School asking for flight details after unauthorised term-time absence abroad

[PersonalData]

We went abroad mon-thu last week, ds (10) was in school the week before and went back on Friday. We let them know and obviously knew it would be unauthorised. As it was 8 sessions we don’t qualify for a fine. His attendance is usually 100%.

They asked on friday before and after for us to provide proof of the flights and other details for ‘safeguarding’ but he was back in school and clearly fine ?? We declined as this is private personal data. They replied back that we must submit the evidence by the end of tomorrow?

Is this usual ?

It's a bit late to ask for the info don't you think? Especially if it was FGM or marriage, the damage would already be done.

I very much doubt (and hope) that any airline won't give our such details, same for hotels. They're not about to tell school staff who's flying/staying with them.
They would tell the police and maybe (??) social services, but unless the school had concerns for the child's welfare (parent not giving details of their holiday wouldn't meet that threshold).

OP, does your school as for such evidence for authorised absences - funeral, marriages? If not then do they think it's only a safeguarding issue when absences are unauthorised?

Gosh it wouldn't occur to me to ask a family for this - attendance is a massive part of my job. Theu must have their reasons. Just make sure he doesn't have any more absences within 10 weeks so you stay out of fi e territory

Realistically, what can they do if you continue to say no?

No professional thinks that ticking this box rules out any abuse happening ever.

They’re doing due diligence. The boxes exist because eventually, if enough boxes aren’t ticked, and enough suspicions are raised, they might start to suspect something might be wrong and begin to build a picture of what might be happening in that family.

It might indeed be that this box IS ticked and the family HAVE been to Tenerife, but actually it’s established in multi professional meetings that the child has also been to A&E 3 times in the last three weeks, hasn’t been to the dentist in 6 years, the police have been to the house due to a domestic incident, etc.

It could also be the A&E thing, the dentist thing and the police thing, but also the child has been out of school for 4 days and the ‘flight details provided?’ box is NOT ticked. This then adds to the picture.

There’s lots of boxes and lots of things that could raise suspicion but it’s about patterns, not one box.

if it was me I would be asking them one of my usual questions which is "where is it written" I mean I wouldn't put it like that but would ask where it appears in the school safeguarding policy with link to the relevant law or other official requirement. I'd be making it clear that I have no wish to hide anything but do need to fully understand the request.

And, what is the school going to do with the information, that they can't do without it?

No professional thinks that ticking this box rules out any abuse happening ever.

They’re doing due diligence. The boxes exist because eventually, if enough boxes aren’t ticked, and enough suspicions are raised, they might start to suspect something might be wrong and begin to build a picture of what might be happening in that family.

It might indeed be that this box IS ticked and the family HAVE been to Tenerife, but actually it’s established in multi professional meetings that the child has also been to A&E 3 times in the last three weeks, hasn’t been to the dentist in 6 years, the police have been to the house due to a domestic incident, etc.

It could also be the A&E thing, the dentist thing and the police thing, but also the child has been out of school for 4 days and the ‘flight details provided?’ box is NOT ticked. This then adds to the picture.

There’s lots of boxes and lots of things that could raise suspicion but it’s about patterns, not one box.

It really, really isn't

Just remembered this subject came up in a thread here a few weeks back in the context of a school wanting proof before travel..

If this is starting to become a common request and people are tempted to handover paperwork in those circumstances (just for a quiet life etc) make sure the booking reference/Passenger Reference Number, the PNR, is redacted.

That really isn't any of the school's business and in the wrong hands could cause problems.

But having read the thread and people's thoughts there are reasons that the school might ask

If those reasons are genuinely important then it's incumbent on the school to verify them. Which seems a colossal waste of time that might be better spent elsewhere.

And I'm still not clear what the downside is to not complying, apart from a grumpy school ? A sterner letter ? A visit from the Head ? A referral to SS ?

Flight details are not proof of anything! The school can't check they were on the flight. It seems to me that in asking this ridiculous question they are display9ng total ignorance of what safeguarding actually is. I would not provide the details.

It's a professional concern actually. The concept of 'safeguarding' being misused is frustrating and the misunderstanding of so many of what safeguarding actually is is a real worry.

Just let the school have the flight details. No big deal, no personal info with that.
Slightly irritating, I know, but just saves a load of hassle that I'm sure you don't need.

That would have been presumably so they could authorise the absence, nothing to do with safeguarding

Yes it is, attendance is a huge factor when it comes to safeguarding. They will be basing it on the sensible idea that if you can't see a child you cannot know they are safe.

for "safeguarding" read "data protection" as a wonderful coverall.

A quick google search tells you why ... UK schools are heavily monitored by Local Authority Attendance Teams and Ofsted regarding how they code absences. If your child missed school, the school cannot simply take a verbal or written note at face value to close the file. The school needs physical proof (like a flight ticket) to back up why a specific registration code (such as Code G for unauthorised holiday) was used.

4 days off for a holiday in otherwise perfect attendance is NOT a safeguarding concern

Safeguarding concerns always take priority over data protection. Schools have a duty to know where a child is when they should be at school.

So it's fuck all to do with safeguarding, and all about record keeping and being accountable to Ofsted? So they are lying?

You've missed the point

It would be. Attendance is a key part of safeguarding.

I don't think I have, it feels relevant to the whole conversation.

No it definitely wouldn't be
It's a holiday. In an otherwise perfect attendance record, for a child with no social work involvement or history, (in the example OP gives, not saying it's factual, I don't know that) and no prior reason to think the child is at risk. It's NOT a safeguarding concern.