To think the 'unauthorised abscence' is not justified in some situations?

[elk4baby]

I don't want to drip feed, so this may be a bit of a read. Please forgive me.

I've just had a message from the school secretary saying my DS not coming to school (infants') because of advserse weather will be recorded as 'unauthorised abscence'. (Yesterday, this school closed just after noon, btw - asking all parents to come collect early)

Now, before you all throw stones at me, let me explain our specific situation and the reasons why I've kept him home these past two days:

• We've had some heavy snowfall here. I'm talking a good 20cm still uniformly covering the ground, not mere 'dusting' like some places.
• We live at the bottom of a steeply sloped appendix road that, while public, is too narrow and insignificant for the council to clear. So it doesn't get cleared, ever. No vehicles have made it in or out of here for two days now.
• The average age of our neighbours is around 80 yrs (yes, I'm serious), so it's either me or the man with a bad back down the road doing it. This is important, because...
• I've herniated and badly broken/shattered a disc in my back shoveling our road five years ago. Only done less than half before collapsing in a heap and then spending the following four weeks camping out on our kitchen floor unable to walk the stairs to the bedroom or even get to the loo. (I'd broken another one two years ago just after having DD, so now officially have two broken discs in my spine). This has made me absolutely terrified of falling!
• I have three children. DS1's school has remained closed for the past two days (they definitely stay on the 'better safe than sorry' side), and likely to stay closed tomorrow and even Friday - just had a letter from the headmaster saying this.

DS2 is whose school said it will book his abscense as 'unauthorised'. DD is only 2, so in a pushchair *. I do not have anyone nearby to rely on for childcare (DH works really long hours, so the school runs are all mine). For me to walk DS2 to school would involve taking all three along. The route invloves walking not only up our sloped appenix, but then down a really steep hill on the larger road before getting onto a main road that's likely cleared by now (no alternative route at all). The pavements on the said larger road have not been cleared either (again council priorities and all...). This would be twice there and back in a day for drop off and pick up.

Was I wrong making the decision not to take DS2 to school because it would not be safe to do so? Or are all parents expected to 'battle through', regardless of specific circumstances?

AIBU to maybe send a message to the headteacher explaining the above? WWYD?

I wouldn't even go into that much detail. Tell the head you can't make it in.
Enjoy the snow

I would roll my eyes at them and accept they record it as unauthorised. Don’t let the buggers get you down. I think that it’s part of their protocol that it has to be recorded as unauthorised. I wouldn’t worry about it just take care and keep warm!

I really wouldn’t give it another thought
The Head probably can’t authorise the absence but it doesn’t matter, there won’t be any consequences.

I'd tell them to record it as whatever the fuck they want because I couldn't care less!

Don’t stress about it. Seriously. Unless your DS’s attendance is usually poor, then it’s just a formality.

Your DS’s school is open, you DS is not there because of snow. HT can’t “authorise” absences any more unless extremely specific circumstances, so everything must be recorded as “unauthorised”. That’s all it is. Red tape. You don’t need to worry.

Stay safe.

I wouldn't worry about it either, one day unauthorised isn't going to make much difference. I understand your position, I'm recovering from an operation at the moment so can't drive or walk and while I have arrangements to get my kids into school, I wouldn't be able to get them home again if we get the predicted snowfall during the day tomorrow so I'm debating keeping them home just in case. We also live up a steep, single track lane and would have a way to go to even reach a gritted road.

Does it matter that it’s not authorised really?

I don’t think it is wrong that it is unauthorised tbh but either way it makes no difference!

Unauthorized absence is something for schools to worry about for their own statistics. It will make absolutely no difference to your DS in any way at primary school age. So enjoy the snow and let them worry about how they record the absence

Would we not get fined by the council or LEA or whoever is issuing the fines for abscences?

id send a note in when your child goes back to school just confirming that your child didn't come in due to the exceptionally bad weather making travel extremely dangerous

it probably wont change their mind but at least its on record should you need more time off at a later date.

Write back,state there is widespread travel disruption this week and no safe way to make the journey (sibling's school is totally closed) and say that in these circumstances they can use Code Y in the school register.

For info: Code Y: Unable to attend due to exceptional circumstances
This code can be used where a pupil is unable to attend because:
• The school site, or part of it, is closed due to an unavoidable cause; or
• The transport provided by the school or a local authority is not available and where
the pupil’s home is not within walking distance; or
• A local or national emergency has resulted in widespread disruption to travel which has prevented the pupil from attending school

Snow counts an emergency for this.

The school will be aware what code Y is for, and getting snippy and telling them what code to use won’t make them change their mind!

(Trust me on this. I’m a Governor).

Having a reasonable chat with them to explain why your DS was absent will help school understand that there was a genuine reason and it wasn’t that you just couldn’t be bothered to get him there.

Also unauthorised absences need to be 10 sessions missed (5 days) to trigger the fine process.

Thank you, all so much!

And thank you, meditrina! I didn't know they had such a 'code' for these things.

I believe there was another thread here saying how some parents are utterly disprespectful to staff and other parents because they choose not to take their children to school because of the snow. I just feel such an assumption isn't universally applicable and a bit unfair - not all parent's choose to not take their kids to school.

Btw, the same school has said its reception classes will be supervised, but the day won't be curriculum based because some staff were unable to make it to the school today...

All the primary schools are close minus ours the snow here is thick roads are bad they even shut flyover,all local colleges, university and secondary school. Yet we are expected to brave the elements. I’m not taking my dc to school tomorrow it’s already a billzard again so tomorrow will be even worse than today.

I wasn't meaning to recommend snippiness, just pointing out what could (and IMO should) be done. 'The school' might know about register codes (indeed damned well should) but I would never exclude the possibility of new admin staff who have not come across this issue and who need a heads up. The points I made are all valid, and can be written in to a friendly email.

After all, as a governor, wouldn't you want your school admin staff to default to code Y in a week such as this?

Take a look at the school's adverse or severe weather policy. That ought to cover absence recording.

Generally speaking, if you can demonstrate that it would be unsafe for you to attempt to bring the child to school and there are no alternatives possible they may consider an authorised mark. But it depends on the policy of the individual school so that's the starting point to see if you should ask them to reconsider.

There have been cases of parents being fined for taking an unauthorised holiday. But I've never heard of it for a day or two for reasons like this. I'd tell them clearly (by email, so you have a trail) why DS can't attend, and leave them record it as they choose.

I would have replied with 'adverse weather? I think you must have misheard me, he has a stomach bug'