Are The Authorities Getting Tougher?

[SunlampVexesEel]

I think the lady in question definitely needs to be prosecuted. Her attempt was extremely lame and showed a completely brazen attempt to exploit the system. Apparently the LEA attempted to discuss the matter with her, presumeably to get her to drop the application, but she refused.

Our LEA is very explict about the temporary split method of application and it is stated clearly on the application information that this will not wash.

However, I hear of an increasing number of stories detailing people who move for one year to get into catchment. For those in rental accomodation this is an easy move, for homeowners it requires the renting out or leaving empty of one property and then legitimately moving to another. I don't agree with that sort of behaviour but cannot see how it could be eliminated.

Of the people I know who applied to Bucks this year; 100% of them moved to rent in the catchment this year whilst letting out their existing home! ...But I only know 1!

Regards
SVE

[T.i.p.s.y]

SVE, I know lots of parents who do this from Ealing every year and they all seem to get a place.

[zee]

Of the people I know who applied to Bucks this year; 100% of them moved to rent in the catchment this year whilst letting out their existing home! ...But I only know 1!

Of course that's not always cheating. They may genuinely intend to live in Bucks and in catchment long term, but not have been able to sell their old place?

We're near the Herts/Bucks border and lived in Herts, where our DC were at prep, which goes up to age 13. When we wanted to give eldest a shot at 11+ we rented over the border in Bucks. However, we first sold our house in Herts, and the reason we rented was because we wanted to know whether he'd get in or not before buying another house, i.e. when we knew if we'd be paying school fees for him long term and hence how much to spend. We duly bought in Bucks and intend to stay.

[FirstTimeBuyer]

Of the people I know who applied to Bucks this year; 100% of them moved to rent in the catchment this year whilst letting out their existing home! ...But I only know 1!

Of course that's not always cheating. They may genuinely intend to live in Bucks and in catchment long term, but not have been able to sell their old place?

We're near the Herts/Bucks border and lived in Herts, where our DC were at prep, which goes up to age 13. When we wanted to give eldest a shot at 11+ we rented over the border in Bucks. However, we first sold our house in Herts, and the reason we rented was because we wanted to know whether he'd get in or not before buying another house, i.e. when we knew if we'd be paying school fees for him long term and hence how much to spend. We duly bought in Bucks and intend to stay.

It's positively angelic behaviour compared with the Chancellor of the Exchequer re/designating his house three times to get free repair work, and claiming back his stamp duty!

[THE FUNDAMENTAL THING]

The thing that struck me about this story when it first surfaced in the Daily mail was that the two schools: Pinner Park and Kenmore do not have vastly different Sats scores. If I recall about ten points. Neither school is near the top of the the league tables.

Personally, I wouldn't consider it worthwhile to undertake the extra travel for such a small academic advantage. After all these scores vary up and down from year to year. That makes me think that if the mother deliberately falsified her address as the council suggest she did for reasons other than academic preference. For instance, she's a working mum perhaps it was easier for her to drop off/ pick up her children from the grandparent's because of where she works. She's got older children do they go to school near Pinner? It is things like this that may have encouraged her to opt for a school away from her home.

Not everyone works in the public sector on flexitime, able to turn up at anytime from 7-10. For some parents a school nearer where they work or a relatives lives rather than their home might be a lot easier for the work life balance. I can sympathise with a parent that given the current admission rules might be tempted to lie to bring about exactly that.

[zee]

...That makes me think that if the mother deliberately falsified her address as the council suggest she did for reasons other than academic preference. For instance, she's a working mum perhaps it was easier for her to drop off/ pick up her children from the grandparent's because of where she works. She's got older children do they go to school near Pinner?.

Who knows? But it's irrelevant. If the application was fraudulent - end of story; her (entirely hypothetical) motives are not the point.

[T.i.p.s.y]

Instead of being given a fine I wonder if a school place should only be granted once everyone else has been allocated. The child will most likely be given a place at the worst school in the area and that would be more risky for me than any fine.

[zee]

Instead of being given a fine I wonder if a school place should only be granted once everyone else has been allocated. The child will most likely be given a place at the worst school in the area and that would be more risky for me than any fine.

I sympathise with your thinking, but isn't that punishing the child too much?

[T.i.p.s.y]

But other children are being punished by not getting such a school place. Not that I think it would happen but some form of criminal conviction could be more damaging long term to the child as it could make the mother unemployable. In this case they obviously have a spare £5-6k a term for school fees!

[zee]

But other children are being punished by not getting such a school place. Not that I think it would happen but some form of criminal conviction could be more damaging long term to the child as it could make the mother unemployable. In this case they obviously have a spare £5-6k a term for school fees!

Well yes, although since she'd been found out, there isn't another child being wrongly deprived of a place.

This issue of when and if to ciminalise and/or imprison parents, with the inevitable negative consequences on their children is a bigger issue (and problem) than just school places.

BTW I wasn't suggesting the child be allowed to keep a place they're not eligible for, merely questioning whether they should be deliberately be sent to the worst sink school as a long term punishment.