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?

Thank God all the HTs I've worked for have been reasonable human beings.

I really think this needs escalating to Governors and LA too.

I think this is a MN campaign waiting to happen

I would have been incandescent if this had happened to me (all my kids long past primary school now thank god)

I am outraged for you. The only (frankly laughable) explanation I can think of for them to think you were on holiday is because perhaps your son went into school sometime after his 2 days absence talking about a past or future trip to X town. As you have family there and your DS I assume is somewhat familiar with the town - he may have described in some detail what he did (on one of his many previous visits) and the detail will infact ring true with the staff - except the crucial detail of as to WHEN the trip occurred or was to occur.

Even if this is the case, I cannot believe they would write such a ridiculous letter and base the absence of something a child says.

The school are on very shaky ground.

Tbh - if this was me I would be bloody livid and I would be looking to publicly ridicule the school in this if they did not apologise and set the absence as sickness.

I would suggest you put in writing - even if you turn up and wait to speak to the head or the pompous letter writer in person how unhappy you are with the letter and that "we are led to believe" in itself is NOT a factual sentence. Request the detailed info that leads them to accuse you of being a fraud and a liar and taking DS on holiday to X town. I would be requesting all info held and state the Data Protection Act as some posters above has suggested. (Have a quick read of it online to see the timescale they have to provide you the info and demand it is given to you by that deadline). Obviously state in that letter that DS was sick and you were not away. Request a written reply and apology and for all information to be kept of DS school file.

I would copy the letter to the governers, LEA etc

Its important that even if you stay to discuss this with staff at the school on Monday that you put this complaint in writing so it goes on your sons file, so they are forced to respond to all your points raised and if anything happens again (I assume your son still has a few years at the school to go) there is evidence, not just your say of what has happend. Also even if you do discuss and come to friendly conclusion on Monday ask for written confirmation of everything discussed, absence will be recorded as sickness, you wont be fined and an apology for accusing you of fraud and being a liar as well as acting of bullshit info they have no evidence to back up.

I would make them really regret sending such a poorly thought out letter.
I somehow think they will shit themselves and realise they are up shitcreek without a paddle if you quote acts at them because their initial letter is just so slack in formal writing, I sense they are clutching at straws.

I suspect the HT may try and brush this under the carpet when challenged and be smarmy, claim a big misunderstanding blah blah etc etc. Hence the need to put it in writing and demand a response in writing. The school sound nuts and I would want protection for the future years my DC may have at the school.

Good luck and please do let us know how you get on. I am not too hot on letter writing tbh but I am sure plenty of people on here could help you write a shit hot letter over the weekend.

I'm not sure you need to waste your time attempting to see the HT. And PLEASE do not race around trying to find evidence of anything.

Write a letter (not an email) something like:

'Following your letter requiring further evidence of my ds's illness on dates X and Y under the threat of a possible fine for unauthorised absence, I cannot see why this should be necessary. I believe I followed the school's published policies on sickness absence. Please inform me if these policies have changed.

Any information you have received that we were on holiday on those dates is not correct.

Yours sincerely
Dr xX BSc MRCGP etc etc

cc Ms/Mr XY, Parent Governor'

and obviously keep a copy.

Oh yes, and pay for registered delivery, even if the school is 20 yards away.

cory, I was sure my friend's ht was the only cold hearted crazy one to deny a terminally ill parent a last holiday with their child simply because it was term time. I am stunned to learn that your friend faced the same refusal.

What the hell is going on when new procedures are put above basic human compassion? How can it be that this mother's company will give her 4wks off to spend with her dying husband yet her children's school will not agree to the same?

This could be a handy reference point if you want to request info through the Data Protection Act www.ico.org.uk/for_the_public/personal_information

However, due to the charges involved I think I would ask the school initially to provide certain info - the evidence of your call, the info that lead them to believe the bullshit, when prior to this letter they requested proof etc etc.

If they get arsey or claim they cannot then threaten the Data Protection Act and apply if they still can't/won't/don't provide the relevant info.

I would really drag this out for them and make it every bit as painful as possible. Not just to make sure the record gets put straight but so they don't arse around with you ever again. Do you have other DC that may attend this school in future?

I simply cannot believe that they wrote such a letter, accusing you, basically, of lying. In our school, even when we do "know" that a family has been on holiday, if the parent says the child is ill, we have to accept it.

Don't copy in the Parent Governors in any letters. CoG only.

Oh really (re chair of govenors)? Sorry about that makes sense.

You haven't actually managed to speak to the person who sent the letter and who deals with attendance. Couldn't it just be a simple mistake??

beastof

OOOOH sock have you had the baby yet?

Yes indeed I have, she's 11 days old very tiny and we had to stay in hospital for just over a week but we are home now and both fine.

Who gets to keep the money from fines? Only I find it highly suspicious that they're so quick to collect money.

No I haven't actually spoken to anyone about it yet.

When I phoned the school yesterday the receptionist took all of the info and wrote it down (she let me explain the whole thing) before telling me that the person who deals with attendance was 'out' and would call me back, but they never did.
At pick up I went in earlier hoping to talk to someone but was basically told everyone was unavailable and that I needed to call the appropriate person.

I tried to call again when we go home but there was no answer.

I don't see how the letter can be a mistake, it clearly says DS was off on Thursday and Friday (which he was) to called and said he was unwell (which I did) but we are led to believe that you were in fact on a holiday in X city (which we were not but we do have ties to the city)

After we found out we were going to be fined for attending the funeral I contacted the LEA, they told me that they are the ones who issue the fine, on the say so of the HT, the fine money is just put into the councils budget and it doesn't actual go towards anything school related, which does seem a little ridiculous to me.

This is absolutely bloody ridiculous. I despair of what's going on in education at the moment.

Write back telling them that they have been 'led to believe' incorrectly a as per your phone call/s, your son was I'll.

And how is 'led to believe' in any way good enough against what you have told them without proof?

Could be worth putting the frighteners on the school by pointing out that whoever is saying that you were on holiday is guilty of slander/libel and you want their details because you are considering taking it further.

The funeral event was one thing. They knew you were going to a funeral and they didn't authorise it and your son missed school.

This is quite another. They just seem to have pulled this "holiday" out of thin air.
They should provide evidence, not the other way around. There is no way I'd pay any fine now and I'd be complaining all the way.

Beggars belief but I'm not surprised at schools behaviour,
My DC was off school a few years ago (in year 7) as he kept having fainting episodes followed by bad stomach pains, I kept him off for a few days and went into the school to explain what was going on and that we had seen GP etc,
I then had a phone call from school asking when he would be back, so on the Monday I nervously sent him back knowing he could have a funny turn at any time, or could go for hours and be fine,
Well he did indeed have a 'turn' and instead of phoning me,the school called an ambulance!! And as I worked at the hospital I said I would meet the ambulance there (I knew he would be fine within 5 minutes) the school refused so I had to come out of work, make a 10 min trip home from hospital, to then get in the ambulance to go back to the hospital!!
Common sense?! There is none

Well, honeybeer in that scenario, it was probably not a lack of common sense, but more likely that an adult, preferably a parent, was presumably needed to accompany your son in the ambulance.

Yes clam but they wouldn't let my other DC travel in the ambulance with him,who was 19 years old and at home, 2 mins away from the school, they insisted on waiting for me, thus delaying the ambulance and any treatment that was needed