Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Childs school asking for flight details while out during Pandemic

159 replies

confusedwithschool · 08/03/2021 11:52

hello

pls posting here for traffic and NC for this. I need your opinions please. So I had to travel out with my kids on Dec 20th to my home country (my partner is there and immediate family)due to come back on 2nd January to attend to something urgently with some of our properties.

Now because school wasn't opening on 4 Jan , i extended my ticket to get help with childcare while working from home (my uk employer was aware i was working from abroad due to chilldcare)., planning to return when I was sure schools were open.

now I'm back and called my 7 yr old's school that today is the last day of quarantine so she will be in tomorrow.

Her school is saying her being away is almost like her taking leave of absence when going to school physically. im like no, she was logging in every week to do her school work and they can see that too. I didnt see how her location was an issue

Now they are asking for her flight ticket going out and coming in?

im not sure why this is needed. im puzzled because if i had known it had to be disclosed she was out of the country during the pandemic i would have happily disclosed it. Does anyone know the take on this?

Thanks for your opinion

OP posts:
Streats · 08/03/2021 15:55

Oh I see. You were in a country that requires quarantine and you only planned to bring them back on 2nd Jan - therefore they would have missed 2 weeks of school quarantining and it is only by luck that schools were shut and your DC could attend class remotely. Is that right? And that’s why you are worried about providing the details?

DollyParton2 · 08/03/2021 15:56

What “welfare calls” ZoBo123? I doubt every single child in every school has had phone contact with their teachers - didn’t even know this was a thing? Ours only reached out to parents when they were concerned the child wasn’t logging on to google classroom/ on any live lessons. As well as I’m sure already know vulnerable children etc.

GappyValley · 08/03/2021 15:57

@Atalune

It’s a safeguarding issue. You ought t have informed the school.

She could have been out of the country to marry her daughter to a old man. For FGM. For any number of extremely unlikely scenarios, however schools should know where the kids are.

This is absolutely ridiculous nonsense

Schools do not need to know where pupils are logging on from to check they aren’t at risk from FGM.
there is absolutely no safeguarding issue here ffs

MGMidget · 08/03/2021 16:03

Maybe they need to assure themselves you have completed all the safeguards for the country you have been in? A return flight ticket from eg France or Spain might not be the complete picture? Outbound ticket would tell them where you went. If, for example you had gone to Brazil or South Africa they would need to know when you left that country and whether there were extra safeguards such as hotel quarantine and several covid tests required on specific days? On the other hand, it might be about funding as others have suggested!

Original poster
confusedwithschool · 08/03/2021 16:07

Thanks to all those that have been understanding and took time out to understand me

to those saying i had my partner to sort out whatever it is with the properties, how are you sure that he had the authorised access to deal with it at the time>?

the issue had been ongoing since April last year but didnt want to disturb my daughter's education .The only other time i could go was summer but there were no flights at all. December was the only time that seemed feasible and i HAD to go.it was compulsory i went. Not because of any holidays..

I have sent the flight details to the school this morning. I just wanted an opinion as to why they needed it because i didnt see how that was necessary, not necessarily because i was hiding anything.

I had welfare calls with the school every week because my phone was roaming and i also called when i missed their calls, not sure why it wasnt picked up that i was abroad.

OP posts:
goodbyelenin · 08/03/2021 16:09

I had welfare calls with the school every week

around here, schools made exactly... 0 welfare calls to anyone who didn't bag a space!

forinborin · 08/03/2021 16:11

Doubtful. If the child is registered, the funding will be given.
It depends when the census for funding purposes has been competed.
If the child had been out of the country for prolonged time during the submission, but the school marked them as resident during this time, they might be in some hot water now as they are possibly in breach.

Newfor2021 · 08/03/2021 16:13

Hope this all amounts to nothing OP and they just wanted to check the quarantine

Zoomzoom90 · 08/03/2021 16:15

It’s a safeguarding issue. You ought t have informed the school.
She could have been out of the country to marry her daughter to a old man. For FGM. For any number of extremely unlikely scenarios, however schools should know where the kids are.

This is nonsense. By this logic you are required to tell a school every time you leave the country, even if its in school holidays.

