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AIBU?

to think DD shouldn't be marked absent when she was in the wrong classroom

64 replies

MissingMySleep · 15/02/2017 11:08

I might be wrong, but I noticed an "unauthorised absence" on my daughter's school record, so emailed the school to see what this was.

A few weeks ago she and her friend (they are 11) went to the library at lunchtime, which they are allowed to do. When the bell went, they tried to leave but the supply teacher coming into that room, shouted at them and told them to sit down, as she was convinced they were part of that class. The girls have no idea who this woman is. She would not listen to them when the said they were not part of that class. As year 7s they were not very ocnfident to speak up. After some time she was distracted so they nipped out and ran to their actual lesson.

At this point the pastoral teacher who had been looking for them as they hadn't turned up to registration saw them running to their lesson and throught they were running away from her. She went mad as she had been looking for them and thought they might be missing.

The school hasn't bothered to check with the supply teacher that the girls were telling the truth. They have had had massive negative points (the school uses Go4Schools to give positive and negative points for behaviour) and they were both marked as absent.

I wasn't that bothered about the incident, as I figure I have to leave that to the school, but I did feel sorry for DD, who is very very well behaved at school and always has been.

However I am now annoyed to see an unauthorised absence recorded for a period of time that she was at school, was in their care, and couldn't get to registration due to a numpty supply teacher.

Should I just let it go? Advice gratefully received.

OP posts:

Report

AlexanderBerry · 15/02/2017 17:50

What detentions did she get?

SuburbanRhonda · 15/02/2017 17:32

If the code on her registration certificate is U, that does not mean the school thnkd she is not in the building. It means she came in to the class after close of registers. So there is no fire safety or any other safeguarding issue involved.

MissingMySleep · 15/02/2017 14:59

I told her to take the punishments, and I agreed that she didn't deserve them, but that we had too much else that was much more important to think about at that time. We decided not to worry about it further.

I was just asking whether I should be concerned that they have marked it as absence. You are right, her email said unauthorised late, but the system shows it as absent - I have got it muddled.

I have realised I don't care about it as much as I thought I did - but thanks for all the replies.

OP posts:

BalloonSlayer · 15/02/2017 14:21

Sorry that should have read "But knowing who is where in case of a fire is one of the reasons . . ."

BalloonSlayer · 15/02/2017 14:20

If they mark kids as absent and then don't change it to 'late' when they arrive then how do they know who is there in the event of a fire?

The teacher would remember that the students were late and add them when assembling for the fire.

But knowing who is where is one of the reasons why schools have to be so strict about penalising students who arrive late.

Because with a rowdy class, if you take the register, start the lesson, break off to enter a note about a student arriving 3 minutes late, start the lesson again, break off to enter a note about a student arriving 5 minutes late, start the lesson again . . . well you've probably lost them by then.

Most teachers get around this by not doing the register until 10 minutes or so into the lesson. But then they are even more likely to forget to do it at all.

It is a problem.

Buck3t · 15/02/2017 14:19

What is it with our children that the moment they leave our houses and enter into an educational establishment they become liars. And what is it with humans that are teachers, never possibly making a mistake. SMH.

You know what OP tell your daughter, life is just unfair and she should take this incident at 11 as a learning opportunity. Get to her class earlier and accept everything that is thrown her way, as being late for her class, warranted everything else since then. Do nothing to challenge it, as adults feel safer this way.

Everytime I am on one of these threads the child was lying. For the record I actually know teachers who lie too. And their educating your children.

samlovesdilys · 15/02/2017 14:18

Katy07 I'm guessing it was raining that day...fwiw I would have thought the school would WANT the mark changed for their attendance figures....

bumsexatthebingo · 15/02/2017 14:12

But you said on page 1 that you had been told that 'U' meant unauthorised late - after registration has closed?

MissingMySleep · 15/02/2017 14:07

no, she has been marked unauthorised absent

OP posts:

Trifleorbust · 15/02/2017 14:05

Katy07:

Katy07 · 15/02/2017 14:02

So a crush of people had manged to get to the library for their lesson from elsewhere in the school before your dd could even leave the room? They all entered seconds after the bell???
I get a warm fuzzy feeling knowing that somewhere out there is a whole class of children so keen to learn that they're crowded around a door before the bell even rings.

