More than one in four parents break admissions rules or play the system – poll
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More than one in four parents have bent the rules, lied or played the system to get their child into their preferred school, a survey has suggested. The proportion of families who admit to flouting the rules or playing the system so their children can get into the school they desire has risen in recent years – from 24% in 2022 to 27% this year, according to Zoopla.
A poll found that 5% of parents said they lied, bent or broke the rules to help get their child into their preferred school, while a further 12% said they had “slightly bent” some of the rules and told “white lies”. Meanwhile, a further 10% said they had played the system to their advantage.
The survey was carried out among 1,019 people across the UK who applied for a school place for their child or children in the last five years. Among the parents who admitted to bending the rules or playing the system, 30% said they registered their child at another family member’s address that was closer to the school, and 25% said they exaggerated their religious beliefs or attended religious services in order to secure a school place.
Meanwhile, nearly one in 10 (9%) said they temporarily rented a second home inside the catchment area, while 7% said they moved into a catchment area only to leave once their child’s place was secured. The Labour Government’s policy to apply VAT to private schools – which came into effect earlier this month – may have contributed to the increase in families flouting the rules, a consumer expert at Zoopla has suggested.
