To not know what to do about my son who pretended he went to a different school?

[chasethebear]

My son started year 9 this September. He has a lot of friends at the other secondary school. They started a day earlier than his school did and thought it would be hilarious to go into school with his friends. Apparently they spent most of the morning trying to figure out which classes he was in and caused an uproar at the school. They ended up putting him in classes and telling him they'll sort him out on the system ASAP. DS then obviously never went back and attended his actual school. I have no idea what to do about it. I haven't been contacted and no other word has been said but I hate to think what the other school have done.

Ok, slight change when I've misread that he had been to this school previously.

But the point still stands. All this uproar of the unexpected student on day 1, and yet not a peep to find out why he's missed day 2, 3, every session since?

Off to a new school? What?

*Didn't contact

This has happened in the school I work in, mid term. The girls were quite clever as the put the 'outsider' in lessons where there was supply cover. She managed to get to third lesson before she was rumbled. My elder DB often used to rock up at my secondary school and play rugby fixtures for them.

^Just because you typed it, doesn't make it true.
Does troll hunting still count when it's complete fantasy on the behalf of the hunter?^

good question! Is it troll hunting if you’re just making stuff up that’s not in the post and doesn’t appear to be true, in order to show that someone else is making stuff up?

Hilarious!

But the point still stands. All this uproar of the unexpected student on day 1, and yet not a peep to find out why he's missed day 2, 3, every session since?

Well that is pretty much what the OP asked, so yes.

I work in a school and can see this happening! If a new pupil comes in you can't shine a light in their face and interrogate then about where they've come from. You say "oh sorry Johnny, take a seat and we'll sort you with a writing book". You silently panic assuming there's been an admin fuck up or missed email somewhere, will sort it out with the School office at break and You don't say loudly that they're not on your register for fear of embarrassing them.

I have properly laughed out loud here OP. Sounds like great lad. I can see there are not-so-funny sides but overall no harm done.

We had a long running series of pranks at my school where a pupil kept hiding kippers around the place. We’d all wonder where one would turn up next.

@Courtney555 I think you've misunderstood.

He goes to a secondary school that's years 7-13 (ages 11-18) and has been there since year 7.

Some of his friends (the ones who were in on this) go to a different secondary (also years 7-13) they don't know my son their. He pretended he was joining that school and the school said he isn't on their lists but found him some classes and said they'd sort it out ASAP.

He never returned back to that school and started his school the next day (his school's first day)

@Courtney555 there probably IS a peep about where the hell the boy who's name they couldn't find is on day 2, but because he's not there he'll never know!

He’d have spent the morning sitting in Reception while they processed his (non existent) paperwork, if this really happened. Not told to pick a classroom to hang out in.

They ended up putting him in classes and telling him they'll sort him out on the system ASAP.

I agree with worra on this, as it reads as though he was picked up on it and the school just let it happen. Any school would be chasing him up for details and contacting parents for confirmation.

The only way that this could have happened is if he went in to the lessons with his mates and just kept quiet all day. As at the first sign of fuss and not being on the system he should/would have been sent to the main office to have information sorted.

I think it's really funny and agree if he can channel this into something useful he'll go far.
Punishment for wasting teachers time, a review of the differences of the school. Given he was only there for a day, it wouldn't be too extensive.

Did he learn anything?

To be fair OP you should probably highlight the importance of safeguarding / potential consequences to him. And he should write a letter of apology to the other school for the chaos. In the grand scheme of things though, if this is the 'worst' thing my DCs do at age 13 I'll be quite pleased

How do you think he can channel this into something useful, Romany? The mind boggles.

He pretended he was joining that school and the school said he isn't on their lists but found him some classes and said they'd sort it out ASAP.

And when they asked him the name of his last school so they could contact them (which is the first thing they'd do), what did he say?

Also, how did he stop them from contacting you or his dad, which is something they'd obviously do too?

It's a school, not a youth club. They don't just let strangers hang around for a day without trying to find out who they are.

I think OP mentioned her son was starting year 9 just for context. Not that he was starting year 9 in a different school.

Hilarious OP. I wouldn't have dared do anything like that at his age. He will go far

I think it's very plausible if he just went to regular lessons. I frequently have had kids moved into my classes with no warning. You usually just stick them at a desk and chase it up later. No time for that in lessons!

How do you think he can channel this into something useful, Romany? The mind boggles.

Presenting Jackanory

I actually haven't asked him if he used fake information or not. I assumed he used his real stuff and had been sitting her very puzzled about not being contacted, hence mentioning that in my original post.

I can only assumed he made up some bs. Need have a proper word about this. I was honestly very confused when he first told me and we did talk but I just assumed he used his actual info.

I once snuck (sneaked?) two boys into my school - which was all girls, dressed in my school uniform. It was the 70s, so they had fairly long hair - and it was nearly the end of term (think I would have been 16 at the time) so the usual routine was disrupted. No one (well no staff members) noticed! It was only for a couple of hours, and we still laugh about it now we're in our 50s and 60s. I remember being a bit upset that my school skirts fitted them - but I have always been rather large of waist and apple shaped :) I totally believe you OP!

Seems very odd for my DS to have made this up, especially how he was telling me.

I'm a teacher in secondary and yes this could easily happen. He probably never went to school reception/office at all, because they would have queried the lack of paperwork. However, subject teachers are used to new pupils turning up at little or no notice, sometimes as a result of unhappy circumstances. The last thing you would want to do to a new child is interrogate them in front of the class about who they are and why they are suddenly there. You introduce yourself, find out their name and find them a seat and a book. You assume the admin will eventually catch up. And if you don't see them again you assume that after testing they were moved to a different set, or decided the school was not for them and left again. If a boy walks into school in borrowed uniform and bypasses reception to go straight into first lesson, how would a subject teacher know he isn't supposed to be there?