Not my problem.

it is not like using the address for receiving mail, eg for a bank account.
it is a fraudulent matter for the applicant and also for the person whose address is used, if this is done knowingly.
people are prosecuted for this every year.
the GM was correct not to implicate herself in criminal activity.
anyway, it would not work. people returning from overseas are usually required to apply in person at the LEA offices, with the child and original passports for parent and child and proof of address in that area.
they cannot apply before they move in. unless they are crown servants.
and there must be proof of address from a list, eg council tax bill at that address in parent's name.

If they went to live with the gran, presumably there would be a good chance of the children getting a place at the school. Provided they told the school when they moved, I'm not sure there would be a problem - would the school insist the children change schools?

I don't think I would be prepared to lie in the way the daughter suggests - and it appears the intention is not to move in with her mum at all. In that case, I think it would be wrong and, I believe, an offence to lie in this way.

The daughter does sound very demanding and, whilst I can understand she wants a good school for her children, I think it is unfair to place her mum in such a position - and to make such a hurtful comment about there being no point coming back.

I don't how it works in England, but in my LA in Scotland you now have to produce proof of residency at that address. e.g, Council tax letter, utility bills, bank statements with the name of the parent, who is enrolling the child.

IMO it is quite alright to use mum's address if daughter hasn't got one in the UK. It wouldn't be fraud if she told the school what she was doing.

It's a silly little thing to fall out over - I suspect there is more to the story than we have been told.

M0nica

*Doodledog*. It could be that the Grandmother is in the catchment area for a very good school, which is heavily overscribed, and the mother, even if she lived near by, may not be able to live in the catchment area of that school.

It is not unknown (understatement) for parents to use an accommodation address - grandparents, friends etc - or even to rent a flat for a few months in the relevant catchment area in order to try to secure a place for their child in a top-ranked school. If the child gets a place, after a term, the parents say they are moving house, and give the school the address of the house they have actually been living in for years.

Well yes, I know, but in this case none of that applies, does it? If the daughter doesn't move to the area, her own daughter won't be able to use the school, so no harm done.

If she needs a UK address to be able to register for a school place then her mother's seems the obvious choice. If she doesn't end up using it, it will be reallocated to someone else, and as has been pointed out, there is no guarantee that she will get the place anyway.

The daughter needs to do her own work and contact the school about her situation. They will probably tell her she can’t enrol the child until she actually lives there but if she is planning to live there anyway there is no problem. I think her mother is right, too. For a start it is very hard to travel just now and why should a school place go to a possible no-show when others are on a waiting list? As for the nasty little comment from the daughter, hopefully it was just an instant reaction because she was angry and she won’t hold to it.

We had a parent who used her mother's address to get her child into our oversubscribed school, but actually lived in another local authority.
That constitutes fraud and the authority took legal action.
There have been quite a few court cases regarding this.

AS the DD is in another country and has no UK address I would be happy to allow my AC to use my address as an temporary one.
My son traveled to the UK some years ago to work for a few years, he had to have a UK address before he could open a bank account. A friend of mine who lives in the UK was happy to let him use her address as a contact point. IMO this is the same situation, it is a contact point.

They will be living in the catchment area I have just discovered. As this is the case I don't know why she doesn't just explain to the school . I think some families can create a drama out of nothing. Gran has already fallen out with her son and they don't speak. I don't think I'll give her any more advice.

Doodledog. It could be that the Grandmother is in the catchment area for a very good school, which is heavily overscribed, and the mother, even if she lived near by, may not be able to live in the catchment area of that school.

It is not unknown (understatement) for parents to use an accommodation address - grandparents, friends etc - or even to rent a flat for a few months in the relevant catchment area in order to try to secure a place for their child in a top-ranked school. If the child gets a place, after a term, the parents say they are moving house, and give the school the address of the house they have actually been living in for years.

That's right geekeese, many are doing it but you can be fined if it is reported.Last year in this area there were about 100 children left without places at age 12. Some had to bus to poorer schools miles away.

It’s fraud and the person who supplies the false information can be fined or even sent to prison. Gran did the correct thing.

With you Doodledog. Sounds like overthinking. No one living abroad is going to be in a catchment area for any school in the UK so I would expect, if you have a schoolage child, you would decide where you want to live and look at the schools and apply so said child can begin when they arrive in UK. Probably would stay with the gran at first as furniture and belongings would need shipped. If it was me I would have said yes.

Lemsip, are you implying something?I haven't noticed any similar posts.

I'm with the gran, it would be a no from me.

so many new threads start with 'My Friend' strange.

I don't understand the dilemma, really.

If the daughter gives the gran's address then doesn't move nearby, the granddaughter won't need the place, so it will go to someone else.

If she does move near the gran, and the child goes to that school, what has been lost?

It all sounds like an argument over nothing to me.

NotSpaghetti

I assume the local school is good and it's hard to get a place.
I would think it's reasonable if the daughter was going to live with Mum.
I would want a date by which she would move in. She is not asking her mother to arrange it so that's not an issue but if there's no intention to live with her mother then it's wrong and people have been to court over it.

I think that's exactly right NotSpaghetti seems from the OP's second post they will not be living there.

I think she acted correctly, she was being asked to tell a lie, never has a good outcome.

The secondary schools in our area are over-subscribed, you don’t automatically get a place just because you’ve moved into the area Visgirl.

If she moves to the catchment area, they will probably find her a space?
Cart and horse spring to mind here. Daughter needs to just move near her first then it will all fall into place.
You don't really need to book schools these days, only when it's the first placement for 4 Yr olds. Plus how do they compare educationally to UK standards?

I assume the local school is good and it's hard to get a place.
I would think it's reasonable if the daughter was going to live with Mum.
I would want a date by which she would move in. She is not asking her mother to arrange it so that's not an issue but if there's no intention to live with her mother then it's wrong and people have been to court over it.

I am with the grandmother, based on the limited information given.

The best thing would be for the daughter and grand daughter to come home, decide where they want to live and once house hunting there, start looking at and choosing a school.

Supposing the grandmother sorts out the school place, and then her daughter chooses to live 100 miles away? What happens to the poor child starting to settle in a new country/ one she hasn't lived in for some time. Adjusting to an unfamiliar country and new school, goes there for weeks/months and is then dragged away and has to start in a new school all over again.

The mother should think and act more responsibly.

They will definitely come home soon but will not be living with her mum.Once the job ends .

Should have read ‘thinking of coming home’.

It sounds very vague, ‘thinking of coming over’.

If she comes, will they be staying with Gran until they sort out housing etc?

I think the correct thing to do would be for daughter to e Mail the school, explain the situation, and go from there.