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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Child reporting absence to school - Safeguarding

24 replies

SandyY2K · 27/02/2018 12:07

This is more for teachers/people who work in schools ...but happy for opinions from all....of a what would your school do...

If a pupil didnt come to school and hadn't been reported absent by their parent.

Then you when the parent is called they tell you to go and ask the child's sibling (who attends the school) why she isnt in and hangs up.

About an hour later the absent child (year 5) phones the school to say she's unwell with a tummy ache.

Would you expect this to be raised ad a safeguarding concern?

OP posts:
Snowysky20009 · 27/02/2018 12:16

I would say yes. So many questions.
Why does the parent not know where the child is? Who is the child with? Assuming my themselves or an appropriate adult would have called.
Sounds like they are home alone. Mum left them to it, and the child did not go to school. How old is the sibling?? What did the sibling say?

TabbyMumz · 27/02/2018 12:16

Isn't this a question for the head or safeguarding lead? Not sure you should go on advice from mumsnet on this one?

Iamagreyhoundhearmeroar · 27/02/2018 12:17

Yes, I would.

Tinseltower · 27/02/2018 12:19

What did the sibling say? Unless they were with another adult last night and therefore the parent you phoned didn’t know then yes it’s a safeguarding issue. To be honest the hostily of the parent is enough on it’s own.

FusionChefGeoff · 27/02/2018 12:20

Sounds very odd to me - I'd want to look a bit further into it

TeaBelle · 27/02/2018 12:22

The appropriate staff member should explore more before deciding

Iamagreyhoundhearmeroar · 27/02/2018 12:24

The child currently in school should be accompanied home, at the very least. It does sound like a home alone situation.

CoffeAndCream · 27/02/2018 12:27

Yes - this should raise serious concerns and would need to be followed up asap.

toriatoriatoria · 27/02/2018 12:40

The parent's reaction seems really strange so I'd expect it to be raised as concern.

Skarossinkplunger · 27/02/2018 12:50

Report it to the safeguarding lead. A home
visit needs to be done to find out whether the child is home alone and if so the police and SS need to be informed.

If you’re school staff I’m shocked that you even need to ask.

CotswoldStrife · 27/02/2018 12:55

It would certainly warrant some minor investigations, such as checking whether the siblings were subject to joint residency and may have been at the other parent's house before coming to school that day.

Are you one of the parents involved or the staff of the school?

cliffdiver · 27/02/2018 12:57

If you work in a school you need to log it and report to your DSL (hopefully you know this).

Original poster
SandyY2K · 27/02/2018 13:04

How old is the sibling?

Year 6.

What did the sibling say?

The sibling wasn't asked, as it was deemed inappropriate.

If you’re school staff I’m shocked that you even need to ask.

I'm not school staff.

I am a governor with responsibility for safeguarding in another school (my DDs) and I'm just rather shocked that this matter wasn't treated as a safeguarding concern by the school.

Even my DD18 doing A levels is sick...I'm expected to call in as her parent and rightfully so.

This is how missed opportunities on cases of child neglect arise.

OP posts:
Birdbath99 · 27/02/2018 13:07

I work in a school. They have until 9:30 to report. Then i call them to enquire about the absence. Must come from the parent/guardian. Not a sibling.

What you have said id speak to the head and he/she would call the safeguarding officer.

Iamagreyhoundhearmeroar · 27/02/2018 13:08

So it wasn't followed up at all??

RedHelenB · 27/02/2018 13:14

Think most schools would ask a sibling thwt wad in school but obviously it needs to come from a parent.

Skarossinkplunger · 27/02/2018 14:33

I’m appalled that this hasn’t been dealt with appropriately. If something happened and there was a serious case review the school would rightly be hauled over the coals.

Legwarmersareohsoeighties · 27/02/2018 14:40

Of course

HollyBayTree · 27/02/2018 14:45

Red flags all over.

On the assumption it was the parent who said to ask the Y5 child - and not the Y6 child - coz I'd have a suspicion of truanting, with one child trying to make theother do do his/her dirty work.

It would be inappropriate to ask a sibling.

But normally if there is any foul play, both would be kept off. Eg, step dad had given one child a right good hammering and that child couldnt go to school. They wouldnt risk the other child telling tales, and keep that child home too

Original poster
SandyY2K · 27/02/2018 15:01

On the assumption it was the parent who said to ask the Y5 child - and not the Y6 child

It was definitely the parent who said this and not the sibling.

So it wasn't followed up at all??

No. I think the school are fed up with this particular family, but I found it odd that they didn't do more.

I know the family from a distance. An older sibling is the same age as one of my DC (and we go to the same church)...but they are in different high schools now.

I know schools are busy...and I reckon this is how things slip...not that its a deliberate case of not caring....but I question how a parent thinks it's appropriate for a child to report their absence.

OP posts:
SandyDenny · 27/02/2018 15:09

I would expect a small red flag at least. Was the Mum at work and unable to talk? I'd assume she left the house before the children and expected them to walk to school together, hence saying ask the sibling.

I don't see why that's inappropriate as a starting point for the school but it shouldn't be the only enquiry they make.

Without knowing all the background and details I don't see that anyone here can validly comment.

Again if the Mum can't call from her work during the day the call from the child is explainable

GrumpyOldBagFace · 27/02/2018 19:47

This wouldn't make the threshold for the local area where I work unless there's other issues.

Witchend · 27/02/2018 19:51

I would guess that year 5 child was trusting and parent wanted school to know but not from them.

Parent reaction was odd, but actually asking the sibling doesn't seem odd to me really. When I was at school that was standard procedure, the school secretary would pop her head round the door and say "hey, Witch, is your dbro ill today?" And I'd say, "yes he was sick last night".

Julie8008 · 27/02/2018 19:51

On the surface yes but you would have to factor in the family situation, so it really takes a person who knows the child to say.

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