OP, there is no reason you need to provide them with evidence if your child was logging in or registering for home schooling...how would they even know you were out of the country if you or your child didn't tell them?

FWIW we did the same. Left the UK mid December, we even went to a country that practices FGM, and when they announced school lockdown we changed our tickets and didn't come home, so the kids logged onto home schooling from the beach. We came back with sufficient time to quarantine before today. The school haven't said a thing.

I'd just give them the tickets they are asking for and save yourself some hassle.

Atalune · 08/03/2021 16:15

@GappyValley do you work in schools or safeguarding? Have you done DASH, prevent or safeguarding 2/3 training?

You might disagree with the stance, but it’s definitely a safeguarding protocol. If you wanted to do a google search around various Inquiries that have been prompted after safeguarding failures, you’d see why I think.

GappyValley · 08/03/2021 16:20

[quote Atalune]@GappyValley do you work in schools or safeguarding? Have you done DASH, prevent or safeguarding 2/3 training?

You might disagree with the stance, but it’s definitely a safeguarding protocol. If you wanted to do a google search around various Inquiries that have been prompted after safeguarding failures, you’d see why I think.[/quote]
I don’t work in schools but I am a governor, and also the trustee safeguarding lead for the regional branch a large children’s charity and have done specific training on FGM risk

And that’s why I know you’re talking absolute nonsense.

Soontobe60 · 08/03/2021 16:32

@SnackSizeRaisin

Do you actually know anything about FGM? One of the biggest signs that it may have happened is when a girl is taken back to their home country for what ends up as an extended period of time, often due to medical complications, often with the excuse that someone became ill whilst they were abroad so couldn’t return. It’s epidemic. But hey, you stick with your opinion that supporting young girls is intrusive. I’m sure it’s far better to not hurt their parents feelings, and just accept that this kind of abuse happens.

Sorry but that is just stupid. Op has told them that her child has been abroad. She didn't try to keep it a secret. If they have concerns about fgm, how does seeing flight details make any difference? How does it "provide support for young girls"?

The reason for not returning was given as childcare due to schools being closed. The schools were indeed closed, causing problems with childcare for many parents. It's not some kind of dodgy excuse.

Why would she have needed childcare? After all, if she was away from this country, she wasn’t doing her job was she?
Soontobe60 · 08/03/2021 16:34

@GappyValley
*I don’t work in schools but I am a governor, and also the trustee safeguarding lead for the regional branch a large children’s charity and have done specific training on FGM risk

And that’s why I know you’re talking absolute nonsense*

I think you need to do some Prevent training. Your idea of safeguarding wouldn’t pass muster in any school I’ve ever worked in.

GappyValley · 08/03/2021 16:34

Why wasn’t she doing her job?

More than half my office shipped off to second homes, holiday rentals, in laws or hotels for large parts of lockdown and all carried on doing their jobs

OP hasn’t said she works in shop...

GappyValley · 08/03/2021 16:36

[quote Soontobe60]@GappyValley
*I don’t work in schools but I am a governor, and also the trustee safeguarding lead for the regional branch a large children’s charity and have done specific training on FGM risk

And that’s why I know you’re talking absolute nonsense*

I think you need to do some Prevent training. Your idea of safeguarding wouldn’t pass muster in any school I’ve ever worked in.[/quote]
I have! I’ve got a lovely certificate and everything...

Unless I’m missing something, has OP said the home country is anywhere that is a risk of FGM btw?
Or is that just your whatabouterry?

Soontobe60 · 08/03/2021 16:41

Another issue as to why school may be chasing up this matter is to do with the school census. Obviously, @GappyValley being a governor will know all about this. For those who don't know, the census took place mid January. The funding for schools is based on the number of children in attendance on that day. Where a child is absent, there needs to be a valid reason. Obviously because of Covid, exceptional circumstances apply. However, schools still have to account for every child’s whereabouts on that day. If a child is out of the country, that wouldn’t be an authorised absence. It may well be that this is the reason why the school needs to know exactly when the child was in or out of the country.
A further issue could be that if the school had no idea where that child was from 20th December, they may well have off rolled them - particularly if the school has a waiting list for that place.

Bythemillpond · 08/03/2021 16:43

Why would she have needed childcare? After all, if she was away from this country, she wasn’t doing her job was she

How do you come to that conclusion?
A lot of people I have spoken to during lockdown are wfh in their holiday homes abroad or in a hotel in Dubai.

