Trying to beat the school system

With the 2008/09 academic year upon us, children will be starting at new schools this week up and down the country. However, with nearly a fifth of kids (18 per cent) expected to miss-out on a place at their first choice school and a further seven per cent not even receiving an offer at one of their first three choices of schools, parents are having to go to extreme lengths to secure their child's first choice of school.

New research conducted by Sheilas' Wheels home insurance reveals that, despite the credit crunch and current housing market woes, a shocking 33 per cent of parents would consider moving home to secure their child a place at their first choice school. However, less than a quarter (24 per cent) of parents polled said they would consider appealing.

Five per cent of parents with children aged between 4 and 16 said they would even buy an additional property in the catchment area of their favoured school to guarantee their child a place.

Perhaps even more surprising is that approximately a quarter of a million UK parents (261,694 or 4 per cent) would consider changing their religion to secure their child an offer at their first choice school, with three per cent prepared to baptise their child solely to gain entry into a Catholic school of their choice.

Nearly one in ten (8 per cent) parents would also consider trying to ‘sweet-talk' the headmaster or decision-maker at their chosen school, and more sinister, an estimated 65,423 (1 per cent) of UK parents are prepared to resort to bribery.

Top worries for parents if their son or daughter was not offered a place at their first choice of school:

Their child would not receive such a good, well-rounded education (34 per cent)
Their child would not be with their friends (15 per cent)
They would have to make a longer journey to take their child to school (14 per cent)

Jacky Brown at Sheilas' Wheels home insurance, commented: "Our research reveals that parents would rather move house and resort to other extreme measures, rather than appeal for their child to attend their first choice of school. Given the number of children who will struggle to gain a place at their preferred school, it's surprising that more parents aren't prepared to fight the decision.

"Some parents may be puzzled by the process or feel that they don't have the time or money to appeal. Sheilas' Wheels home insurance supports parents by offering family legal protection which covers legal representation and guidance if their child does not get a place at their top school."

Family legal protection is offered free to Sheilas' Wheels home insurance policyholders for the first year when bought online. Policyholders receive up to £50,000 of cover for legal assistance which includes legal representation for a customer's child if they do not gain entry to the school of their choice. Customers can make a claim under their policy, by phone or in writing. Policyholders will be asked about their legal dispute and will be provided with advice. Terms and conditions apply.