One man’s playing the system is another man’s breaking the rules and, when it comes to getting your child into the best state school, this certainly seems to be the case.
The extreme — and sometimes dishonest — lengths Londoners will go to has been exposed in a recent survey by Zoopla, as a staggering 38 per cent of the capital’s parents admitted to ‘playing the system or bending the rules’ to secure a coveted school place.
This is significantly higher than the national average of 27 per cent.
Playing the system or systemic failure?
Top of the list of ‘tactics’ was lying about an address by registering a child at a family member or friend’s home when applying for a school place.
Nearly half (47 per cent) of those who played the system did this, compared to 30 per cent nationally. In fact, this practice seems to be becoming increasingly the norm — the corresponding figure in Zoopla’s 2022 survey was 26 per cent.
As religious and church schools are renowned for their education, it’s not surprising that exaggerating religiousness or going to services to secure a school spot were also prevalent practices. Across both London and the UK as a whole, 25 per cent of parents who played the system admitted doing this.
But these seem small fry compared to the extreme measures that some confessed to. A fifth of pushy London parents revealed they’d rented a second home near the school of their choice.
With the average London rent sitting at £2,121 a month, and schools usually wanting proof of a year-long tenancy, the bill for this is likely to run into tens of thousands of pounds. Nationally, only nine per cent did this.
Others made relocating (slightly) more permanent, with seven per cent moving into a catchment area temporarily while they made the school application and then moving back out again once they’d secured admission.
Whether this was through renting or buying, they would have had to factor in rental deposits or stamp duty, plus moving costs. Indeed, in 2022, the equivalent figure was 20 per cent, suggesting the increasing costs of rents and moving are making this tactic less appealing.
Paying the price
Alternatively, you can do things by the book — but it comes with a hefty price tag. The 31 per cent who permanently moved to the catchment area of their chosen school paid a premium of £115,750 as a result.
This was substantially more than the national figures of 18 per cent and £65,333, but down on the 2022 London premium of £209,599, likely a result of the post-Covid property bounce.
Another method London parents used to secure school places was through voluntary donations.
Of those willing to go above and beyond to get a child into a school, 12 per cent gave money and were willing to donate an average of £11,750. This might seem eye-watering but it’s lower than the national figure of £17,800.
Feeling guilty
While these numbers suggest many London parents have few scruples when it comes to their children’s schooling, they do at least feel bad about it. Of those who cheat the system, 82 per cent said they felt guilty, up from 54 per cent in 2022.
Over half of those questioned (57 per cent) know London parents who have broken or bent the rules and 47 per cent believe this is an unfair practice.
It seems Londoners are more willing to take a stand as, among those who knew rule-breakers, 19 per cent reported them, compared to just eight per cent across the UK.
Introducing VAT
Several factors are likely to have led to the increase in those playing the system, among them the government’s introduction of VAT on private school fees.
If passed on fully, this works out at a 20 per cent increase on parents’ bills. There’s no consensus on how many children will move into the state sector as a result, but the government estimates it to be around 40,000 pupils.
Of those Londoners who bent the rules, 20 per cent said that they had planned to or had previously sent their children to a private school, but the fees were no longer affordable.
With London school fees averaging between £15,000 and £30,000 a year, the impact of VAT seems to have been more keenly felt in the capital. 75 per cent cited its addition as the reason they had opted out of the private sector.
While there are no equivalent 2022 figures, VAT is likely to lead to an increase in those flouting or playing the system in the years to come.
“Competition for places in London schools tends to be high due to the small and densely populated catchment areas, and the many excellent state schools. Private schools are expensive in London, with our research suggesting that the VAT rise will affect those in London even more than elsewhere in the country, adding to the competition for places at good state schools,” says Daniel Copley, consumer expert at Zoopla.
“Furthermore, house prices in catchment areas in London are especially high, giving parents an even greater financial incentive to bend the rules and avoid paying.”
For those looking to find the right school, Zoopla recommends using its Draw Your Search tool, which helps parents find homes for sale in local catchment areas.
