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 both.

What was the explanation and did he provide the details they wanted ?

In my experience schools vaguely quote safeguarding as a catch all term because it means people are more likely to comply

It can be safeguarding IF they have other concerns. E.g. forced marriage, non-accidental injury, fgm etc.

I (social worker)had a parent telling school their child had scabies, when in fact the child had a black eye from their step dad. People have used going on holiday to cover other visible abuse as well. But I still maintain that a) if the school have no other concerns then this is unnecessary and b) if the school do have other concerns they should simply report to SS and let them do the investigations.

You did not understand my point. I said that they made a query about this flight, although they know there is nothing wrong, to cover their asses when they make enquiries about other flights, so that no one will say "but you didn't ask about the child who is not foreign...". That is all.

I disagree, the school is justified in saying it’s for safeguarding purposes, because that is why they are asking for the information- it really is as simple as that. Safeguarding covers a vast range of contexts. Additionally, as others have highlighted, we do not know that this isn’t part of a wider picture with the family in question.

Yes definitely. I probably say this at least 5 times a week, if not a day. I’ve already said it on this thread; Safeguarding is a very broad term and a continuum - it doesn’t necessarily mean child protection/statutory intervention or that it comes under the remit of CSWS. People often conflate the two and then assume social workers aren’t doing their jobs if they don’t intervene on something that does not warrant their involvement. It may need monitoring, it may need additional support and intervention but it does not necessarily mean the child is at risk of significant harm or warrant a referral to children’s services. Education and health tend to see this in very binary terms (and their safeguarding training tends to reinforce this whereas social workers will want evidence of what’s happening and of impact on a child to invervene) are often steps to be taken by school early in the process for attendance monitoring and management incase things do progress. School will need to evidence they have followed guidance from day 1 in case it should progress to more formal attendance interventions and eventual legal action.

If they end up wasting time, then they can reflect on why that is. Although you have correctly identified the dangers inherent in gathering more and more and more data under a supposedly unquestionable aegis.

Malicious compliance - I learned at my parents knees.

These time wasting threads are getting worse and MN compliant by deleting threads on request.

It’s not Eastenders

I think the point is that they know how long you were absent, but not where you went or if you went anywhere. My point is that schools should let parents make their own decisions on whether they want to butt horns with the legal requirements on attendance and just stick to reporting the absence and obviously monitoring for signs of neglect/abuse and again following the proper channels of reporting, demanding to see flight information by a certain day is just nonsense and indicates staff giddy with their little power trip, just ignore them and let them make the next move.

I would be concerned they were asking for the flight evidence to build a case against you for a fine.

Best thing to do is ask them to show you the legislation that allows them to ask for flight information, that would be a good starting point, do it by e-mail and give them a deadline.

Odd not to include the rationale behind the request to stop other posters getting their pants in a twist

So in answer to whoever posted that the school shouldn't be asking for flight details for an unauthorised absence why shouldn't they ? OP has not explained her exceptional circumstances necessitating a holiday almost immediately school's are back from holidays of several weeks.

Sorry?

God forbid that OP is adked by school to volunteer to give a tombola prize or bake a cake to raise funds for the school ....Just cant understand the mentality in deliberately annoying the school.

You’re being unnecessarily awkward. It’s probably so they can assess whether to give you a fine next time you take your kid on a jolly in term time or not.

I’ve worked in safeguarding for years. Literally the only times I have needed/asked for flight details is when there is enough evidence to suggest FGM is about to take place, and then I’ve acted accordingly to secure FGM protection orders. This is tick box nonsense from the school.

To be fair, we didn't expect them to authorise it, and were suprised when they did

How will it annoy the school, you think the school take these things personally? A parent has a right not to give information like this, the school can ask for it, but you dont have to give it.

Dont teachers chat in the staff room any more ? As in "X in Year Y buggered off on hols last week. His Mum refused to give ticket info. How behind hes got now with his work. God why do parents do this ? "

Or maybe taxpayers are the most annoyed. Taxpayers have to pay for this child's education. Hes not even in school as hes on holiday yet again. School staff having to waste their time checking info on air tickets which Mum refuses to give info on.

It's well known that prices plummet once the school term starts. You don't have to be Einstein to work out the reasons. Having flight details makes zero difference to that.

So who says they have to get this information? In the absence of any other reasons for suspecting abuse, what exactly can they do about it if parents tell them it's none of their business?