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Original poster

Would your school contact you if your child doesn't arrive?

33 replies

ayla99 · 04/05/2007 14:15

Apparently dd's school have no policy of contacting parents if a child doesn't arrive in school.

I think the risk to dd en route is minimal - but I had assumed it would be policy to contact parent if they hadn't been given a reason for absence.

OP posts:
willywonka · 04/05/2007 16:03

Whilst I can understand the concerns, I believe that schools [not unreasonably] see it as the parents' responsibility to ensure that a child arrives at school explaining why they don't routinely follow up no-shows.

beckybrastraps · 04/05/2007 15:46

It is good practice to do so, but realistically it is a huge job.In one school I taught in it was actually contracted out. We sent the registration data off to a company, and they phoned the parents. But it certainly wasn't immediate. How could it be?

portonovo · 04/05/2007 15:33

No school I know does this, and I can't see how it would be feasible except in a very small school.

Lilymaid · 04/05/2007 14:26

My DS' state school doesn't (and often messages into the school regarding emergency doctors appointments etc don't get thrugh either so child will be marked as unauthorised absentee. When DS did a week's GCSE revision class at an independent college we were phoned by 9.15 one morning to say he had not arrived (the bus timetable had changed that day, so the buses were not running to time)

hjscho · 04/05/2007 14:20

As a teacher in secondary (before maternity leave) we often wait until the child has come back for a reason for absence. Some schools have now begun to make phone calls home to check the reason for a child's absence, but I am sure you can imagine that this could be a huge task in a large secondary school. It is also one that teachers would not have the time to do, so they have to employ someone to make the calls. I understand your concerns for safety on the way to school, although i think the school's main concern would be keeping truancy down and their own statistics (unfortunately).

fairyjay · 04/05/2007 14:19

I doubt it - although I think they should!

Olihan · 04/05/2007 14:19

I'm not sure there's many secondary schools that do this. The one dh works in doesn't. There are just too many kids to being ringing the parents of every absentee to check where they are.

southeastastra · 04/05/2007 14:17

no they wouldn't - you're meant to call if your child is ill, but i imagine lots don't bother so the school would be calling lots of parents