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 ?

Just tell them. The school are trying to keep children in education for the benefit of those children, it’s free for you but costs the tax payer even if you don’t send your child. If everyone did this the schools could not run effectively or efficiently, it also sets up a system to protect vulnerable children and they can never know for sure who they are.

This whole school intrusion thing is bizarre and overstepping what is reasonable.

I'm a parent, lovingly raising my happy cheerful dc, and if I say he is ill or that I am taking him skiing for four days, as the parent, as far as I am concerned, that is enough. Of the 7 primary years, he had100% attendance in four of them.

My ds' only term-time holiday absence was when he was 4 and therefore not legally required to be there, and I informed the school of the trip beforehand. He was back in class when I said he would be.

He only had two illnesses while at primary school, but one was for two weeks, a bad tummy bug or gastric flu and wasn't fit for school. As his mum, I decide when he can go back, which I did. I also called the school office every morning to inform them of his progress.

But I would simply have ignored the school demanding travel details or doctor's notes. Absolutely none of their business unless they believe there is a serious safeguarding risk, which there obviously was not with my child.

They have no legal right to that information and it is nothing more than small-minded bullying.

Having said that, ds' school were never foolish enough to ask.

That is a good point, teachers should just be vigilant and open to listen and believe children if they tell them something and report to the proper authorities instead of headteachers thinking they are RoboCops with the power to arrest people for crossing the road.

But someone could take them on holiday AND abuse them abroad. Or buy tickets and not fly/cancel booking then keep them at home and abuse them?

Arbitrary nonsense!
Just like the 'must hand over your mobile phone' policy.

4 days off school is not an indicator of abuse it's an indicator that the parents wanted a cheaper holiday!

It was a Local Authority school so I assume that's the norm.
The thing is....if you don't have something to hide why would you have a problem with showing some proof of why your child needed time off school?

But it could just be a policy, perhaps one put in place after something similar happened and they now have a standard policy in their school to ask for proof.

What if you didn't take a flight - you could have gone on holiday in this country and driven there by car - the time off school could have been the same. How would they expect you to prove that?

Yes, it would. As educational professionals we are taught that ‘it could happen here.’ Just because a child has good attendance, and comes from a ‘nice’ family, we can’t have any bias. This family has to be treated the same way as any other family who don’t send their child to school for four days. Something could be happening and the school have a duty to check.

Taking a child on holiday in term time is NOT a sign of abuse

This. I'm so sorry you were abused @JustAnotherWhinger. @PersonalData Wouldn't you rather be a little bit inconvenienced if it may alert authorities to a child who is being abused?

I find these threads MAD
Surely if you trust the school with your child, if you have a good relationship with them, why would you deny them the information?

Ofsted, the government guidelines etc ask for RIDICULOUS things from schools, its not the school being awkward they clearly need to show/prove that he was indeed on holiday 🤷‍♀️

What is so private about flight details?!
Its not like you lied about the holiday.

And thank goodness anything relating to safeguarding doesnt just rely on word of mouth!

You could tell them that you will send the data within 1 business day of them providing the Act and section, or other legal instrument that requires you to provide it.

In most cases. In some cases it maybe.

That's an assumption. One of the first rules of safeguarding is never to assume that something couldn't happen. The school are concerned as the child has been absent, they just want to safeguard the child. Well done them.

She said attendance was otherwise 100%. If they don't have any other reason to suspect abuse, taking the child ok holiday is not a sign of it.

What could they do with or without flight numbers? If they were concerned they should have checked that beforehand. What difference does it make after the event?
Even if they were lying, what then? Unless there is evidence of actual abuse there is nothing that can be done.

Whats wrong with the "handing over your mobile phone" policy 🙄

However, at the school no one knows if there definitely was a holiday.

Hi, I work in HR (sometimes in schools, sometimes local authority, sometimes private sector). To answer if that was a genuine question.

Yes you have a boy but the rules are the same for both sexes, they need to satisfy themselves you didn’t take him out of the country for procedures illegal in the uk. Every summer in particular girls are taken for fgm

You may be good parents
You may have had legit flights and a legit holiday
Your child may be lived and well cared for

But not all are.

A weekend and then 4 days off would be an ideal time for bruises to fade or other injuries to heal.

Just because your kid is in a safe and loving home, not all are.

How many times have kids been killed and everyone cries "why wasnt anything done sooner?" Or "how did this abuse go unnoticed?"

Just give them the info, there's no need to be difficult about this. They already hold far more sensitive personal data than some flight times. Which isnt even personal data.

You know every time a child dies in horrid circumstances and countless opportunities are identified by a £££££ enquiry that makes recommendations and everybody says lessons will be learnt… this is literally it in action. Nobody asks these things for shits and giggles. Just give them the info. It’s not that hard.

That's ridiculous. Almost comes across like they want to know how much your flight cost!

Just ignore or ask them to point out where in the school policy it says they must request this, plus the consequences if you don't.

I think they’re annoying for this. They should have a rationale that they can share “we need it for X reason, if we don’t have it, it might mean Y steps are taken”.

That’s not to say I wouldn’t just give it to them, I almost certainly would. But I do have a general dislike of “just because” from people who should be able to explain why.