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.

Two words - seating plans.

Biscuitsneeded

Good job that I am a teacher then.

Lmao OP just read through the thread & I can't stop laughing 😂😂 your son's a legend why didn't I think of this when I was at school 🙈😁 & for the people who aren't finding this funny take the stick out of your arse & lighten up it was a teenager having a bit of fun that paid off by the sounds of it he never killed anyone ffs 🙄

I would agree with pp above, but am prepared to be corrected - surely someone would verify his identity by checking the previous school and the parents? Schools nowadays just can't let anyone show up and sit in lessons?

Yes I'm possibly over thinking now but in our school the rooms are usually full - it could be sheer luck but did he not go into a classroom where every seat was taken?

I'm surprised by all the teachers saying this could easily happen in their school. It wouldn't happen anywhere I've worked. Proper registration and highlighting anomalies is a legal responsibility for us. It's in the GTCS standards. I wouldn't be cross examining a kid who wasn't on my register but I wouldn't just be shrugging and going "ah, admin!"

You can't be asking them for home address, previous school etc because you don't know why they have arrived so suddenly.

I haven't said that I would be asking them for any of that information, name and timetable is all I need to find out where they are supposed to be.

Then they need to see someone that can sort out their details in private, and remember this is the first day of school so its not like they rocked up mid term.

Even those that rock up with out being on the register would have a timetable.

I think it’s funny 😳

But yes worrying that he got away with it

you can’t be asking them for home address, previous school etc as you don’t know why they arrived so suddenly
That makes zero sense, Biscuitsneeded. That information won’t be kept private no matter what the child’s reason for changing schools so suddenly.
You’re a teacher, you say?

Haha! I did something similar many years ago. I'd let it go OP, but keep an eye on him

My secondary age child attended classes for over 8 weeks without being on the register. I only flagged it up when I received her report card with a shocking attendance figure (she was being marked absent for 5/7 classes as she wasn't marked present on their registration)

Didn’t she wonder why her name was never called?

That's awful but hilarious! hides face .

I couldn't face ringing the school if ds did this, I'd leave it a mystery I used to work in a school and know the headmaster prob won't see the funny side of this, safeguarding issues, if there was a fire no one would have known he was in the building etc, they school wouldn't have been covered if there'd been an accident etc).

Just to add to greyhound was she listening for her name on the register?

Of course she did, but it still took them 8 weeks and me to point it out before they sorted it!

In fact, I need to check with the school next week as I think the same issue has happened for some of her classes this term.

I don't understand that at all! How did your daughter get a report card with absence stats generated without being on the registers? The reports are generated from a database so someone not on the database obviously couldn't be marked present or absent and wouldn't have a report generated.

She wasn't on the register for those classes. I did say, she wasn't being marked for 5/7 classes.

what Girlwiththearabstrap said

Sorry @CrochetBelle, I'd misunderstood. To be fair I just don't understand how that happens either. As soon as a kid is marked as unauthorised absence a text goes home that morning so a parent couldn't be left for 8 weeks not knowing there was a problem. I'm not disputing your story btw, just genuinely surprised by some of the posts by teachers/about schools on the thread!

Hahaha brilliant. DB is 18 and went to assembly and hung out in the common room in the school next to his most of last year, even borrowed a few books from their library. I don't think he went as far as going to lessons though.

I’m a teacher. I think it’s hilarious. He is a genius. That memory will see him through a lot of dull moments. Also, tad more interesting answer to give than ‘borrowing a text book’ when his first job interviewer asks him “tell me a time when you used your initiative”

I think it's funny OP, he's not really done any harm and that story will become an urban legend at that school, in a few years people will be doubting it or exaggerating it. Don't punish him for it, he did an extra day at school! 😁

Iamagreyhoundhearmeroar there are actually quite a few situations where a student’s address should not be public knowledge or being quizzed on either for safety or sensitivity reasons. Personally I’ve taught students who have very recently arrived in the country fleeing war, living in a refuge with a secret address, in witness protection etc etc. It’s far, far, far more likely that a teenager has transferred quickly and paperwork is still catching up than they decided to come do an extra day at a school they don’t attend. The teachers are playing some good odds here!

Omg. That is hilarious. I reckon he should get a prize!