Parents caught lying to get school places

Dozens of parents in the Black Country and Staffordshire have been caught lying to get children into schools, it has emerged.

Around 30 school places have been withdrawn in the past three years after parents gave wrong information.

Nine places have been withdrawn this year. Parents in Staffordshire are among the worst offenders in the area after 14 school places were withdrawn in the past three years.

Demand for places at the best schools can be incredibly high, often with dozens of pupils battling it out.

Giving false information of addresses is usually the most common trick used by desperate parents.

Two parents in Wolverhampton saw their child's school places withdrawn this year because they had given wrong addresses.

One of these places was from Villiers Primary School, in Bilston.

Headteacher Sally Lanni said: "Although I do sympathise with parents I would strongly advise everybody to follow the local authority's admissions procedures and be completely honest throughout the process." One Wolverhampton primary school place was withdrawn in 2010 to 11 and four in 2009 to 10.

In Walsall, two secondary places have been withdrawn this year after parents gave false information. One primary place was also offered and withdrawn in 2009. The council today said its admissions team "thoroughly investigates all cases where it is suspected address information given on an application is incorrect. In Dudley, one secondary school place was withdrawn this year because of dishonesty, while one primary place was taken away the year before and two secondary in 2009 to 2010. Sandwell Council said it did not hold figures for places withdrawn. In Staffordshire, four primary school places have been withdrawn this year, three the year before and one in 2009-10.

One secondary school place was withdrawn in 2010 and five in 2009.