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 ?

The school has a problem, then, if they are expected to compile evidence they have no right to demand.

Why are you making such an issue of this. Just give them the damn flight numbers and everyone can get on with their jobs.
Don't you have something more interesting to do ?

Don't be so sure of that. You can be fined for less and the school have a right to ask for evidence.

Anybody can "ask."

But no power to demand.

..sometimes younger girls are taken abroad to have FGM. They want to have their asses covered, just in case this latter scenario comes up, and they are asked why they don't query anyone, just specific cases.

I would be tempted to respond with an 'or what?' type of response.

I get that this is intrusive but you are taking this far too personally. It is an admin thing that the local authority force schools to do for safeguarding. The person in the office who has to deal with attendance doesn't care where you went. You just have to give them flight details. All this huff about personal information looks silly because you trust them with your child the whole time and they have all their personal information already. Now you have made a fuss they will probably be speculating about it. You have turned a boring tick box exercise into a drama.

Why though if it’s 8 sessions and the rules clearly state 10 sessions in a 10 week period ?

Dh has said he is going to go in this morning and that he will give them the details / proof once they’ve explained to him exactly why it’s necessary face to face.

This is so funny, you are wasting your own and their time for no reason at all! The reason will be safeguarding, obviously, because that's what it is. How can you not have anything better to do than send a flight number across?!

Morning..

I see the idea that providing flight numbers does probably close to nothing/zilch to improve Safeguarding continues..

Then they'd need to check for bruises or get social services involved. Be able to show evidence of flights is a non-sequitur.

Not rtft, but if this was a dd, I guess they’d be thinking of FGM. And that IS something schools are required to take v v seriously. What data are they asking for?

Again, how does a flight time prove FGM hasn't happened?

No, wait, I've got it op, obviously this is not safeguarding, they clearly just want to find out how cheap your flights there and are planning a trip their themselves.

Honestly, some people wind themselves up and make such a childish, petty fuss.

It does not - but it's a start for the investigation, if there are suspicions that it has.

They do routinely ask for medical information when it isn't part of current guidance or law.

why not just give it, all you are doing now is make yourselves look suspicious. Why should they waste social services time when you can so quickly resolve it.

And the receptionist will just state “safeguarding procedure” - what else can they say? Unless you’re wanting to then speaks to the DSL’s who will be teaching.

Why are you being so awkward? My school also asks for this information - not because we think one event is a safeguarding concern, but because tiny details may build up evidence for an overall picture. The new KCSIE guide - if you care to read it - places much more emphasis on attendance criteria and reporting than ever before.

This very long thread has shown that his saying safeguarding is not in itself a reason.

My previous school would ask for this as well. Genuinely a safeguarding thing.

Im a DSL, the only reason I can think that they would need this for safeguarding is for attendance tracking as when a child is off and the parents don’t call each day, ideally a welfare call/visit would happen. This obviously wasn’t possible as you were out of the country so flight details could be evidence as to why they didn’t carry out these checks. Saying that, I can’t remember a time we have ever asked for this info.

As an adult with free will people can holiday when they want to it’s not up to you to judge them for that.

How does this make sense?
If they do provide flight details - what then? If they flew to Egypt or Somalia or a country where FGM is rife and they come from a culture where it is normalised and the child is a little girl - then there are red flags of course. But if the school suspected FGM then they should make the referral immediately with absolutely no need to wait to see flight details. And if the family are not from a culture where this is normal practice then why would seeing flight details have anything to do with FGM? and if they are from a culture where this is practiced but they flew to Málaga or Florida then what, all good? When still nothing is proven one way or another??

Genuinely not though

The reason schools might be asking for this is so they can complete their records. Record keeping is important but it's not safeguarding.