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 ?

But what do they think the OP was doing? They took their child out of school and brought them back. And it was only 4 days, not 4 weeks.

Whatever your views on term-time holidays, a school does not need to have evidence of where you were. Also you might not have been overseas, so how do you prove it then? Petrol receipts?

They're not. It's an example.

Because you could be lying? He may have been in hospital with an injury caused by his parents for all they know. So they need the proof to know all is well.

Odd. Took mine out last year for a week - no such request. Just from his teacher to have pics to do a show and tell when he returned 🥰

How does a boarding pass prove that a child has not been beaten up?

Why would you take your child away to beat them up?

Come on, this isn't a FGM case. You can't go to a country which does it and get back in 4 days. And the child would be distressed and in agony.

These rules and requirements aren’t invented for no reason. They’re the result of attempts to ensure the future is better than the past. The attempts may be misguided or ill thought-through or barely better-than-nothing. But if as a nation we wring our hands over the Victoria Climbie and Baby P and similar stories, we can’t as a society decide not to elect better/more competent leadership to create better rules and decide to ignore whatever efforts have been made.

Jeez - no wonder people don’t stay in teaching with aggressive and obstructive attitudes like the ones on this thread. 🙄

But the medical staff would have reported it if that was the case!

and in just 4 days he's back at school magically fine with no injury or social services contacted from hospital seeing him but funnily enough, a tan?

I can see why crooks may buy flights they wouldn’t use but I’m pretty sure parents, to cover tracks of a primary school child’s absence, is a bit far fetched.

Exactly.

No wonder safeguarding doesn't work and never has, because it's all tick box and no common sense applied.

True.

While it's definitely an unusual request, I honestly couldn't be arsed with arguing back and forth and getting so irate about this just fir the sake of it. I'd just send them the info. I mean what nefarious things could the school possibly do with them?

Exactly, they just want your flight details in case you travelled to Kenya to have FGM carried out on your child… who is male, and white British for example. It’s nonsense. Schools way overstep parents boundaries, no wonder people home educate.

yup, its my "where's it written" ploy.

It was just one scenario. Here’s another, maybe the parents are drinking heavily and couldn’t be bothered to get their kid to school for 4 days.

It could be anything, they just need to know all is well for the child at home and the holiday is legit.

@PersonalData just send them the flights, you don’t want your kid on any safe guarding list unnecessarily.

They aren’t accepted in part because you don’t have to buy them. They are all easy to mock up (or in the case of flight numbers, which is all the school have asked for - just look up).

@Annoyedbyhusband

Exactly, they just want your flight details in case you travelled to Kenya to have FGM carried out on your child…

.....and for someone determined to do that It would be very easy to arrange flights to/from Kenya without the school ever being aware that's where the child went.

And why wouldnt they just say thats why

The school need to know your child was definitely on holiday. As mentioned up thread this is now a common excuse used by abusers waiting for visible evidence to heal. What harm will sharing this information do. They are just being thorough.

Have you got any photos of you and him at the beach / airport / with family etc
Send them a copy for their records 😂

Bollocks to them, they can't force you to tell them so don't. They have zero authority over you.

You can prevent FGM and can prosecute someone for having plans to do it.
I'm not sure if you have an actual point of view or if you're looking to argue? You've gone from saying schools should be collecting evidence to prevent FGM to saying that they can't.
I think schools should ask where someone is going, that can be done casually without forces or demands. If there are any concerns about FGM they should report immediately and the police and social services can make a decision on the appropriate action before anything happens.
If they think FGM had already occurred it is not their job to ask for flight numbers, that could be jeopardising a police investigation. They should be reporting to social care, who would make a decision on the next course of action. If there was means to believe there was FGM a child protection medical would be needed to verify and provide treatment if required.
So, a school asking for flight numbers if they think there is FGM is right up there with what not to do. Child could be left in pain at risk of death, parents alerted to suspicion to go further underground or conceal without any safeguarding plans from the ones trained and qualified to do so. HUGE risk to the child there. Police investigation could be ruined with people who don't know what they're doing getting involved in investigation and obtaining evidence illegally. And what for? Absolutely nothing. There is nothing they can do with or without flight numbers.

The past (and the present) also has plenty of examples of State overreach and data collection creating an inhumane environment for people too. If we want to avoid the excesses of the fascist regimes that plagued Europe a century ago, we need to be particularly careful about lazy, poorly thought out and ineffective attempts to demand data from citizens.

Sounds like you’re just withholding the information to be petty. Whilst bleating about GDPR, what in all honesty do you think they’ll use the information for that would put your family at risk? Not sure what your flight details being out there would offer any scammers. And it seems silly to actually remove your DCs from school just one week into term time. Just saying….