AIBU? DS was ill and the school have marked it as an unauthorised holiday and are threatening to fine me!

[WeAreEternal]

A couple of weeks ago DS (7) had an upset stomach, he D&V over night and most of the next day.
First thing in the morning (a Thursday) I called the school and let them know he was ill.
He was feeling better by the evening but as he had D&V school policy is 24 hours off, so I kept him off Friday too.

I received a letter from to school yesterday saying that those days have been marked as an unauthoried holiday as "although we received a phone call from you stating that (DS) was ill, we are led to believe that DS was in fact on a holiday to XXXX on these two dates"

The letter goes on to say that if he was genuinely ill they expect me to provide evidence such as a doctors appointment card, a prescription, a medication receipt or something simmilar that can "verify my version of events".

I am a medical professional, I know when when my DS needs medication or to see a GP or when he just has a bit of a stomach bug and needs rest and fluids.
Who would take a child to the GP or buy medication for D&V anyway?

How on earth can I prove that DS was ill?
And why are they even querying this?
AIBU to think this is bloody ridiculous?

Anyone have any ideas?

It's not the content of what Peeking is saying that I object to, in fact I explicitly agreed with some of it upthread (not the technical stuff which I don't know about, but the general drift that this need not be treated like a life and death emergency necessarily). I was just interested in the background of her rather snooty tone which seemed so detached from the reality that being accused of lying, and in fact by implication of being an unfit parent, really, is very emotionally charged, and people will want to resolve it and have a right to do so if the accusation is misplaced.

I guess for her it's a mundane workaday thing and for all I know maybe the vast majority of suggestions of truancy are true. For the person who has been falsely accused it is a once in a lifetime (I hope) outrage. She just didn't seem to recognise that side of it in her lofty dismissive tone about the whole thing

Well, I read her posts differently. I thought she wasn't addressing that aspect (which had been thoroughly debated by previous posters anyway) but just trying to give new information on process.

Yes; the regs allow both cohabiting parents to be fined, so £60 per parent, prr child, per day. A family with two school-aged children taking a week's unauthorised leave could therefore be fined £620. Although many LAs would not fine for every missed day, often having a limit on the number of penalties that can be issued per academic year.

So if dd1 didn't go to school, dp and I could both be fined and ultimately (according to the processes above) imprisoned. What would then happen to (pre-school) dd2? If the law is sane enough not to punish her by sending both parents to prison, can we choose which one takes the rap? Or swap over and do some of the sentence each - like people are discussing on the "sick children" thread?

There are examples on here of exactly the sort of official attitudes I'd be trying to avoid. I don't think there is hysteria just different ways of approaching issues.

mildred I think she adopted a rather weary tone because she was fed up of being picked apart as if she were defending the HT. She's been measured throughout and been pounced up here for no good reason because she hasn't gone along with the hang 'em tone of the thread

Does it count as extortion? (seems like it to me) pay this fine or we will take you to court.

the whole system is nuts and a shabby excuse to hammer those not responsible rather than deal with the true problem, disappointing that heads have collectively failed to stand up to the issue

Suppose you are studying the Romans and take little Johnny to Italy? Is it really that dreadful that we need to criminalise parents and report it on his future school applications.

I have 2 children, both were at the same school (a poorly run one) both my dcs are lovely however one is super sweet, well behaved, polite, basically just wants to please everyone, the other would now be called twice exceptional, is prickly, difficult, frequently naughty (has visual problems, hearing loss and school wouldn't sit them at the front despite being asked to by NHS in writing etc) you get the picture.
They live in the same flat, travel to school together and arrive at the same time.

End of year school report one has attendance marked as 100% one got something like 93% disappointing, must try harder.

You wont need me to tell you which was which

i remember that poor woman going to prison because her daughter refused to go to school. She tried everything. And I remember hearing several parents saying they were going to speak to the head to see if they could take 3 weeks of before christmas for xxx holiday to Australia. And I remember thinking where is the justice in this?

This is nothing new. The only new thing now is that heads aren't allowed to authorise it which has right scuppered the middle classes with their long-haul winter holiday plans.

it has scuppered the middle classes taking Johnny to Rome too, it has scuppered some children having any holiday at all, as per my previous post maybe the head will write about dc1 unauthorised absences on the school report making them less likely to get a place or start off on the back foot (when I have documentary evidence from dc2 that the figures are not worth the paper they are written on), it has damaged trust between heads/schools and parents, it has set schools up as 'Policemen' in a very heavy handed fashion, it implies that no parent knows better then the school what is best for their child, and more

I don't understand your post arohaitis. Are you saying both your DCs have not had any days off school but attendance % suggests otherwise?

I only ask because one of my DCs had something like 98% attendance on her report (older DC 100%, same school) and she was in school every day The school even admitted as much when I queried it but couldn't explain why her attendance wasn't 100%

I think the holidays system is rubbish anyway. We should have six 2 week holidays - this would spread the load and ensure that parents have more flexibility. And that children aren't hanging about alone or on the internet for 6 weeks at a time.

