Non resident parent and scottish schools/legal help please!

[jhicboiejbo]

Posting here for traffic.

I am a non resident to one of my children and their school is not updating me on their progress or even returning my calls.

No safeguarding issues or anything like that so I am flabbergasted at how I can be treated this way (have 3 other children in my care and the non resident parent is updated/called back - although different schools).

There must be a legislative provision for parents being treated equally but I am yet to find it! If anyone based in Scotland could help me I would greatly appreciate it.

Thank you.

No personal experience, but yes you are entitled to report cards, invitations to parents' evenings etc. If the school are blanking you, try your MSPs.

Thank you for your reply. I know I am entitled to these things and have expressed that to them previously so I thought directing them to the section of whatever provision this covers would save time and any messing about from them.

I suggest posting over on Scotsnet, there are a few teachers over there who may know which approach to take.

brodies.com/insights/separating-or-divorcing-with-children/separated-parent-rights-and-responsibilities-for-childs-school-attendance/ mentions relevant legislation.

@MLMshouldbeillegal

I suggest posting over on Scotsnet, there are a few teachers over there who may know which approach to take.

Thank you! Didn't even realise that was a thing!

How old is the child? What is the relationship like with the resident parent? Beyond 10 children can have some limited input into how schools contact parents particularly if you’re not the parent who registered them & the resident parent also feels strongly about it.

@Ozanj

How old is the child? What is the relationship like with the resident parent? Beyond 10 children can have some limited input into how schools contact parents particularly if you’re not the parent who registered them & the resident parent also feels strongly about it.

Sorry, this does not seem right at all. Can you please direct me to where I can find this information? I cannot believe from a legal stand point one parent can just decide they don't like the other so they aren't involved in education!

But to answer, relationship with ex is amicable, he just forgets a lot of things so I want to speak to them myself. Child is high school age and has not passed on reports to his Dad (sent home in school bag) nor has the school sent them to me.

I also do not believe for a minute children from 10 years old have input on what is sent home to their parents. Never experienced it with 4 children and I would be furious if any school even attempted it.

Don’t know about Scotland but our primary in England is a ball ache about updating the NRP

That said (and it’s a bit that said) my exh complained when I was forwarding everything to him that it was too much, and asked me to stop, and complains that the secondary (which does send to both of us) send too much. There’s no helping some people! Not saying you’re like that but some parents don’t make things easy.

My dd13 has no input as to what is sent home, I must add

What age is the child? At senior school level many schools will expect the children to take responsibility for passing on information. Although key important documents like reports etc are posted on to a portal parents can log into.

@GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing

Don’t know about Scotland but our primary in England is a ball ache about updating the NRP

That said (and it’s a bit that said) my exh complained when I was forwarding everything to him that it was too much, and asked me to stop, and complains that the secondary (which does send to both of us) send too much. There’s no helping some people! Not saying you’re like that but some parents don’t make things easy.

Thank you for your comment. Yeah, there is no pleasing some people! I just know there must be some sort of legislation covering this, only I can't find it! Infuriating when you were the main carer for 13 years and used to receiving everything and making sure everything was also sent to NRP during that time. It must depend on the individual establishment but there will be something setting out the guidelines for schools.

@AlpineSue

What age is the child? At senior school level many schools will expect the children to take responsibility for passing on information. Although key important documents like reports etc are posted on to a portal parents can log into.

Child is not doing well at school so not passing on information. While the school might expect them to pass info on, doesn't mean they will...particularly if they're not doing well and they are still children.

Not 10, 13. Typo!! It’s from GPDR.

‘Under the principles of the General Data Protection Regulations 2018 (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 (the DPA 2018), children and young adults can assume control over their personal information and restrict access to it from the age of 13.’

That doesn’t mean you can’t get it if you want it, but generally if the child has said no then you need to make a formal request in a specific way.

Some schools like my DN’s also assume a child hasn’t given permission by default. When my DC wanted exam results she had to make a formal request for it and it was sent to her as part of a formal pack. She couldn’t just call the school up to get it.

@Ozanj

Not 10, 13. Typo!! It’s from GPDR.

‘Under the principles of the General Data Protection Regulations 2018 (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 (the DPA 2018), children and young adults can assume control over their personal information and restrict access to it from the age of 13.’

That doesn’t mean you can’t get it if you want it, but generally if the child has said no then you need to make a formal request in a specific way.

That's interesting. Never heard of it when it comes to education but will look into that, thanks.

I'm a Scottish teacher and divorced parent. Protocol is always that one report/parents night app etc is offered but an additional can be requested for NRP and that's always accommodated in my work and my dds school. I pass info to my ExH so he doesn't require separate info he's quite happy getting from me but I've often duplicated and posted to home addresses when parents have been less than amicable. It's not ok for them to ignore.