More than one in four parents break admissions rules or play the system – poll

More than 1 successful 4 parents person bent the rules, lied oregon played the strategy to get their kid into their preferred school, a survey has suggested.

The proportionality of families who admit to flouting the rules oregon playing the strategy truthful their children tin get into the schoolhouse they tendency has risen successful caller years – from 24% successful 2022 to 27% this year, according to Zoopla.

A canvass recovered that 5% of parents said they lied, bent oregon broke the rules to assistance get their kid into their preferred school, portion a further 12% said they had “slightly bent” immoderate of the rules and told “white lies”.

Meanwhile, a further 10% said they had played the strategy to their advantage.

The survey was carried retired among 1,019 radical crossed the UK who applied for a schoolhouse spot for their kid oregon children successful the past 5 years.

It’s wide that the removal of VAT alleviation connected backstage schoolhouse fees is placing adjacent much contention connected schoolhouse places, flouting the rules is adjacent much endemic, nary substance wherever you are successful the country

Daniel Copley, a user adept astatine Zoopla

Among the parents who admitted to bending the rules oregon playing the system, 30% said they registered their kid astatine different household member’s code that was person to the school, and 25% said they exaggerated their spiritual beliefs oregon attended spiritual services successful bid to unafraid a schoolhouse place.

Meanwhile, astir 1 successful 10 (9%) said they temporarily rented a 2nd location wrong the catchment area, portion 7% said they moved into a catchment country lone to permission erstwhile their child’s spot was secured.

The Labour Government’s argumentation to use VAT to backstage schools – which came into effect earlier this period – whitethorn person contributed to the summation successful families flouting the rules, a user adept astatine Zoopla has suggested.

Among the parents who admitted to bending the rules oregon playing the system, 8% said they did truthful due to the fact that their child/children antecedently went to a backstage schoolhouse but they could nary longer spend the fees.

Meanwhile, 5% said they had intended to nonstop their child/children to an autarkic schoolhouse but they could nary longer spend it, according to the canvass conducted by Mortar Research this month.

Daniel Copley, a user adept astatine Zoopla, said: “In 2022, we were shocked astatine the fig of parents going to utmost lengths to get their kid into their desired school, truthful it is adjacent much astonishing to spot that fig increase.

“It’s wide that the removal of VAT alleviation connected backstage schoolhouse fees is placing adjacent much contention connected schoolhouse places, flouting the rules is adjacent much endemic, nary substance wherever you are successful the country.”

Pepe Di’Iasio, wide caput of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said: “There is simply a longstanding contented of families moving into the catchment country of fashionable schools successful affluent areas.

“Often these schools person affirmative Ofsted ratings and are oversubscribed, leaving schools elsewhere with places near unfilled.

“This is 1 crushed wherefore the removal of blunt Ofsted ratings is truthful important, and the request for a much nuanced strategy remains paramount.

“Above all, the authorities needs to put successful acquisition to guarantee that each parents and pupils person entree to a bully schoolhouse successful their community.

“This would negate the request for parents to instrumentality immoderate circumstantial actions successful bid to get a schoolhouse place, fto unsocial see breaking immoderate rules.”