kitchens Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 Just sitting up in bed, on my net book with BBC News 24 on in the background and a piece has just come up about local councils taking a stand against parents who lie on school application forms to get their children into certain schools. It showed a case of a woman who did lie and was prosecuted (it was subsequently withdrawn - why i'm not sure). She was telling the reporter she was an innocent party in all this and how stressed she was over it all, but, ultimately SHE LIED. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Couperwife Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 I dont understand why lie?????? I dont have a big enough brain to lie so I dont bother cathy x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitchens Posted October 25, 2009 Author Share Posted October 25, 2009 They lie about their address. In this case the address on her application form did not match up to the address the council held of her council tax details. I know my neighbour's daughter did it (they told me), as her and her husbands initials are the same as her parents. To get into a catholic school. Wrong! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janty Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 I always said that I didn't understand why people would lie - then I met someone who did it and I could sympathise. Their child was with a bad crowd at primary school and started getting into trouble with the police. They were good parents but at their wits end living in a bad area. The parents couldn't afford to move away and so when it came to changing school, they lied about catchment. Basically, the child got into the prefered school and forgot about their old mates and turned it's life around. In this case, I could understand it. The parents did move in the end as they always intended to - as they said, eventually the child could go back to it's old ways if they continued to live in that area near the old friends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Chick Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 I have a friend doing the reverse, she is desperate to move house to be that bit closer to her mum (after losing her Dad) and the rest of the family and friends, but won't do it until her child is in the comprehensive school she wants, as she is currently in the catchment area but won't be when they move. I don't envy parents this stress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/jul/03/mrinal-patel-harrow-council-school-place This was the one on the news recently. If you read the articles yourself although it was eventually dropped it was because of legal fee costs etc and a slight flaw in the legalities. It is quite a big problem indie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhapsody Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 Parents should not be put in this situation. What do the authorities expect people to do if their local school is of an unacceptable standard? The resources spent prosecuting parents who want the best for their children would be better spent improving the schools that are causing the problem. *puts soapbox away* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenNutter Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 I'm with you there, Rhapsody, it is the system that makes these parents so desperate that they lie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griffin Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 Parents should not be put in this situation. What do the authorities expect people to do if their local school is of an unacceptable standard? The resources spent prosecuting parents who want the best for their children would be better spent improving the schools that are causing the problem.*puts soapbox away* I totally agree. I would love to move back to Milton Keynes to be near my family and friends, I've never felt as lonely as I have these past five years here in Faringdon but because the schools there are so inferior to the ones attended now by my daughters here that I cannot. My eldest goes to the local secondary school which is rated outstanding by Ofsted. The only outstanding secondary school in MK is incredibly hard to get into as it's a Catholic school and only regular church go-ers are accepted. By all accounts the waiting list is huge too. Even when we still lived in MK I had my daughters baptised so that they could go to the Catholic infant school because it was much better than all the alternatives. Every child has the right to a good education but if the state fail to provide that then I completely understand why parents feel the need to 'be creative' with the truth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willow Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 It is difficult but one of the things that makes a difference to how good a school is the pupils and their parents. The more motivated parents and pupils are, the better the school. Our local catholic secondary lets any one in and is not great. As a church going Catholic I'm contributing to the costs of running this school with my collection money every week even though I will never use it (the school my son goes to gets 100% C-A* at GCSE whereas the Catholic school is 34%). However when Church schools select on churchgoing and get more motivated parents and better results others will complain it's not fair. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sadietoo Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 our local c of e secondary school is very sought after, and consequently parents take their embryos to church every Sunday....of course you never see most of them there once the kids get in The school is supported just 10% by the church the rest comes from local taxes which makes me especially mad as it is very selective However, I'm pleased to say it does no better than the local comp when looking at Sixth form results, which I believe means actually the local comp is the better school, since they can't pick and choose their intake, (should I add... so there!!) rant over feel better now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alis girls Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 I know someone who did it and would do it myself if I had too. we moved house to get ES into school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chook n Boo Mum Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 our local c of e secondary school is very sought after, and consequently parents take their embryos to church every Sunday....of course you never see most of them there once the kids get in The school is supported just 10% by the church the rest comes from local taxes which makes me especially mad as it is very selective However, I'm pleased to say it does no better than the local comp when looking at Sixth form results, which I believe means actually the local comp is the better school, since they can't pick and choose their intake, (should I add... so there!!) rant over feel better now I know one woman who decided her son was going there (CofE) & took up cleaning the church to give her little "darling" a better chance..........she has a cleaner at home & doesn't give the impression of knowing one end of the feather duster from the other Sha x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhapsody Posted October 26, 2009 Share Posted October 26, 2009 Faith Schools are supposed to be for children to have parental beliefs reinforced during their education. But it has become selection by stealth, and the government have pledged to support it! It occurs to me that if you are prepared to lie about your religion then you are probably the last person that the school wants there I would love to see some political backbone in evidence to sort this mess out once and for all, the British education system