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?

What an appalling situation.

So, they've accused OP of lying probably on someone else's misinformed say so.

Bloody disgusting.

I do think schools are losing the ability to apply 'common sense' to absences. I have had issues with my DD's schools refusing to authorise 1.5 hr absence so we could visit a senior school - she is in Year 6 and we had been unable to attend the open evening.

More recently I kept her off school in the morning because of a sore throat and heavy cold (and also because of school swimming that morning) but hoping that she may rally enough to go in for the afternoon and DD desperately wanted to go in later.

I was phoned by the school and told it would be marked as unauthorised absence unless she was in by 11.30 . When I expressed astonishment at this, the response was they didn't have a code to cover the absence!!

Well, she wasn't well, so that's a medical absence surely?!? Having spoken to the head, eventually common sense did prevail but I was angry at being made to feel a bad parent who doesn't care about attendance, which couldn't be further from the truth!

"we are led to believe that DS was in fact on a holiday" absolutely screamed at me when I read the OP

before anything else the school (ie HT) needs to define what "led them to believe" it & if HT refuses (eg on grounds of confidentiality or whatever) then OP needs to go straight to Govs/LEA/MP

this is appalling

Parents of kids who truant are in for a rough time.
I speak as someone who was sent to school everyday, but on the odd day, played in the park all day instead.

My ExH used to take DStD in to school every day, hand her to the head of year, and within half an hour she was gone from the school. What happens then, I wonder?

I've been told I have to provide medical evidence for all DS's absences. I was phoned by them to take him to hospital because he had chest pain. He was diagnosed with chest infection and was not well enough for school the next day. They gave him an unauthorised absence. Our GP says appointments should not be used for getting evidence for school but he has told me if I write him a letter of consent and leave a message if DS is ill he will discuss it with them if they ask!

I would take this to the very top. It is outrageous!

Just for the record, don't overestimate the HT's power on this sort of thing, or underestimate your own voice. Our HT spends a considerable amount of time dealing with the fallout of parents' complaints to governors about far less than your situation. I would be LIVID in your shoes. How DARE they?

This head seems to be absolutely obsessed with demands that parents produce evidence. So turn that back on her: demand that she produce evidence that ds was on holiday.

When I went into the school before picking DS up this afternoon I asked to speak to someone and was told the person who deals with the attendance was 'out' and I had to phone her.
I was told there was nobody else who could speak to me, both the HT and the deputy HT were both unavailable, but it is always hard to arrange to see either of them.

Even if one of DS's class mates had said something, or even DS himself, they are 7, surely the teachers know they can't be 100% reliable.

Well, go in again on Monday. And don't calm down over the weekend!

Schools like this REALLY annoy me - when I think of the lengths mine goes to, to accommodate and help parents. It's just SO unnecessary.

Please let us know what happens next week OP, I am absolutely livid on your behalf.

No, they can't!

Common sense & basic manners should decree that they speak to you about anything they've heard before sending off a stinker like that

If you can make them think twice next time something like this comes up, you will be doing everyone a service

grrr

It might be worth contacting your local authority/council to ask what their scheme is for the issuing of penalty notices. They are required by law to have one and it should detail under what circumstances a fine may be issued.

If the head is not acting in accordance with the LA scheme then I would raise this with the LA as well as the school.

Put simply, what you have arrived at is a difference of opinion. Clearly, the school believes for whatever reason that someone is lying. Unfortunately there is no statitory right of appeal to the issuing of a notice, but you can certainly challenge whoever issued it.

How silly of the Head/ EWO.

Schools have gone ridicolous about unauthorised absence. Ofcourse parents can self certfy for two days.

I don't think that head teachers have the power to dish out unfair fines.

This document outlines circumstances where fix penalties can be used in Essex.

www.essex.gov.uk/Education-Schools/Schools/Attending-School/Documents/Code_of_conduct_penalty_notices_for_parents_of_truants.pdf

Its certainly not for two days sickness or done at the whim of a megamanic head teacher.

statutory

I do think schools are losing the ability to apply 'common sense' to absences

And to a great many other things.

I expect it was a standard letter. They don't have any evidence, they just suspect it because of the funeral thing and it being before a weekend.

Write back and tell them to produce their evidence, if they have any. You have a right under the Data Protection Act to see anything they have recorded about you.

Stick to your guns, there is no way this could stick in court. Just think what employers have to do to prove that staff are faking sick absence - they hire private investigators to take photos of them on the beach or whatever!

Your school is full of s*!

And I'm disgusted about their attitude re the funeral.

This is outrageous! That head teacher sounds horrid really. Funerals, weddings and illnesses? It's hardly booking a cheapo off peak flight is it? What's the point?!

Seems to me that more and more Head's are forgetting that they run a school and not a prison.

Not surprised about the funeral at all. Dd's school told my terminally ill friend that her children could have a week off for a last family holiday- but when the reports came out they had still marked it as unauthorised absence.

This was the school that refused to accept letters from the paedicatrician, specialist clinic, GP, school doctor and school nurse as evidence that dd had a genuine disability.

And when the paediatrician came in and gave them a long talk about how dd's condition affected her ability to function because of chronic pain, the only question they could think of asking her was "but how can we know she is in pain?" The paed looked and muttered "because she will tell you".

This was the HT who finally told me "well, of course we accept that corydd is ill but you can't expect us to be happy about it". Half a year later the HT himself retired due to health issues. I have to say I was very happy about that.

I feel very cross on your behalf OP. And how annoying these things arrive on Fridays when you have to wait until Monday to -strike the jobsworth in the face--. I am a GP and as above would strongly resist having to see these people and of course you can't back date a note if you didn't see the person. I hope you get it sorted.

Well, I would be sitting in Reception waiting for the HT to be available. And I wouldn't care how long I sat there either.

Op - did you ring into school from your land line? And did you make any other calls on your landline those days?

Highlighting your call to them should flag up that you reported the illness as per procedure. They didn't ask you for any other evidence or say you had to provide proof (and if so, what that should be, did they? It's hardly fair to ask for evidence retrospectively).

(You didn't have the tv on in the background when you called did you- something that sounded like an airport by any chance?)

It certainly appears that the HT has lost the ability to apply common sense and compassion to genuine absences. Am gob smacked that the funeral was declined! Agree with Nanny, I would make a point of sitting in the reception area until the HT saw me and I would also write a very stern letter about their misguided assumptions re the absence. Have sent shitty emails into school regarding DS2 sickness when they threatened me with EWO. I soon had a grovelling apology! Nowhere near as bad as this though.

zipzap

No I will have used my mobile, I rarely use the landline as my mobile is never more that 3 inches away always nearby.

But they aren't denying that I called to let them know DS was ill, as per their procedure, they note it in the letter.

No proof was ever mentioned, until this letter.

I couldn't have sat in the reception and waited, there is no chairs for a start, it's such a small area and there was a huge queue of other parents waiting to talk to the receptionist.
Plus I had to get down to DS's building to wait for him to come out.
And at DS's school you have to make an appointment if you want to speak to the head, about anything, even something urgent.

I plan to call on Monday and try to make an appointment though.