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 ?

How?

It hasn't shown that. It has shown lots of people don't understand safeguarding. This builds a picture and is a valid safeguarding question due to a child not being at school. Just because some people have clearly not had/understood safeguarding training, does not mean it is any less important.

? If they flew to Egypt or Somalia or a country where FGM is rife

...and the cunning would book UK to Europe (e.g. Paris) and then onwards on an unconnected booking, perhaps with two separate operators and the school wouldn't have a scooby doo.

I know MN prides itself on critical thinking but there is precious little lateral thinking going on.

Oh for goodness sake, the school have to report this under Children Missing Education guidelines. They are not “just being nosey” 🙄

But they already know where you went, and for how long? What are they going to do with your flight details? I just could not be arsed to care about this

But why? Why on earth do they need these details. Its a big fat no from me. How on earth is it "safeguarding" (Im level 3 trained )

I am level 3 trained and have been for many years. Still can't see it.

Also @SethAndReubenTooSendGaloshes

we are very rarely told we can’t send the child home. The problem is, schools have been completely disempowered from making these decisions ourselves and are just told refer, refer, refer. Remember Sara, remember Daniel. You must refer.

Then we refer, the social workers don’t respond and the police think we’re being hysterical.

We are piggies in the middle between angry parents we have to maintain working relationships with for the next 5+ years, and professionals who don’t seem to have any idea about the demands placed on schools.

No social worker or police officer would ever ask a school to get flight numbers. If you feel you have too many demands and are being put in positions that damage relationships, you need to look at what arbitrary policies and procedures your own senior leaders and governing bodies are putting in place.

Those on the thread who actually work in safeguarding, the sharp end of it, have been clear it's not safeguarding.

Social work/MASH will not respond to a referral in the same day unless it's urgent. Maybe you're saying that urgent referrals aren't responded to within the 4 hour guidelines in which case yes it's a serious issue but as I said they are not an emergency response service and never have been.

Just read up thread or google.

Multiple children's social workers on here too saying it's nothing to do with safeguarding with clear explanations as to why. But people who did their level 1 online safeguarding think they know more than those who completed a degree and work with safeguarding day in day out.

this is not at all what I was saying. The previous poster had said that schools are too busy and need to focus on education (and I assume they were suggesting too busy to get involved in asking about flights). I was making the point that it is precisely the school’s place in society that means they do take a role in safeguarding - and indeed they are! I am more than aware of how busy social care is and clearly this is being dealt with by the school- a quick screening question for the council (I assume it’s for the council) and all is done. I have not brought up social care referrals

Because not everyone at the school will remember or know. Some people on this thread are so awkward. The school have a process, some people know more about the exact details than others, just get on with it!

Someone further up the chain has decided on a procedure beyond our level of visibility. Arguing with it is pointless. “It’s my right” comments smack of an issue with authority. Just get on with it. I doubt OP took an interesting looking flight, so handover some numbers. And the school receptionist has enough to do, they will probably just keep saying “it’s safeguarding” - I doubt they drafted the local procedure and I doubt they recall the exact details.

CME (child missing in education) is a big safeguarding risk. Schools have a duty to know where children are if they’re not in attendance, especially for a period of time.

I taught in a particularly challenging area where girls would disappear to visit ‘aunties’ for FGM with little to no notice. Others disappeared for a day or two and were involved in county lines. When a child was off, we HAD to know exactly where they were.

Annoying though it may be in the moment to provide evidence, it’s simply a marker of a school that’s hot on safeguarding. Surely that’s no bad thing?

They have to prove that they did everything they could to find out why a child had an unauthorised absence, otherwise they will get pulled up on it.

Dh has sorted it out he went in early to speak to the head . I’ve asked for this to be deleted now

When did this come in? My kids are in secondary now and I haven't taken them on holidays but I did in primary and it was fine.

Would you also be asking for train tickets or petrol if the holiday was within the UK?

Did they explain how and why?

But this is about record keeping, not safeguarding.

OP told them the family was going abroad, and probably told them why. How does it help the school to have precise details of the flights?

What proof could they ask for if, say, OP had just driven to another area of the UK and stayed with relatives?

You're not going to tell us the outcome?

In short, CME. I’ve given a fuller explanation just below :)