used to be the envy of the world Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenanne Posted October 26, 2009 Share Posted October 26, 2009 It's wrong that state-education should depend on how much money you have: i.e. which area you can afford to live in. But it is wrong to lie. If I were in that situation, I'm not sure which road I would take: to try to get the best for my child despite an unfair system, or be honest on application forms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorkshire Pudding Posted October 27, 2009 Share Posted October 27, 2009 It's wrong that state-education should depend on how much money you have: i.e. which area you can afford to live in. But it is wrong to lie.If I were in that situation, I'm not sure which road I would take: to try to get the best for my child despite an unfair system, or be honest on application forms. Coudn't agree more, I don't know what I would do, but lots of people do 'bend the truth'. My Mum is a churchgoer and they have an annual influx of enthusiastic, faithful young families who want a place for their child at the local CofE primary. Once they have the place, most of them suddenly lose their need to attend every church function and service. We are lucky with secondaries here, no academic selection and there's no church school of any denomination within reasonable travelling distance. Most children go to our nearest school. It's a good school that gets decent results with good value added. Every child I know there is happy and doing well. ES is in y6 so is likely to be going there next September - that's what he wants, and it's a huge relief that he won't need to go through selection and that there is no real 'system' that we need to play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted October 27, 2009 Share Posted October 27, 2009 SIL was a staunch non believer - so much so that instead of a Christening, they had a "naming" celebration. The following month they were suddenly "converted" to RC because of the Catholic school on their doorstep which they wanted their children to attend. I went to the very same school, lived 4 miles away and it didn't matter whether we were catholics or not - we were CofE and my friend also at the same school was Methodist. There followed several family functions of bible bashing trying to convince us that they had indeed been converted and not because of the need to get their children into the school 3 years down the line. I can't bear the lying - it's so obvious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbaraJ Posted October 27, 2009 Share Posted October 27, 2009 Thing is even if they are catholic doesn't mean they follow the faith. My family apart from dad were brought up non strict catholics. We all went to catholic schools and they were excellent. All 3 of us children stopped going to church when we were teens. My brother entered RAF so their kids went to school where ever they were based. I got married in CofE church as hubby hadn't been christened so couldn't get married catholic though i didnt mind and my kids didnt go to catholic school because i felt a hypocrite to send them to a faith school that i didn't practise. both of my girls have done very well and son is on the right path. My sister sent her kids to local non catholic school,didnt like it so suddenly went back to the church and her dd got into catholic school the rest of her 4 kids went to catholic school and followed on to secondary. she went to church on and off and when they were all in there her church going stopped She doesn't go now and i feel was just as bad as non catholics/CofE lying to get their kids in or starting church for a few months. Her kids didn't do that well though the school is supposedly good!! Shame school intake can't be chosen on the effort the child and parents put into their education rather than what the parents feel is their right! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HENthusiastic Posted October 27, 2009 Share Posted October 27, 2009 You just dont have these kinds of problems with chickens Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted October 27, 2009 Share Posted October 27, 2009 Who could possibly disagree! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorkshire Pudding Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 Very true, HEN! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saronne Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 Perhaps if people took a different attitude, 'bad' schools might become good schools; e.g. when motivated parents ploughed their energies into supporting their local schools and working for the common good rather than moving their children to out of catchment schools in the name of doing 'what's best for best for their child.' Soapbox finished. Saronne x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sadietoo Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 I agree with the sentiment Saronne...but who is going to let their child be a guinea pig on purpose???? At DS school this year in addition to A levels they decided to offer the Baccalaureate (sp?) DS was canvassed as a possiblity to do it because he was predicted good GCSE results, (which he did deliver..good lad). Anyway I am ashamed to say that whilst he was keen to do it, I discouraged him, partly because I didn't want him to be a guinea pig, and partly because my daughter's french boyfriend didn't think it had the value of A levels. So he opted for A Levels, three sciences and geography, which he is enjoying and doing well at. The problem is when faced with these choices is that you know they have the one chance and you just can't take the risk with it...In the end the school only has about three brave souls doing the baccalaureate instead of A levels...we will wait to see what the outcome is, but DS has said he is glad that he isn't doing it because the teaching is being fitted in around the A level courses, and he feels it is all a bit piecemeal (no doubt because they just didn't have the uptake they were hoping for it). I feel totally lacking in public spirit, and yet absolutely happy with the choice we encouraged our son to make.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chook n Boo Mum Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 Education is such a minefield..we are at present looking at secondary schools for our DD (yr5)...obviously we want the best for her, as we feel we have given her brother and their older siblings before them, but there are so many decisions to make and we make the right ones for her . DS's school offers the IB as well as A levels, but thankfully we are a little distant from that decision as he's only in Yr8 Sha x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willow Posted October 29, 2009 Share Posted October 29, 2009 Shame school intake can't be chosen on the effort the child and parents put into their education rather than what the parents feel is their right! I so agree ! Perhaps if people took a different attitude, 'bad' schools might become good schools; e.g. when motivated parents ploughed their energies into supporting their local schools and working for the common good rather than moving their children to out of catchment schools in the name of doing 'what's best for best for their child.' Soapbox finished. Saronne that sounds fine in theory but there are limits to what parents can achieve even when they plough their energies into the school. If the school has a knife problem for example all you can do is avoid. My BIL is a teacher and when he was working as a supply teacher he had to get a police escort to get off the grounds safely after he told of one boy and the violent parent took exception to their child being told off - sorry but that school and that family need more than other pupils having involved parents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
