Hundreds of parents caught lying about where they live to get their child into a better school

Parents lie about address to beat school catchment area. Credit: PA

Hundreds of parents have been caught lying about where they live to get their child into a good school, an ITV News investigation has found.

Some 582 school applications were rejected because of false or inaccurate addresses in the past five years.

In some instances this meant a child was kicked out of school part way through a term.

Parents wanting the best education possible for their children drives them to try and cheat the system with little thought to those who, as a result, lose a place at their local school.

One mother, who asked us to hide her identity, said she could not afford a private education for her daughters but wanted the best start for them in life.

One mother told us why she decided to lie on her children's school applications Credit: ITV News
Parents lie about address to beat school catchment area. Credit: PA

Most often parents were caught trying to beat the school catchment area system by using a friend or extended family member's address instead of their own.

Others paid a short-term rental for a small room or flat close to the school they wanted their children to go to until they were given a place.

One woman - who lived near a school rated 'outstanding' by Ofsted - told ITV London she took money from desperate parents so they could pretend they were renting a room in her house.

Schools Week editor Laura McInerney says parents using fake addresses is particularly bad in London because of a shortage of schools.

Some applications were withdrawn by parents after councils questioned addresses that had been given, while others were taken to court and convicted.

Borough breakdown for the number of parents caught giving a false or wrong address over the past five years:

  • BARKING & DAGENHAM: 0

  • BARNET: 7

  • BEXLEY: 4

  • BRENT: No records

  • BROMLEY: No records

  • CAMDEN: 4

  • CITY OF LONDON: 0

  • CROYDON: 18

  • EALING: 5

  • ENFIELD: 49

  • GREENWICH: 26

  • HACKNEY: 7

  • HAMMERSMITH & FULHAM: 1

  • HARINGEY: 9

  • HARROW: 22

  • HAVERING: 62

  • HILLINGDON: 0

  • HOUNSLOW: 110

  • ISLINGTON: 9

  • KENSINGTON & CHELSEA: 4

  • KINGSTON: 15

  • LAMBETH: 76

  • LEWISHAM: No records

  • MERTON: 2

  • NEWHAM: 8

  • REDBRIDGE: 10

  • RICHMOND: 45

  • SOUTHWARK: 0

  • SUTTON: 2

  • TOWER HAMLETS: 18

  • WALTHAM FOREST: 21

  • WANDSWORTH: 47

  • WESTMINSTER: 1

The problem is so common in some boroughs that local authorities - like Havering Council - have set up a special investigations unit to catch out parents who lie on school applications.

But the degree to which councils around the capital investigate parents is patchy, with some not even holding records for the number of parents caught cheating.

Headteacher Dr David Parry of the Coopers' Company and Coborn School, Upminster says he does see fraudulent applications.

The figures were obtained from a Freedom of Information request.