MOVING house, changing religion or paying for private tutors are among the measures parents take to get their children into their chosen schools.

A survey for the Children's Society has found that many parents lie or buy their way into good state schools to avoid the postcode lottery of catchment areas.

The survey found 51 per cent of parents would move house, 14 per cent said they would lie about their religion and a further 14 per cent would give a false address to get their child into their preferred school.

The chief executive of the Children's Society, Bob Reitemeier, said: "The lengths that parents are prepared to go to clearly indicate that there are huge variations in school standards.

"But for many parents, the costly exercise of moving house to get their child into a good school is simply not an option.

"The current system is in danger of embedding inequality by making a child's social class and economic circumstances the key influence in their educational success."

So while it seems that many parents are playing the system, very few are prepared to admit it.

A mum-of-two from Southbourne said: "We started going to church when my eldest was about three.

"I would say that most of the parents with children in Sunday school were at church in order to get their children into a church school.

"Once the first child has been accepted into the school then the family stops going to church because most primary schools have a sibling policy.

"I know of parents who have moved to much smaller houses specifically to get into the catchment area for certain schools.

"And many children under the age of 10 have been tutored for years to get into grammar schools."

Parents start planning for their children's education years in advance.

One mum from Redhill moved house while pregnant to live in the catchment area for Hill View Primary School.

She said: "From when babies are just a few months old, mums are talking about what school they are going to.

"We were prepared to pay a premium for living in the right area. We could have got a bigger house in Ensbury Park but I had very definite ideas about what primary school I wanted."

This is confirmed by estate agents, who always mention popular schools in house particulars.

Research issued by Savills estate agents this week confirmed house prices are significantly affected by both nearby state and independent schools.

Lucian Cook, director of Savills Research, said: "Bournemouth Grammar and Bournemouth School for Girls generate a premium of about 20 per cent over the average for the area, whilst the quality of other grammar and independent schools in the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, such as Parkstone Grammar and Canford School, are a major attraction.

"More generally in Dorset, good quality independent schools such as Sherborne and Bryanston impact on the prices of prime housing in the area."

A well-known trick is to give schools the child's grandparents' address if that is in the right catchment area, or even to buy a flat in the right area which they then rent out.

Some go so far as to tell the school the parents have separated and that one of them and the children have moved into the catchment area. After the child gets a place the parents are then "reconciled" and move back to the family home.

Head teacher of Twynham School Terry Fish said: "I do know of a number of parents who move into the area so their children can go to the school.

"Lots of parents look around the school a year early so they can decide if they want to move.

"I feel sorry for parents in Southbourne who can see the school but because of the admissions system they have to go to a Bournemouth school."

Some parents consider sending their children to private preparatory schools - a sensible investment because they may have a better chance of getting into grammar school.

St Thomas Garnets School in Boscombe, which charges between £1,550 and £2,050 per term, says on its website: "We have an excellent record of achieving a high percentage of 11-plus passes for entry into the Bournemouth grammar schools."

Opting in and out of the state system is quite legal, of course.

But parents who try to cheat in the admissions process may find their child's place withdrawn or even that the child is forced to leave the school once they have started.

Phil Farmer, children's services officer for Dorset County Council, who deals with school admissions, said: "It is not a massive problem but we are trying to tighten up the system to make it fair."

He said that normally they are tipped off by the schools or other parents when people are trying to cheat the system.

He added that a common trick was for parents to take a six-month tenancy in the catchment area, but now the rules have been tightened so parents must prove they will be living in the area when the child starts the school, not just when the application is made.

Parents who claim the family has moved in with relatives must prove this and show their old home has been sold or re-let.

He said: "The point of the admission system is to ensure the needs of vulnerable children are met."