Would you lie to keep your child in the right school?

koolpc · 26 Feb 2011 at 15:07

My sister-in-law is moving house soon and her son is 5 years old. He has been in his present school for approx 2 years as he started in preschool there and then nursery.

Unfortunately, where they are buying a house (because they can't afford any where they are now) is out of the catchment area of the school he is now attending.

She told us today that she is going to tell them that they are moving in with her inlaws if and when they ask in the future! She doesn't want to have to move him from the school as he is settled there.

Isn't what she is doing is classed as fraud?

Guess i would do the same though but the chances of getting caught are surely high?

Would you lie to 'keep' your child in its present school?

shifty_uk · 26 Feb 2011 at 15:09

I'd do the same if the school wasn't prepared to bend the rules for the sake of the child.

territt · 26 Feb 2011 at 15:11

Its wrong, schools have a catchment area for a reason.

DM · 26 Feb 2011 at 15:11

Absolutely, tell the lie.

cm1179 · 26 Feb 2011 at 15:13

koolpc said:
Would you lie to 'keep' your child in its present school?

if i had a child and the school was good, yes i would. schools these days (i left in 1996) worry me. should i ever have children, they're going to private school or being home tutored and joining a sports club at 5.

koolpc · 26 Feb 2011 at 15:13

Depends if she gets caught i suppose. The child has been in the school for approx 2 years and her new house is going to be 9 miles or so from the school.

DM · 26 Feb 2011 at 15:15

cm1179 said:
if i had a child and the school was good, yes i would. schools these days (i left in 1996) worry me. should i ever have children, they're going to private school or being home tutored and joining a sports club at 5.

Private school is only worth doing at about 11, even then its not guaranteed success, one of mine was worth the money, one was not.

Destination · 26 Feb 2011 at 15:30

If the child is settled within the school, then does one automatically have to move them if they go outside the catchment area?
I'd have thought there was some leeway in this, given the distance from home to school is still under 10 miles. Then again, labour legacy, letters of law act in advance of everything, until it comes to rights, and then rights overrule the law when wicked people want nice things.

Sayso · 26 Feb 2011 at 16:18

yeah i would lie, im currently lieing to the decent doctor i used to go to before i moved because frankly they are excellent, had a bit of a problem when my nipper was ill and i phoned up and they told me to bring her right round (before they opened, yeh they really are that good) and i had to make an excuse why i couldn't make it for 20 mins.

ajgoodfellow · 26 Feb 2011 at 16:20

Would she need to lie?

I went to school outside of my catchment area and I thought that once you were at the school they wouldn't ask you to leave?

vicisthebest · 26 Feb 2011 at 16:21

I'm a teacher at a school which is Ofsted outstanding and has a VERY good reputation in our local authority, as such we have grown and grown to the point where we now have nearly 500 children on roll. We've had problems in the past with people lying about where they live to get their child in.

BUT...

It makes absolutely no difference in my area whether they move house or not. If they lived in the catchment area when they joined the school then they have a place and it can't be taken away from them.

ins0mn1ac · 26 Feb 2011 at 16:22

Ever had to change schools? if you understand how horrible it is you'll understand why it's OK to lie. I'd absolutely do the same for my son.

steve-h · 26 Feb 2011 at 16:25

I doubt they will make the kid leave LOL...

ZG002 · 26 Feb 2011 at 16:32

Have the school actually told her that if she moves out of catchment area her child has to change schools? Seems strange to me.

britboy4321 · 26 Feb 2011 at 18:02

don't do it.

either you will take the place of another child whose hard strapped parents work 60 hours a week to live in the catchment area, or the class size will be slightly bigger, which will slightly adversely affect every childs education.

The people WITHIN the area work very hard for the mortgages.

Gelly54 · 26 Feb 2011 at 18:05

yes i would lie

Rroff · 26 Feb 2011 at 18:07

I thought catchment areas only applied when applying for the school, its a disgrace if subsequent moving meant the kids was automatically turfed out and expected to join another school and I'd have absolutely no issue personally with someone lying in that circumstance.

PhillyDee · 26 Feb 2011 at 18:08

britboy4321 said:
don't do it.

either you will take the place of another child whose hard strapped parents work 60 hours a week to live in the catchment area, or the class size will be slightly bigger, which will slightly adversely affect every childs education.

The people WITHIN the area work very hard for the mortgages.

The child is already at the school. Its not like its a new starter and choosing a school to go to.
Its hardly taking a place up, since the choice does not exist.
The child is settled, and moving them could have an adverse effect.

I would keep the child there. I would have course make some discreet enquiries at the school anyway.

K.C. Leblanc · 26 Feb 2011 at 18:56

Your sister in law needs to talk to the school, unless she's moving to a different county I can't see there being a problem. Although it will be her responsibility to get the child to school, and also the child might have a tricky time getting into the same secondary school as it's classmates.

Westyfield2 · 26 Feb 2011 at 19:11

I'm not sure you need to lie.

IIRC the catchment area is when applying to the school... and once you're in it doesn't matter if you move out of the catchment area as-long as you're still in the same LEA.