

I am aware there would be a request from college for proof of address; my dh does still have bank statements and some other mail going to his parents house. Dc would re-register at dgp’s local GP practice.

I don’t know if this would be considered a valid arrangement for application purposes.

I think this would be considered fraudulent. Your DC doesn't currently live with his grandparents and is only considering doing so for college. Of course there is nothing stopping him doing this plan if he gets a place, but you should apply from where he currently lives I.e. your house.

He wouldn't be a permanent resident at his grandparents' house so it won't sway the college's decision to offer him a place if it is using a catchment area to decide on who goes there.

Why would you change his GP by the way? His current GP can't be a long way from either the college or his grandparents' house, he can go when he's home if he needs to. Most people have their GP close to home rather than near their place of study/work.

Sixth form colleges dont really have a catchment area in the same way that schools do.

Does this particular one actually specify a catchment area in its admissions policy? Usually it's priority to partner/feeder schools (and GCSE grades for the course you want).

Generally sixth form colleges try to enrol everyone who wants to join them.

I think it would be unusual for a 6th form college to have a catchment area. What does the admission policy say? You have worked out a distance but is this more of a travel rule? For a school, my La has strict residence rules. You must use where dc ordinarily lives and the address used for GP registration and your child benefit. Some LAs want proof of this and bills with your name on for the residence you use.

This college never previously had a catchment but it introduced one as it has become really popular in the last few years. Yes clearly marked in the admissions criteria that if oversubscribed the catchment rule is activated. It has been activated for a few years.

The reasons are:

1. incredible amount of house building since dc was born
2. LA reneged on a promise to deliver a larger sixth form at our local state comprehensive (the area for the new block is literally just a building site)
3. LA elected not to add a sixth form at the newly built school for a vast area of new housing, arguing recently birth rates are falling so it won’t be needed.These new houses have pushed the school to be oversubscribed (it never has been previously to my knowledge since of it going back to the ‘90s).

In addition 2010 and 2011 recorded highest birth rates since 1971. After 2012 the bulge ends and there are fewer kids so it’s only an issue for a couple of years.

@MeetMeOnTheCorner I know we were surprised too.

The college does have a list of feeder schools but absolutely always took loads of kids from our town. None of the local schools to us are feeder schools but you see a hundred kids piling onto the train in the morning to go there. The admission policy says it’s a “straight line” measurement within a radius when the college is oversubscribed. It’s actually an easy trip for dc from our house which is why we have always thought this is where dc will go for A levels etc. It is a couple of stops on the local train - and loads of kids from our town use that route to go to the college. Travel time is similar to DC’s current journey time to school on bus so we didn’t think twice about it.

We are just unlucky I think that between our house and the college, and then around the college area, thousands and thousands of houses got built and now we got pushed just outside this newly introduced catchment.

There is one other sixth form college in another direction, but the journey is worse despite being closer as the crow flies. And the A level results are poor (dc is academically able and it’s not really academic, more a place to do BTEC type courses).

@PhilosophicalCheeseSandwich but could dc be permanently resident with DGP for purpose of A levels?

Originally (before we found out about the dratted catchment) we always planned for dc to stay with DGP during the week and come home for weekends. So this wouldn’t be a massive change in plan. As a family are back and forth from DGP visiting most weeks in one direction or another, and the plan is that dc will have a car at dgp’s (no space to keep it at our house).

@BendingSpoons that is what I’m worried about. My current plan is to apply from our house but there is a change of address box and we would explain there that dc would move to that address in summer of 2027 ahead of A levels (dc has a sport they coach, and there’s a centre near DGP where they can get a summer job).

We would register dc at local gp as an indication of the change of address and dc would use that as their permanent address; it would be there permanent address for all purposes and DGP happy with that.

Completely understand your frustration about the situation changing, but I couldn’t do this because I’d worry about the position I’d put my parents and child in. If you go ahead thinking “slightly dodgy” you’ll always have that worry and DGPs and DC would always have to be guarded about what they say to people. The only way I could do it is by taking advice from the college and local
authority - risky but if it turns out it’s all above board no guilt or worry of fraud going forward!

If you use the change of address box and explain this, then you are being transparent about your plans. I don't know that the college will accept the address for admissions though. It wouldn't work for a secondary year 7 application, as there is a cut off date for living at the address, but I know less about how sixth form applications are managed. I would be realistic though, there's a good chance they won't accept this.

