Renting house to get into a good school

aj9648

Hi

This is probably morally wrong but wanted to get some opinions on it.

We are looking into schools and DS has turned 3. Schools closest in catchment area are pretty awful and really dont want to send him there

There is a school the other way from where (and on the way to my work) that is an outstanding school - its only 2.5ish miles away.

We were talking about how we could potentially rent a house close to the school to enable acceptance into the school. We would not be living there.....after 12 months tell the school we have moved.....

Is that naughty? Wrong? Or just playing the system?

butler_helen

Naughty but I understand why you'd do it. Therefore if you're asking for everyone moral opinion you're going to get a mix.

We are planning to buy a new house in advance of my son starting school, we are just waiting for the new station to be finished so we can maximise it's value. We would be moving anyway but the local schools massively dictate where we would consider.

jjlandlord

It is legally wrong as you would be lying about your place of residence.

Note that councils know about this sort of tactics and perform checks for really over-subscribed schools.

It would be OK if you actually moved into the property.

bizzybee

I would check the admission arrangements for your local education authority on what they consider to be a 'home address'.

LEAs are clued up on parents that do what you are proposing and can be very thorough in their investigative work!

Cissi

People do this around here too but I think you'd need to actually live there from the time of the application until DS has started school. Around here the teachers now visit every single family before school starts - 3 teachers visiting the home, supposedly to meet the child and the parents in their home environment, but I suspect there is a lot more to it than that, and that confirming that the address is genuine is one of the real reasons (along with looking for any signs of abuse or neglect) - the local schools are hugely oversubscribed.

Nothing to stop you from moving once DS has settled in to the new school though... Although it may be a bit uncomfortable as the other parents would probably sniff out the truth and may resent you for it (most of them are likely to have friends who just missed out on a place, or they themselves have made big sacrifices to afford a home in the catchment area etc).

ellie27

We are selling our house to buy a home in a better catchment.

It may be that we sell and have to rent in the catchment and in time buy in the catchment, but thats not the same as you are thinking.

I wouldnt do what you are planning - I would worry it would backfire on me!

theEnd

The whole thing's ridiculous. Only the rich can afford to live near the good schools. Needs looking at.

DigForVictory

If you can afford to rent & occupy, do so. If later on you move (back), what of it? It may not be entirely sporting but life is not fair & you can always try to assuage your guilt by becoming a parent governor.

It shortens your commute as well - you know it makes sense. OK, moving is Hell, but you really are dancing down the path of good intentions!

ethank

Was the school oversubscribed? If it has spaces, then you may get it as your first choice. We are right on edge of our city, and lots of people select small village schools down the road, they have plenty of space, and they get in as they are not full.

Argghhh

we live at the end of the street where a new good school is and still couldnt get our daughter in - would be miffed if someone rented a house out to just get their kid in the school and i missed out - however could i say i wouldnt do it if i could afford to?? alls fair in love and war i spose

Smi1er

Very good school near me says that you have to live at your current address for 2 full years before application. And yes they require copies of council tax bill and bank statements