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Original poster

Absent without notification to school - what's the norm?

39 replies

maybenormal · 03/10/2024 05:16

Hello

I have concerns about they process my DC's school uses to tell parents if a child has not come to school and parents haven't notified school to expect this, but I don't know if my expectations are unrealistic given the size of secondary schools so wondering what other schools do.

If your child doesn't attend registration and the school has no record that they've been notified child is sick etc, will your school contact the parent, how quickly will the school contact the parent, how (eg email/phone) will the school contact the parent, and who will the school contact (eg primary contact on file, all contacts on file or specifically the mother)?

Background is that twice in the last six months I've been contacted because my DC wasn't in registration when school thought they should be. The school didn't tell me until 3h after registration ended, told me by an email that was not specific and did not indicate urgency, only emailed me and not the other emergency contacts on file, and (deliberately) chose to email me as mother rather than DH who is the primary contact on file.

Does this sound normal? Maybe even good and many schools wouldn't notify at all? Or am I right to be concerned about the process?

[Note both cases were errors on the school's part, but that's not my concern.]

Thanks!

OP posts:
lololulu · 03/10/2024 06:45

I don't get anything but then I always phone before 8am if they are ill so that might be why?

DanglingMod · 03/10/2024 06:42

It should be by about 9.30. Text message automatically to primary contact. Follow up phone calls if we don't hear straight back

Workiskilligme · 03/10/2024 06:38

A year 7 child who they know walks or takes public transport unaccompanied, and is rarely ever late, I'd expect them to be phoning the primary contact within half hour

We don't know the children at this level. They are mainly just names to us.

Hiyawotcha · 03/10/2024 06:36

School of around. 2000. Have been contacted by 9, by text. School starts at 8.20am.

Hercisback1 · 03/10/2024 06:35

Not attending registration isn't the only flag either. We have registers every lesson so attendance officer can check lesson by lesson. Not attended registration and period 1 gets an email/text home.

Are you definitely priority 2? I say that because our attendance system is automated somewhat, so the attendance officer will send the same email/text to "primary guardian 1" for the list of students not in.

Workiskilligme · 03/10/2024 06:35

We wait for 2 N codes- registration and period 1. If we have received no notification if absence these parents will receive a text. It takes us this long to add all the absence on, but by 9.30 you should know, maybe later if a busy morning. Also teachers can be bad at taking accurate registers.

Hercisback1 · 03/10/2024 06:31

À text between 9.30 and 11am. High priority kids earlier but often these students have come to school and hidden somewhere instead of attending lessons.

iggleoggle · 03/10/2024 06:30

I got a text, email and another text between 9.30 and 11 (so three lots of communication).

what had actually happened is DC had been suspended and this had not been communicated to the attendance team.

themidimit · 03/10/2024 06:27

In a large secondary school, say 1500, there could be 10%of children who are absent on a given day. That's 150 children not in reg. There is a human sifting through the various emails (some very lengthy) that come in with reasons for sickness. Then that person has to organise who needs an absent alert. Some may be on a priority notification list. It takes a long time!

TheBolterdahling · 03/10/2024 06:05

We get a text
just looking through texts (I’m clearly terrible at notifying the school when they’re ill!) it’s usually before 10am but occasionally has been nearly 11am

bluecomputerscreen · 03/10/2024 05:47

depends of the age. until year 8 our school notified us within the first school lesson time.

from then onewards similar what's described in the op.

mychilddeservesaneducation · 03/10/2024 05:41

DD is long term absent from school but unauthorised (emotional based school avoidance). Initially, we didn't get the 'your child hasn't registered' texts until about 11am. Now it's usually around 9:15am. I don't know if the change is due to the school changing the settings or because she's a persistent offender.
DS is at a different school. When I forgot to notify them that he was ooorly once, the absence lady phoned me at about 9:30. He's very rarely off school.
Both kids at secondary.

frannygallops · 03/10/2024 05:23

Large secondary and they sent a text if they didn't think he was in school. It was probably two or three hours into the day and was always a mistake. I assume if there is some reason for a child to be particularly high risk then the school would notify you earlier

POTC · 03/10/2024 05:22

Depends a bit on age of child and background/history.
A year 7 child who they know walks or takes public transport unaccompanied, and is rarely ever late, I'd expect them to be phoning the primary contact within half hour.
A year 11 who is driven to school and often running late maybe more like 10:30/11.

They should be trying the primary contact regardless though