Charter North admissions if renting - experience?

[Iyael]

Hello, before I start, I do realise this is a very controversial topic! 

I’ll be straight - we are looking at renting a place to live near the Charter North school with the aim of applying for our eldest to get in.  We would actually be living there permanently but due to circumstances would only have been there about 6months by the point of making an application 
 

I’ve read old threads on this forum about a “Renters Row” and the somewhat terrifying prospect of kids being ejected from the school if the parents were deemed to be manipulating the system, and then being offered the least subscribed school on the Borough as a result.

Does anyone have recent experience of this?  
 

 

 

 

 

[Angelina]

Renting, is this as well or instead of your current residence?

[gebbjane]

If this is your only residence, the length of time you have lived there before you apply won’t matter.  
 

You may be asked to show a tenancy agreement that is of at least 12 months. They will check council tax records to see if you have any  other properties but if your previous property was a rental you can show proof that tenancy ended it will be fine. 

[Iyael]

The only way we could do it financially would be to rent out our current place.  So yes our sole residence would be the new rental but we would be landlords for our current place (also in Southwark). 
 

The tenancy would be over 12 months. 
 

So if we could prove we’ve rented out our current home over 12months, does that mean we’d meet the admission criteria, or is the fact of owning another place enough to mean your application is unsuccessful regardless of whether you don’t live there anymore?

Edited March 17, 2024 by Iyael
Edit for grammar

[Angelina]

I can see what you’re concerned, as Southwark cover both your owned and rented properties. They would know you are renting out your own house to get a school place. All in the same borough

[gebbjane]

The fact you still own another property, according to their admissions policy this will be seen as the child’s main address.   See below.

[DuncanW]

Obviously renters can apply for places at Southwark school places just like everybody else but this seems, by your own description, like deliberate gaming of the system, the net result of which would be to deprive a child who genuinely meets the admissions criteria of this place. Help me out if I've missed something.

And what you're asking is simply 'will I get caught'? Again, please help me out here if I've misunderstood.

In this case I think, as others have pointed out the answer is: yes, you probably would.

Hope this helps.

[Iyael]

Thanks @gebbjane that’s useful info 

 

@duncanw I do understand where you’re coming from but I’ve been totally open about what I was thinking/planning.  Personally I think it’s open to debate if the school should only be available to those rich enough to purchase a house in the area as opposed to those who can only afford to rent.  Having said that I’m not wanting to start any arguments so it’s all good 👍 
 

At the end of the day we’re all just parents trying to do the best for our kids, with the resources available to us

 

 

[Angelina]

That’s exactly the reason that the LEA has rules in place which are enforced 

[DuncanW]

It’s not really an argument from my side. Like I said, if there’s something I misunderstood in the OP, please feel free to set me straight.

Appreciate the candour and the good-natured response, but it doesn’t really serve as a free pass to do whatever suits you best regardless of impact on anyone else. 
 

And the comments about the fairness of owners and renters having access to school places read as disingenuous. There are plenty of rental properties within catchment of that school including some large tracts of social housing.

You said that you own your own home. That places you in a minority in this borough. You also seem to have the financial wherewithal to juggle things around at will if it suits. So sorry if I’m not buying the ‘poor me’ aspect of this.

On the upside, there are many other great schools in the borough, mostly rated as Good or Outstanding. Good luck in your search for the right school.

 

 

[ianr]

I'm attaching a  PDF of pp7-8 of the CSND 24-25 admissions policy, as downloaded from https://www.charternorthdulwich.org.uk/key-information/school-policies, to complement the screenshot.  Para 3 is the one highlighted.  Actually, I might as well paste it here:

"If both parents or any parent, with whom the child is resident for the majority of school nights, owns an alternative property, which has been the main family home within the last 3 years, this will be treated as the permanent home address. Therefore, if this parent is renting a property closer to the school, the rental property will not be accepted as the designated permanent home address, when applying the admissions Criteria."

TCSND_Admissions Policy 2024-2025-1_pp7-8.pdf

[northernmonkey]

On 17/03/2024 at 12:05, Iyael said:

The only way we could do it financially would be to rent out our current place.  So yes our sole residence would be the new rental but we would be landlords for our current place (also in Southwark). 
 

?

Its not the 'only way you could do it financially' though is it - you could sell your house and move into rented.  Then you could ultimately buy somewhere else either close to school or far away once you've satisfied the criteria published.  What is very clearly not allowed is moving out, but retaining your home, renting in catchment for a year and then moving back.  Its not about 'not being rich enough to buy closer' - renting is fine, but it needs to be your only residence you have access to. 

[Ole]

On 17/03/2024 at 13:53, Iyael said:

Thanks @gebbjane that’s useful info 

 

@duncanw I do understand where you’re coming from but I’ve been totally open about what I was thinking/planning.  Personally I think it’s open to debate if the school should only be available to those rich enough to purchase a house in the area as opposed to those who can only afford to rent.  Having said that I’m not wanting to start any arguments so it’s all good 👍 
 

At the end of the day we’re all just parents trying to do the best for our kids, with the resources available to us

 

 

I don’t think there is any debate to be had. It’s wrong. 

[tomskip]

I'm pleased that Charter North have caught on to the dishonest practice of owning elsewhere and renting nearby to get a place at the school. It wasn't the case a few years ago and I knew several families who exploited the loophole.

I'll admit to finding it funny when I met a family who rented in Dulwich Village to get their first of three children into the school. But then their second child wanted to go to a school in Lewisham ... and they were out of catchment for that! I wonder if they did it again ... 

[malumbu]

Heavens, is the system broken or what?