To think this is not OK?

No advice on what to do about it, but just wanted to say you did the right thing. I have a similar situation coming up (school trip with large lake and autistic child who elopes and bolts towards water/can’t swim) I will be keeping him off as I rather he miss the trip and stay alive.

But it’s relevant

if she couldn’t attend the trip then there was seemingly no way her child could go then maybe there’s an argument for the school sorting alternative provision

if she could attend but chose not to, that’s different

It is quite clear, I don't know why some posters are struggling to comprehend.

OP I think the school was wrong as you need to give permission for external trips, and you did not, so you should have been offered for your DS, and his 1-1, to stay at school.

School told you that wouldn't be possible. That's on them. So they shouldn't mark it as unauthorised absence.

It could even be considered an illegal exclusion given you were told he could not attend.

The fact you've used the word 'drama' in your user name....that you seem to be ready for a fight and complaint about staff...🥱

It's not a 'drama' school staff are just not your staff to instruct how you demand they do...

OP doesn't really need to explain this. The school should have let her child attend school. The OP is not at fault here.

Doesn’t suit her narrative I suspect!

You should take this further OP. See if you can get a free consultation with a solicitor that specialises in SEN (there's one in Belfast, not sure about others).

School trips are not compulsory, and the 1:1 should have stayed with your child in school.

The school are in the wrong here. Not sure what a solicitor would advise, but if you don't go down that route, I'd be making a formal complaint and involving the LA, they need to know that the school would not allow your child to attend school and that his 1:1 was sent on the trip. No way should this be an unauthorised absence. He should have been kept in school with his 1:1.

In my opinion, the school may be acting unlawfully.

Again? You’ve not explained it once
and there are a few posters asking exactly the same as me

I haven’t read the whole thread and no sen experience but from what I heard from teacher friends is that if you don’t consent to the trip the school have to find something for the child to do at school for the day.

You said you were unable to attend the trip to make it possible for your child to go because of work.

they you wanted to keep them off and you missed work in order to do that

You couldn’t attend because you had to work, but you didn’t work because you kept him off?

So your solution is that the entirety of reception can’t go on any trips because the parent of 1 child isn’t happy for him to go- despite the school being happy for him to attend?

And by your logic then any trip that actually involves, you know, leaving the building, is “so specialised”? Nope.

So school.risk assessed and made provisions for dc to attend trip. You disagreed, didn't want dc to attend, and are pissed off school didn't make provisions for your demands?

Actually this is an interesting point.
When it comes to residential, those who don't go are allowed to stay in school and are asked to help out with the younger years.
I don't know whether this is because residentials take place outside of school hours though 🤔

It is relevant, and it shows a changing story and changing reasoning from you

The question is surely -

Is it lawful to make a school trip compulsory. Surely it isn’t? Attending school is, but an excursion possibly not?

Taking disability out of this, if a parent just decided that they didn't want their child to attend a visit would the school be required to let them attend school. I don't think so.

Unless the school stopped them going (which would be discriminatory) I'm not sure they do op. I would suggest contacting someone like coram child law advice line for some free advice to find out for sure. Do let us know if you do as I'd be interested to know the answer.

If you read my post I also said our school has sent extra staff and in a later post I also said even the SENDCO has gone on trips too to help facilitate things.
As I said, did any meeting take place between the parent, teacher and SENDCO beforehand to discuss the trip in which case the OP could have gone through all these concerns.
Also going forward as someone else pointed out, will the child always miss out on trips? Again I would suggest meeting with the school to discuss what would be suitable for them to be included.
I would also wonder, was it your choice to send the child to mainstream or is it lack of provision in a specialist setting?

Yes, I did read the OP, thanks for asking!

No reception age school trip, in my opinion, is or should be so specialised that it excludes one of the children.

At this age, a 'trip' can be something very simple, even a different kind of activity in the same building.

What a message to send to a reception age child who won't understand fully but will comprehend that they cannot go.

Just incredibly thoughtless.