A quarter of parents lie to get their child into desired school

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. 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”. 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. 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. open image in gallery Parents say they lied, bent or broke the rules 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.