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 ?

I wouldn't provide it. It's over stepping. If they have genuine concern that you kept your child off because of a non-accidental injury or such they should be making the referral to SS and letting them investigate, not investigating themselves.

What is so annoying about these bizarre requests is the total randomness of them.
There doesn't seem to be a school absence protocol template that is the same in every state school in the uk, if there were then every parent would know where they stand and any expectations for both school and parent.

Only the police can remove a child from their parents without a court order. Police lead on investigations where there is a suspected crime. So, yes, police are needed if a child says they've been hit and you don't think they should go home.

How on earth they have the time for this sort of policing I don’t know. Haven’t they got better things to do? I wouldn’t be giving them the information. They’re not the police and it’s overstepping hugely. I don’t understand how the schools in the uk think this sort of rationale is ok.. they are there to provide an education with a curriculum. They’re not the parent police!

Not RTFT, only the OP's responses, but why not write to the school and ask for the jot and tittle of the law that says they are entitled to this information.

Well exactly this, unless the police agree to PP to give us time to get an EPO, the child is going home.

However we're being told a lot by police now that they're full up for strats and cant fit us in same day a lot of the time, its causing huge problems.

I think it’s 10 unauthorised sessions in 10 weeks, so if you had/have more in the ten weeks either side of your holiday, you could still be finded.

They don't need to report it, though.

OP should realise there is a government rule about holidays during term time should only be taken "in exceptional circumstances".

OP presumably went ahead anyway despite no exceptional circumstances.

Why do you think OP's child has had an 8 week vacation? There's no indication that he is in a private school.

The exceptional circumstances is for a school to be able to authorise it, like funerals etc

This isnt authorised. Its unauthorised but wont incur a fine due to it not meeting the 10 sessions.

I used to be very sniffy about parents taking their kids out of school for holidays but changed my mind when children's education and socialisation didnt seem to matter during covid.

I would be asking what exactly they mean by safeguarding.

I agree that the system is trying to do its best and we should just do what is asked. You have put it very well. I choose to see the good in what my school, community and society is trying to do. They are not asking for this for fun. They have clearly been told they have to. Whether or not it seems odd to you, you don’t have visibility of the bigger picture. I honestly think you will make things more complicated if you turn this into an issue. I couldn’t give two hoots who saw my flight details.

I would understand if there was a genuine safeguarding concern but it seems like the education system is overstepping into people’s lives. I think it’s educational for children to have a holiday the same way that life skills are important. A few years back schools were closed for six months now we need to tell them every detail unnecessarily. I would ignore.

Well actually it is all of our responsibility to safeguard the vulnerable in society. The school is a pivotal institution in collecting and recording and communicating data. They are critical in supporting the safeguarding our children.

Many parents have reasons for taking their child out of school at any time in the academic year. I wouldn’t be sending my details of my holiday to the school. What are they going to do if the OP doesn’t? Send a referral to social care? Ridiculous.

And the relevance of that to whether OP has to provide them with flight details is…?

I would remind them that best practice for data protection is to only hold information that is necessary. I’d ask them for a more detailed explanation as to why they need your private information and how they intend to store it/ how long they want to keep it for and how will they protect your privacy/ who will have access to it. I’d also ask to see the policy that states this is an appropriate request.

if they do not answer sufficiently just ask for more clarification

I can't understand why you wouldn't just provide it. You entrust your child to them on a daily basis. Who cares if they see your flight booking confirmation? If you have a smart phone or a smart watch or, indeed, have ever bought anything online there is way more damaging personal data about you in much more suspect hands.

Schools and teachers have enough on their plates. Why not just make their life easy and send them a copy of your flight confirmation instead of making them scrounge around for details like how tan your son is or how white your teeth are.

What a waste of time and energy.

A referral from a school to social care because a parent wouldn’t share information about a holiday when the child is back in school and clearly safe and well would not go anywhere. Furthermore - social care would be asking the referrer if they had consent to make the referral, which I imagine in this case the OP would say no - so what then? A child protection enquiry because they said no, and when the child is absolutely fine? What a waste of time. If the school had concerns about a child going on holiday and being at risk of FGM or forced marriage that would be a completely different situation - but this is a big overreach from the school.

No, it’s not usual. Schools can ask why a child was absent for safeguarding reasons, but once he’s back in school and clearly safe, they don’t need flight details or travel documents. That’s private personal data and you’re right to decline.

Safeguarding is about confirming the child wasn’t missing or at risk - not about collecting boarding passes or itineraries. They can record the absence as unauthorised (which you already accepted), but they can’t insist on proof of flights, especially when he’s back in class and fine.

You’ve already told them he was with you and he’s now in school. That fulfils their safeguarding duty. Asking for travel evidence is overreach, not a requirement.

Aye, people on here just live drama and are trying to make the o.p ruin relationships with the school so that they can play at being Spartacus

If the school had explained that, instead of just repeating "safeguarding" with no explanation, then I'd have still thought the request was intrusive, but wouldn't have blamed the school.

I can't think of a reason why the school couldn't explain what you've just explained. It's helpful, clear, and entirely justifies why the school need the information.

Crisis employing educators is more likely to be down to excessive and pointless box ticking paperwork than someone not wanting to pass on details of their private family life.

Do you live in the 1940’s Nazi German state. It would be a hill to die on for me. I would just refuse.