A recent investigation by Birmingham City Council’s counter fraud team has revealed that at least 25 families were caught submitting false information to gain admission for their children into preferred schools. These fraudulent applications were part of a wider probe involving 43 suspected cases, many flagged through public tip-offs.
In every confirmed case, the school place initially offered was withdrawn after verification exposed the deceit. The report highlights the extreme measures some parents are willing to take to secure spots in sought-after schools, even when they fall outside designated catchment areas or fail to meet strict admission criteria.
One notable case involved a parent working at a lettings agency who used the address of a property she was renting out as her own to gain an advantage for her child’s school application, completely without the knowledge of the actual tenants. When challenged, the parent failed to attend an interview under caution, leading to the revocation of the school place.
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Overall, the number of withdrawn school places due to “false or misleading information” has more than doubled compared to the previous year, marking this type of fraud as a serious and high-profile issue.
The findings were detailed in the council’s annual counter fraud report, authored by John Preston, the audit lead on corporate fraud. The council’s audit committee has since recommended allocating resources to hire a full-time school admissions fraud officer to tackle the growing problem.
Competition for places in Birmingham’s top schools remains fierce. Grammar schools, highly ranked by Ofsted and exam results, continue to receive significantly more applications than available spots—with nine out of ten applicants unsuccessful last year. Many grammar schools apply residency criteria favoring disadvantaged children.
Similarly, popular primary schools frequently receive more applications than places, and families living closest to these schools are most likely to secure admission.
Admissions for September 2026 entry opened on October 1, 2025, for both primary reception and secondary Year 7 places, with the deadline set for January 15, 2026.