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 think where this policy fails for me is that the checks are being carried out AFTER the fact.

I could see the value if the school wanted to check that the child is actually being taken on holiday. Even more so if there was a particular concern eg/FGM etc.

But in cases like this where the child has returned, is healthy and well, and has very clearly been on holiday, getting the flight info adds nothing.

And I think that's what people are objecting to really. It's the idea that a buzzword like safeguarding can be used to justify a request that is virtually meaningless. Schools have to be allowed to adopt a personalised approach because there clearly are cases where it would be relevant, as @likelysuspect describes.

The school may say it's a safeguarding issue but it isn't. If they requested the evidence before, it would be different.

Yes but it reflects the world we live in
So my view is - if you are asked for this, you know it’s a tick boxing exercise and the school knows - so save their time and provide the info.

So…. They can concentrate on the safeguarding risks that aren’t just a tick boxing exercise exercise

I wonder if school are backtracking a bit? When we’ve taken our child out of school for a holiday I’ve always filled in a holiday request in advance (that I know won’t be authorised but I am known to toe the line aren’t I @PigletJohn because I value the relationship I have with my children’s school so am not going to argue to prove a point and risk that then biting me on the bum when it comes to my children’s wellbeing and needs being met over some point of principle that really isn’t that deep) and the form specifically asks for flight/travel details. Which I’ve happily provided because I have nothing to hide. Perhaps school were supposed to ask for it in advance? It’s not uncommon where I live and work for families to return to their home country having taken a holiday or for children to be left there when they’ve thought they were going on a family holiday. This was particularly rife during Covid for families who seemed to disappear when schools were closed. Many times these children were at risk of being removed from their parents care due to abuse or neglect or were on a child protection plan and they fled the country.

Flight/travel details are routinely taken for all children if school are aware they are travelling abroad so they’re not making assumptions or racially profiling a family. This kind of thing, alongside FGM, forced marriage etc paired with the need to keep records for any future escalation in statutory attendance interventions are some of the reason this is asked for. It’s not an infallible system. None of them are. Most people are under the illusion that there’s some kind of guaranteed way of catching the ‘bad guys’ because it creates a sense of safety. Most of the time we’re all just relying on the social contract of making ethical and moral choices and people getting caught.