SeasonFinale · 08/03/2021 16:43

She already said she was working remotely, so she may still have needed childcare which her family could provide wheras at home maybe she didn't have that option. You are now looking for issues where there are none.

Soontobe60 · 08/03/2021 16:44

@GappyValley
As you have a certificate, you will be well aware that FGM is carried out worldwide. To believe it only happens in certain places is just ignorant.

FWIW, I have not said that this is the case with this particular family. However, it could be just one of many reasons why the school is being thorough in its procedures. As a governor, surely you can understand how important following the correct procedures are in schools?

Bythemillpond · 08/03/2021 16:44

Where a child is absent, there needs to be a valid reason

Could the reason be the school was closed?

Jinx2020 · 08/03/2021 16:50

@WitchesBritchesPumpkinPants

Calm down ... we gladly go not 'own' children. Very dramatic language.

We are however held accountable for their welfare and it is bizarre that you cannot understand that a child being out of the country for 2.5 months is a significant detail a school is entitled to know and query. Even in terms of supporting their transition back into school and experiences that have impacted them abroad .. certainly in these unusual times. Missing family etc. It is hard enough for kids to return from lockdown in this country never mind navigating being abroad. We have had a pastoral call and update on every child that returned today so we were able to plan to meet their well being needs.

But let me guess .. you are a teacher basher and would be first to be crying out if some safeguarding was missed.

Anyways to each their own. I just find your ignorance and use of quotations interesting.

GappyValley · 08/03/2021 17:12

However, schools still have to account for every child’s whereabouts on that day. If a child is out of the country, that wouldn’t be an authorised absence. It may well be that this is the reason why the school needs to know exactly when the child was in or out of the country.
A further issue could be that if the school had no idea where that child was from 20th December, they may well have off rolled them - particularly if the school has a waiting list for that place.

I’m not aware of any guidance issued to account for the physical location of children on census day.
The census works with a yes/no system.
They were marked as ‘ordinarily attending’ ie logging on to remote learning, and there were some additional categories this year for covid-related illness, I believe.

I’m sure there will be some jobsworths somewhere who interpreted it to want proof a child was sat a home, but there would no more basis to off roll a child for being in granny’s house in Australia than in granny’s house a different county in the UK

GappyValley · 08/03/2021 17:15

[quote Soontobe60]@GappyValley
As you have a certificate, you will be well aware that FGM is carried out worldwide. To believe it only happens in certain places is just ignorant.

FWIW, I have not said that this is the case with this particular family. However, it could be just one of many reasons why the school is being thorough in its procedures. As a governor, surely you can understand how important following the correct procedures are in schools?[/quote]
Procedures mean that a safeguarding process when risk is identified. It doesn’t mean to treat every child as equal risk regardless of circumstances and common sense.

For all we know, OP is from a staunch catholic family from the Republic of Ireland, and any school launching a FGM report on the basis of being out of the country would be idiotic, and a waste of everyone’s time

Atalune · 08/03/2021 17:17

@GappyValley. I’m sorry to say you’ve let yourself down with your lack of critical thinking skills here. But I have not the energy nor inclination to further explain.

@confusedwithschool it seems like overkill but honestly the schools have a duty to follow stuff up. I can see and understand that it puts peoples backs up and feels like an intrusion, but it is always always better to be cautious and “intrusive” to satisfy the needs and safety of a child.

OldBean2 · 08/03/2021 17:17

I am the safeguarding governor for a primary school in London, we had something similar happen. Parents failed to disclose that they had not returned from a home country visit, it was noticed by the class teacher through comments that the child made. The school tried to contact the parents and the emergency contact but none replied until we said we would be contacting Children's Services.

Technically, the child is off-rolled after not being able to attend for four weeks, unless it is through sickness. We apply this rigorously due to the impact of extended home visits and being a popular school. For us, this was a safeguarding issue, and our reporting of issues has increased over the last year due to the stress of lock down and increased domestic violence. Whilst I applaud our child for getting up early to be in lessons, I am not so happy with the parents. If the child had disclosed to a member of staff, how would we address it as a school when they were out of the country?