Trifleorbust · 15/02/2017 13:52

BurningBridges: I don't think it's automatic at all. I think this particular story sounds unlikely. I've been around long enough to know (most of the time) when someone is taking me out for a walk.

voxnihili · 15/02/2017 13:52

She hasn't been marked as unauthorised absent, she has been marked as unauthorised late. She was late and so has been recorded correctly. It is really important that register codes are correct in case of an incident. For example, something potentially could have happened within the school within those 20 minutes and they need to look back and find all of those students who weren't where they were supposed to be. The only time I've ever changed the register is when a child has been brought to me by another member of staff who has been with them the entire time.

If things were as your daughter said then the punishments seem a little harsh. It may be policy though and sometimes it is easier to follow it rather than make exceptions. Use this as a lesson to her though - she needs to be a little more assertive. I took a trip out once and a student asked if she could go into a shop, I said no as we were really pushed for time. She then said 'but Miss I need to get some tampons' - I let her go in straight away. She needs to learn that it is ok to question authority when she has a valid point, as long as she does it in a respectful way.

bumsexatthebingo · 15/02/2017 13:44

I usually give every benefit of the doubt to the child on these threads and think they should be believed but by the childs own admission she was still in the library when people were arriving for lessons so she had left it too late to get to hers.

BurningBridges · 15/02/2017 13:33

Why are kids always lying? Reasonable and I presume usually kind people on MN seem to automatically think if a child is saying an adult did something wrong they must be lying? Do you (not you personally Trifle I mean everyone and anyone) not see the implications of that attitude?

It sounds entirely plausible to me, based on what I've seen working in schools.

Trifleorbust · 15/02/2017 13:10

BurningBridges:

She doesn't have to. But in my humble opinion, that story has 'massaged' stamped all over it.

bumsexatthebingo · 15/02/2017 13:00

So a crush of people had manged to get to the library for their lesson from elsewhere in the school before your dd could even leave the room? They all entered seconds after the bell???
She couldn't get through because people were coming in who were attending there lesson on time. She was therefore already late for her lesson.
You are doing her no favours arguing the toss here.

BurningBridges · 15/02/2017 12:59

their HOY saw them running whilst they were trying to 'escape' the supply teacher but they didn't see her and think to stop and explain.

I've just picked this quote at random as there were so many corkers in this thread - are you all on glue?! Why in gods name should this family accept detention etc because the supply teacher made a stupid mistake? These kids are 11 - why should it be up to them to constantly try to challenge rude and confrontational adults? That's your job OP and your e-mail is the least you should be doing.

Are you seriously telling me that if this happened to you as an adult you would accept it? So why would anyone sit back and allow it to happen to their kids? But one thing I do agree with you on is that its not a big deal, in that the school can simply apologise,put the record straight and move on. Your poor DD.

MissingMySleep · 15/02/2017 12:48

and going to the library at lunchtime is something that they are allowed to do

OP posts:

MissingMySleep · 15/02/2017 12:48

yes I think the most important thing is that I do believe her

she has never been naughty at school before

she is a small 11 year old in her first year at high school

she is a high achiever

she loves science, the lesson that she was not at

she told me that they got up to leave when the bell went but could not get through the crush of people coming through the door

this sounds reasonable to me

I think that the posters have given good advise and I will just drop it

and the mark is unauthorised absent not late, so that is a good point re fire safety

OP posts:

bumsexatthebingo · 15/02/2017 12:39

Ahhh! My fault for only reading the op.
I think that's fair enough tbh. If the kids were there long enough for the supply to have asked them to sit down for the lesson she was taking then they would have been late for the lesson they should have been at wouldn't they?

Buck3t · 15/02/2017 12:36

You know maybe in the great scheme of things this is not a big deal. But do you know what is a bid deal? Feeling helpless when no-one believes you. Not even your parents. The worst thing about the unfairness that sometimes took place at school, was that my parents (without a doubt) always backed up the school. Even if the action didn't sound at all like me.

There is supporting the school and then there is your child's feelings of self-worth and importance. I know what I'm going to choose each and every day. Personally, if a teacher sends that snotty email to me, I'm sitting on hands stopping myself from sending one back, as she clearly has the wrong end of the stick. I think you have handled it well so far.

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Merlin40 · 15/02/2017 12:34

If they mark kids as absent and then don't change it to 'late' when they arrive then how do they know who is there in the event of a fire?
They didn't mark her absent, they marked her late (but unauthorised late -'after the register closed')

SideOfFoot · 15/02/2017 12:32

Your email is fine, I would have followed it up too, different circumstances but my DD was marked for a half day authorised absence, I have no idea why, she was never off or late. i phoned the school and asked them to correct it. You have done the right thing.

noblegiraffe · 15/02/2017 12:30

Kids are supposed to sign in and out of school if they are late or leave early.

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