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 assume the school are aware your son never has term time holidays and so they are concerned for this one off.
Yes he is fine on Friday on his return, but that doesn't mean he was fine on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday...
As someone else said, perhaps there was a wait for injuries to be less visible? Schools can't assume that 'nice families don't' and so need a blanket rule for all.

Unless you have lied about flights or location, then I really can't see any point in digging your heels in.

You are already taking the piss by taking your child out of school just below the unauthorised fine threshold. It's still illegal. They've made a simple request which you can easily fulfil - I'd just do it.

It’s bollocks. Knowing the flight details doesn’t make the child any safer.
id go no further than confirming the child remained in your care for the duration of the absence.

Having a good balanced relationship with the school is because up till now we have done exactly what they want - 100% attendance, homework always completed , DS follows the rules and is a good member of the school community.

we both had to work all through the summer holidays this year and the only time we could both get off was after the holidays. I don’t think it’s unreasonable to have boundaries about this and the school can use their judgement about whether they want to ruin a good relationship with parents who engage well and a child who the rest of the time has 100% attendance rather than us having to ask ‘how high?!’ Whenever they say ‘jump’

Yes, but most people won"t shell out for flights they don"t use, and you are checked onto the flight so they could check, same with hotels etc. very hard to create a false trail in the digital age, and easier to abuse a child in your home than at a relatives or in a hotel/AirBnB without being spotted?

I honestly think you are mistaking professional experience for ‘personal issues’.

Booking confirmation won’t show they were actually away and being away doesn’t stop abuse.

Perhaps they have asked the same question of another family who they believe might be abusing their child, and to avoid being accused of bias, racism, prejudice of some sort, they really need your ‘evidence’ to prove they ask everyone the same thing?

Now you've said it was Turkey and you got your teeth done, I can understand your reluctance, because I’d be worried about confidentiality and people potentially gossiping (I’d want to keep something like this private).

As an aside, are you pleased and was it a good experience? I’ve looked into it myself and then got worried. Did your teeth have to be ‘perfect’ beforehand - all the UK dentists I’ve asked have wanted me to get expensive treatment to replace missing tooth, and a filling to ensure my teeth are perfect before agreeing 😭 Sorry - I’m missing the point of the thread!

Google it. You will find the answer is clearly set out.

Apologies if this has been said already. Isn't it more likely to be for their records. So that if asked by Ofsted they can explain how they follow up every absence and are professionally curios about children missing from school

In what way is this about 'boundaries', it just gets worse and worse. Why make such a huge fuss about absolutely nothing?!

The only real edge case scenario I can think of where the flight proof might be useful is if the parents have said ‘oh we had a fab week in Majorca’ but the school think they may have actually gone to somewhere else to arrange a child marriage/ FGM or some other illegal act.

A lot of folks are still missing the point.

Providing schools with credible flight numbers,.copies of itineraries and even boarding passes does not prove travel...HMRC certainly don't accept any of the above for proof of dates entering/leaving the UK if they take an interest.

You are just being difficult for the sake of it

The school are overstepping here. Surely if someone were abusing their child they wouldn't pretend to take them on holiday, they would call them in sick. That way it wouldn't go down as unauthorised!

Just because they ask, doesn't mean they are entitled to the information or that you should provide it.

I would stand my ground OP.

Safeguarding concerns don't come about because a family take a 4 day absence to go on holiday (especially where the children otherwise have good attendance and behaviour and can be asked about their holiday to confirm it took place). No further evidence is needed.

Or they are (the school).

I didn’t plan to do it till I was there and dh sister (his family all live there) had just got hers done and they looked great, I don’t have any missing teeth and just one small white filling on a back tooth so it was fine , I’m not into the turkey teeth veneers look just wanted them whitened (too much coffee staining from a stressful job in the nhs!!!!) . Everyone always thinks of turkey as filing down your teeth to little pegs and then massive bright white veneers but you can get natural teeth whitened too.

Is that what you want? A referral? Social services poking around your family? Questioning your parenting? That would be my idea of a nightmare. Jesus. Help your children out here! Why on earth can’t you say to them it was EasyJet flight EJ47612?

That will get you off the hook and avoid referrals.

I would do all of that to avoid the school and SS knowing I took my child out of school mid September to get my teeth whitened in Turkey.

Good grief. Your logic here is mental.

I'm confused as to why you think his being back in school now means the school dont have to have on their records confirmation ( whether that's flight details or a doctor's letter etc) as to why a child was absent. Ya it looks like overkill when you know there wasnt a safeguarding issue but as long as they ask everyone for this proof I dont see the issue

This

...or get an AI engine to knock up an FOI form and ask them to complete it.

Make sure it can't be done electronically and has to be posted to you.

we have done exactly what they want - 100% attendance, homework always completed , DS follows the rules

Errr. This is your child’s school, what do you mean “we have done exactly what they want”. Surely all of these are basic requirements as a parent.

as for taking time out of school for a 10 year old just getting going in the new school year, you clearly are not putting DC first at all, this is so disruptive at a personal and academic level.

who do you think you are dictating like this.

Do remember rules will be the same for every child, they cannot decide if the kids are from
”nice” homes or abusive. Every parent has to account for absences

Fgs - I would bet my house that nobody at the school gives a shiny shit about OP’s flight details. All the school wants is to be able to tell whichever govt authority that they did what they could / went as far as they were able, to check the plausibility of the claim that the child was on holiday. It’s buck-passing for the school. If you put your child in a school that is obliged to oversee their pupils like this, you give up the right to choose and your own supposed right to privacy is irrelevant. I just can’t with parents like this. As if things aren’t shit enough already.

I thought that too, it's almost as though the school want to help op's child to not only be safe, but also to learn.