As an aside, does the subjects you pick have any impact? There's a boys' school near me that admits girls in the sixth form. It's easier to get a place if you want to study humanities, as these subjects are less full with the existing students, who tend to favour maths/sciences more.

@AnotherWon LAs don’t really fund school building now. They are down to the Trusts to provide and fund. The LA does the population stats and planning. It appears they did that, but funding became an issue.

@BendingSpoons If a school operates a catchment system, I’d be amazed if they allowed an address where the dc does not ordinarily reside. That’s completely against any catchment admission rules I’ve ever seen. Breaking the rules (and they almost will want proof of HOME address) usually means the place being rescinded anyway,

Plus there must be a sixth form available and plenty of rural dc get no choice. It’s school or nothing. I’d apply for the college using the home address and the school 6th form.

Perhaps it’s unusual but I’m not making it up! what a weird thing to imply. Why would I make it up??

So our LA agreed to fund a new sixth form building as a trade-off for the school (which is an academy) agreeing to allow an extra form of children to enter the school at Y7 for a number of years (due to the aforementioned housebuilding the LA didn’t have enough places). The school - being part of MAT - did not have to agree to the expansion but did so only because it knew spaces were in dire shortage in the community and also because it saw a chance to get additional funding for a new building. Amounts were agreed in principal and arrangement was announced to the public.

Then once the school had reorganised to use its existing space to accommodate an additional 32 kids per year and the first intake happened, the LA backtracked and said they never said precisely when they’d fund building the sixth form block, only that they would set money aside for it in the budget and definitely couldn’t afford to yet and it would be “put in the LA budget at some point in the next few years.”

Whole community was then up in arms as existing sixth form had given up its common area for conversion to classroom space.

Lots of shouty council meetings and now the LA have erected a building site and a sign that says “new sixth form building coming soon” but nothing much else has happened and it won’t be ready in time for 2027 entry.

@MeetMeOnTheCorner yes I suspect you’re right about being disqualified on that basis.

The school sixth form which is our closest school is small and whilst it’s good, it has two drawbacks: it doesn’t offer two of the A level subjects dc wants, and it is single-sex and dc really wanted to be in a mixed environment for sixth form which I think is really important for them (as dc is non binary they would like a more diverse community).

I totally agree that rural people may have no choice of school. But it shouldn’t be a race to the bottom, should it?

I think your update re specific A-levels and DC being non-binary would warrant further discussion with college and LA about a place. What a strange and upsetting position to be in - building all around you and then a catchment being applied! Very unfortunate. I agree about rural children too - their families have chosen that lifestyle, you couldn’t possibly have known the extent of house building with no extra infrastructure in place. Good luck and solidarity whatever you decide.

@Emmasblackboard LAs and schools frequently change catchment areas because of house building. It’s even happening in rural areas! You cannot rely on no changes.

Plus what difference does non binary make? It’s not sen or looked after dc, so cannot see it making any difference to admissions. Never seen it as a sprcidl category.

I understand that, it was specifically about a college which only recently had a catchment imposed, the fact that students for at least the next academic year don’t have the new sixth form college promised, plus two A-levels OP’s DC wants to study aren’t available at the small sixth-form. I was just wondering if all these things combined - with the added benefit of a larger setting - would be enough for OP to get advice on.

@EmmasblackboardSchools and colleges must consult on proposed admission changes so with new building, it was always a possibility. I imagine it’s not that close to op either. It’s long been the case that smaller schools don’t offer the widest range of A levels any many dc don’t get a huge choice. I can see the attraction of the college and I’d give it a go. Catchment is odd for 6th form colleges - what happens to less popular subjects? Don’t run them or fill up from out of catchment? Usually GCSE results would be a decider.

I would change your DC’s address with school a the start of the year and get them registered at GP’s for doctors etc soon… She’ll most likely already have to be resident when application goes in for it to be considered her address.

People move all the time to adapt to changing goalposts.

He’d need to move in with them now and have child benefit in their name and doctors

It won’t work as grandparent is not the parent and doesn’t get child benefit. There’s no reason for dc to be there - other than to cheat.

I don't see an issue with this - surely it's only fraudulent if you are using the GP address but not actually living there... or lying completely about moving there...