A SCHOOL place was removed from a family suspected of breaking the rules of the application process.

Full details of the case have not been revealed but fraud statistics released by the council show at some point in the past year an investigation was opened in relation to an unnamed primary school’s admissions process.

Competition to get children into the most sought-after schools can often lead to close checks on catchment areas and who lives closest. Some schools give priority on religious grounds.

The investigation is the first of its kind to be carried out by Islington’s officers for five years and related to a suspicion that a flat was rented temporarily for the application form, while the main family house was further afield.

Ninety-five per cent of Islington’s primary schools are rated “good” or “excellent” by Ofsted.

The process for applying for places for the next academic year – beginning in September 2026 – opened on Monday.

Parents and guardians have until the start of January to join the process and can put up to six possible choices for their children on the form.