Flower girl

[Huntawaymama]

More of a wwyd and it's a little way off. My Dd will start reception next year, she's been asked to be a flower girl by one of my very best friends in may. However it's a Thursday and I've realised it'll be a school day, would I BU to say she has a sickness bug on that day? Obviously if prefer her to be granted permission to have it off but I don't want to let on to the school in case they say no and then realise what I'm doing when I phone her in sick. Would she get an instant £50/60 fine for one unauthorised day?

What is your LA policy on fining? Not many do it on one unauthorised day.

I would ask for authorised but if they don't grant it, just go anyway. I wouldn't phone in sick - presumably she'll want to talk to her friends about what she did on the Thursday and you don't want her to have to pretend?

She's in nursery I'm certain one days leave will cause her an issue when applying for university.

In fact I'd take the Friday as well.

By taking the Friday and you've not said anything it may well be assumed the wedding was the Saturday.

I got authorised leave for a midweek wedding, maybe say that it was a “family wedding” don’t lie about absence as your DD won’t be able to keep it up and it’s unfair on her to ask her to lie.

There’s a chance your DD might start telling everyone about how she got to be flower girl at a wedding when everyone else was at school.

Our school authorises weddings on religious grounds,

Will she be five at the time of the wedding?

The term after their 5th birthday is when children have to be in school and an unauthorised absence will be noted.

We weren’t fined when we took ours out for a wedding. Also if she’s going to be 4 at the time and not 5 it shouldn’t be a problem (can someone clarify this?).

You can’t say a sickness bug last minute that’s not fair.

I would just apply to take her out for the day.

Don’t lie, as a teacher I can tell you the kids will usually drop you in it 😂 the ones who come back from ‘the flu’ with a sun tan are the most obvious!

Some schools will authorise a single day, otherwise I believe the fines don’t kick in til 5 days absence anyway so I don’t think you’ll be fined. You’ll just have 1 unauthorised absence - I have no idea why this would matter to anyone.

I had the same situation when DD was in Y5. Her headteacher authorised it. There is a little leeway for occasions which you cannot control

You could possibly get a fine if it's the term after her 5th birthday.
Luckily dd wasn't 5 until July so we got away with weddings with no fine, all through reception.

Just tell, don't ask the school. Don't lie

Inform the school that you will be taking her. You hope it will be authorised, but you will still be taking her regardless. The school will probably authorise it. You won't get a fine for 1 day in reception anyway.

Don't lie to the school, she will tell them where she's been and you'll ruin your any relationship you have with staff. Would you be happy if they lied to you?

Take the unauthorised absence on record.

Thanks for the replies, I hadn't considered what she'd say to her friends and I wouldn't want to ask her to lie.

I don't mind of its noted down as unauthorised I just can't justify the fine for one day. Thanks all