Son didn't go to school for three days.

[Spopssas]

School rang me on Monday, saying did I know that he hadn't attended that day, and was absent for three days last week.

No I didn't.

You are the parent take it up with your child

Based on this update I would suggest a meeting with you, DS and head of year to discuss steps moving forwards. Is he in GCSE year?

Nearly all schools would have told you on day1 , I'd be asking them about that.. and where the hell eS your son on those missing days?

I always ring in if he is going to be absent. This has never happened before. I am worried that he can be awol from school for four days and nobody checked. I have a new job and leave home ten mins before he is meant to walk to school. I now get home at about 6pm.

I think it's more unreasonable you didn't discover this, yet expected the school to.

He just stayed at home on the days he was awol. He's been back at school as normal the last few days. I just don't understand why a school cannot notice if a pupil is absent without parental consent for three days in a row.

Did you ask them about this? It would be concerning if they had no contact from anyone but as stated above maybe they did, teenagers are not always 100% truthful so I would get the schools side of the story regards were they contacted by anyone about the absence.

Either way he skived achool for 4 days which is the main issue that needs dealing with.

The school has admitted they had no idea. It's a large school - 1800 kids so I suppose it will just happen. ie, they can't always know where every pupil is? It's worrying though. Three days..and a call towards the end of day 4. It's a good school and maybe they just chase the children who are regularly absent ? No idea.

My kid's school texts parents as soon as someone reports an absence, as well as if they don't turn up.

My 15 year old also decided not to go to school one day this week. In her case she "didn't feel mentally up to it". I decided I didn't feel mentally up to leaving the WiFi router at home, so I took it to work with me.

(I understand that sometimes kids really aren't mentally well enough for school, and that's fine. My issue is that she just decided to bunk instead of speaking to me.)

How would she do that if school doesn't tell her he's not turning up? Is she supposed to follow him to make sure he gets there every day for his entire school career?

The school is at fault, too, for not contacting the OP on the first absent day. I'd be equally annoyed at the school and my child. There is no need for your completely pointless comment :/

How's she supposed to know he's not in school if they don't tell her ffs. Of course school should have informed the OP on day 1 of him being absent, assuming he hadn't phoned in sick pretending to be a parent.

I appreciate your input.

I mean, at the risk of stating the obvious; you’re his mum. Do you not feel responsible for knowing where he is?

These comments are fucking stupid.

I send my 16 year old off to school, what more can I do but assume she's gone. If she doesn't turn up then the school phone saying she hasn't registered

Some strange replies. I think it's basic safeguarding for the school to contact the parent if the child doesn't show up for registration.

If a child didn't arrive at our school we would text and then follow up with phone calls to all numbers we hold.
I'm surprised it took them 4 days to reach you.
If something bad happens to a child on the way to school and school don't alert the parent to the child's absence, nobody would be looking for that child until they didn't arrive home from school.

Most schools would contact you on day one if there was no contact regarding absence. It is an important part of safeguarding if a child is missing from school, no matter if they are primary or secondary.
Does school use an app like mychildatschool or Sims parent? If so, make sure you have access. You can check attendance on it.
I would ask for a meeting with school, both to discuss how this happened from an aim perspective and because your ds is clearly struggling with something and would benefit from support. You could have a look on the school website to see if there is an attendance policy or if there is anything in their safeguarding policy around contacting parents when children are absent to see if they are following their own rules?

My DH was a chronic bunker and he’s turned out smashing so I wouldn’t be freaking out too much. He is maybe at a point where he needs a bit of support. Is it all getting away from him? What age is he?

It’s obviously less than ideal for his safety if nobody knows where he is though.
I’m a bit surprised the school let it go three days, I’ve had texts telling me DS isn’t in a lesson when he bloody well is! The office were like haha sorry don’t worry we made a mistake meanwhile I’m imaging he’s been dragged into an unmarked van or something. The main thing is you know and can address it now.

Some really odd responses, if you send your child to school you would assume they are there. Especially if there's no history of truant behaviour.
Hence the importance of schools doing a register of names in the morning so they can make note of any absences.
So yes school should have contacted op on day one about the missing student.

But every one of those kids is checked for being there twice a day at registration and probably in every lesson too. It's their job to know who is in their care, and to flag up anyone who is missing without explanation.

From your replies it looks like a lot of schools would deal with this sort of absence more proactively. I

I don't think it's my fault that he remained at home after I had gone to work. I do have to work. I need to work financially. He is 16 in November and has never gone awaol from school before.

So if the OP had sent her son off to school and he hadnt turned up because he was attacked and the OP only found out and got the authorities alterted when he didnt come home from school do you really think she would be okay with the school saying 'do you not feel responsible for knowing where he is'?

Schools have a duty of care

Employers do this. If a member of my team doesnt turn up for work one day randomly I dont just shrug it off I try and get in contact with them and if that fails I contact their next of kin. Because I have a duty of care towards that member of staff. I've worked in a place where this actually saved someones life. If we can do it for responsible adults im pretty sure we should be doing it for children.

Unforgivable that they didn’t call you when he was 10 minutes late - and completely contravening safeguarding processes.

They did notice though, they told you.

The timing is strange I would expect a text in the day as is usual in most schools but they did know.