More than a quarter of parents are bending the rules to get their child into their preferred school, a survey has suggested.
Parents lied, bent or broke the rules, according to Zoopla, and the number doing do continues to grow.
The proportion of families who admitted to flouting the rules or playing the system rose from 24 per cent in 2022 to 27 per cent this year.
The poll found that 5 per cent of parents said they lied, bent or broke the rules to help get their child into their preferred school, while a further 12 per cent said they had “slightly bent” some of the rules and told “white lies”.
Meanwhile, a further 10 per cent 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 per cent said they registered their child at another family member’s address that was closer to the school, and 25 per cent said they exaggerated their religious beliefs or attended religious services in order to secure a school place.
Meanwhile, nearly one in 10 (9 per cent) said they temporarily rented a second home inside the catchment area, while 7 per cent 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.
Among the parents who admitted to bending the rules or playing the system, 8 per cent said they did so because their child/children previously went to a private school but they could no longer afford the fees.
Meanwhile, 5 per cent said they had intended to send their child/children to an independent school but they could no longer afford it, according to the poll conducted by Mortar Research this month.
Daniel Copley, a consumer expert at Zoopla, said: “In 2022, we were shocked at the number of parents going to extreme lengths to get their child into their desired school, so it is even more surprising to see that number increase.
“It’s clear that the removal of VAT relief on private school fees is placing even more competition on school places, flouting the rules is even more endemic, no matter where you are in the country.”
Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said: “There is a longstanding issue of families moving into the catchment area of popular schools in affluent areas.
“Often these schools have positive Ofsted ratings and are oversubscribed, leaving schools elsewhere with places left unfilled.
“This is one reason why the removal of blunt Ofsted ratings is so important, and the need for a more nuanced system remains paramount.
“Above all, the government needs to invest in education to ensure that all parents and pupils have access to a good school in their community.
“This would negate the need for parents to take any specific actions in order to obtain a school place, let alone consider breaking any rules.”