Yup
the figures in our case are rubbish, completely unreliable might as well be made up

We should have six 2 week holidays - this would spread the load and ensure that parents have more flexibility.

The two "central" ones in the summer would be a nightmare for booking holidays, however, and employers would therefore hate it.

passedgo, in terms of having 2 weeks off in October and 2 weeks off in Feb, I think there would be far more kids playing on the internet or watching Scooby do for 12 hour stretches (because of rubbish weather). I hate those half terms as it is, and they're only a week long. I think I may top myself if they lasted 2 weeks.

Agreed Merry and Friday on holidays. I particularly loathe the February half term. Oh thanks very much - a week off to miserably sludge through grey, brown sludgey sleet.

Basically, it's easier to organise childcare in big chunks, rather than bits here and there.

I have challenged queried attendance reports and had them corrected. It's worth doing as if it's a mistake it reflects badly on the school as well.

But maybe the schools in Scotland are a bit more prepared to admit mistakes sensible

As Euphemia says, HTs up here (especially in primary school) will usually say, "We can't authorize it but have great time! ".

I had to challenge ds' interim report which included attendance as he had a few "unauthorised" absences - all of which coincided with times he was in "School of Rugby" classes. The HOY got back to me and said that they had picked up the issue and attached his revised 100% record.

What I hadn't said in my (non-accusatory and constructive) email was that I wanted ds' record to be as good as possible as I may be needing two unauthorised days in February if we want to go skiing as we don't get a full week off here

passedgo I have commented on the issue of term time holidays many times and don't want to unduly bore others but... We cannot, ever, take our holidays with our children in school holiday time. no ifs no buts we cant. neither can the staff that we employ. if they request leave in any school holiday it will be refused, its in their contract. we are not alone in this. many people work in industries which have the bulk of their work when kids are on school hols. many people share offices/workplaces with other parents. imagine you work in an office with 6 other parents and you are only allowed 1 of you off at a time. this means someone doesn't get school summer hols doesn't it. it wouldn't matter how the holidays were configured in my kids school - 7 terms, 5 terms, 8 terms, 2 weeks at Easter, 3 weeks half term whatever, we could not go on holiday during the school holidays of the local schools my kids attend. our only option is to either take 1 or 2 night weekend breaks or do as we have done and go on holiday separately with our children. we don't want to do this. we want to holiday altogether as a family. under the old rules, we spoke to the heads, agreed the dates they wanted us to take our hols in school term time, how long they would allow and we took them. Not always good/convenient dates but no matter. it had nothing to do with cost. Now, we face the prospect because a v tough line is being taken by our LEA of never ever being able to go on holiday as a family again. some places are giving exemptions but ours aren't. when the heads were free to decide it worked. just wait until January when others in professions like ours suddenly wake up to this fact.

You have my sympathy mummymeister, I would hate to be in your position but please remember who is to blame here. Local authorities and schools did not make these changes, the Government did, and that is who we need to complain to. I'm not sure that Gove intended to set parents against teachers when he decided to enforce such an inflexible regime but that's what seems to be happening.
Who is actually benefiting from the latest crack-down, eh? Families will either miss out on holidays together or come into conflict with schools, HTs can either piss off parents by refusing to authorise or they try to convince the inspectors at their next OFSTED that the schools low attendance figures are not a problem because the parents and kids really enjoyed their holidays.

Hi WEareEternal - yes it has kicked off somewhat.

I take it you still have no news?

Weareeternal, I always wanted to start a thread that kicked off .

Place marking with interest!

This is insane and one reason I am seriously considering leaving this country before ds1 starts school next year.

I am Irish and there WILL be funerals etc in school term time. I don't really see how any school has the right to dictate whether or not our family can attend let alone fine us. It is utter nonsense. Time for us to move methinks.

Also let's remember this week we've had little Hamzah Khan's serious case review. He spent two years dead in a cot and never presented to school, his siblings accounts of dv and asking to be removed from the home went nowhere and yet apparently it was 'just onr of those things', couldn't have been predicted.

Yet a school can fine a family and it can be deemed a criminal offence to miss a day or two of school....

There's something rotten in the heart of Denmark.

Have just read this thread with horror. OP I hope you get an apology soon from the school. I am immensely saddened by the funeral decision.

The HT is behaving like this as attendance rates can affect the Ofsted rating.

When the tail wags the dog like this we have lost our humanity and any HT doing this should be ashamed of themselves.

I had four kids in my class absent today. One of the parents left an answerphone message saying "x isn't coming to school today," with no further explanation.
When another lad didn't answer his name during the register, there was a chorus of "oh he won't be in because he's on holiday." I asked how they knew and a number of the kids said he'd told them all the day before that he was going to Spain for a week. Sibling was also out and no one answered the phone at home when the office called (as is standard).
I thought of this thread! I wonder if he'll turn up next week - phone calls to the home (and mobile I think) will be made every day if not. I'm wondering if the HT will send a letter saying we've been "led to believe they're on holiday."