Is this extremely petty of my children's school?

[PumpkinSly]

I went to the school office today to tell them I would need to collect my two children at 15.05 rather than 15.15 because my ds has an opticians appointment. They asked for proof of the appointment which I don't have. They said that without it, it would go down as an unauthorized absence. I haven't been given an appointment card, or been sent a text or email to confirm the appointment. I went home and rang the opticians who said that the confirmation email has to come from customer services, and they aren't able to do it from the branch. So either we are late to the appointment or, if I pick my children up 10 minutes before the end of the school day, they will get an unauthorised absence for the whole afternoon session.

Aibu to think that this is an extreme level of pettiness from my children's school over them missing 10 minutes at the end of the school day? It's the end of term and I would bet good money that there won't be a full day of teaching and that they will be watching films and playing games etc. This response from the school is bizarre to me, it's 10 minutes at the end of the day!

Could have taken a photo at the opticians as proof?

I'm a teacher OP - this is completely ridiculous. Tell the Head that you don't appreciate being disbelieved by the school secretary.

It's not petty. It's because so many parents think it ok to take children out 10-20 minutes for weekends away etc (to beat the traffic, or get to their destination by the kid's tea time). In reality it's a ginormous hassle for the school. Not because the child misses significant education (unless you are doing it very often), but because the teacher has got to interrupt the lesson to get your kid with coat, bag etc. They then have to get someone to escort them to the office, the office staff have to sign the child out (even though it doesn't need the register altering, they still need a fire record). It interrupts things a lot, which is fine if it's one child that day with a genuine medical need. If it's 20 kids whose parents want to get away early to beat traffic and some of those 20 do it most weeks in summer, that's hassle the school don't need.

English schools are ridiculous and yes it was petty of them.

Thankfully in Wales, they take a sensible approach. My kids attendance hasn't been the best this year(due to illness and appointments) but I've never had any issues with the school. There were bugs doing the rounds a lot this winter and the school believe us when they have to be off. Primary never even ask to see letters.

I'd fetch them and allow the unauthorized absence, then write to the head with proof of the appointment and ask for an apology - and complain to the governors. My nephew's children were refused a day off school to attend their great-uncle (my DH)'s funeral as he was not a 'close enough' relative (NB very close family, they knew him well). A fine of £60 each if they took the day off. As it happened the funeral was during their half-term (but not that of my school age DGCs or DGGCs - who all attended the wake, though only the eldest attended the funeral) so it didn't matter, but it is the parents who should decide whether the time off is necessary, not the school - and I have maintained this ever since this nonsense came up, when at school meetings etc (I was a teacher).

it is petty but otoh if everyone did it it would be more work for the school.
just make appointments in time for after school travel

Unless is it a hospital type eye appointment or an emergency their galsses have broken type appointment I'd have thought an optician's appointment in school time would be unauthorised anyway.

Not so much petty as jobsworth and unable to think flexibly.

Totally agree

Why am I not surprised it was a man.

I like the idea sending proof and escalating to the head-teacher. Then ask for your child’s attendance records to show good attendance and send to the board of governors.

It won’t change anything for you this time, but if there it could raise the issue do tolerance and make them do the majority of the paperwork

How bad is it, really, to be marked down as unauthorised absence? What's going to happen? They're not going to fail their GCSEs. It's just a mark on a target sheet. Take them and forget about it.

It's more important to check they can see properly than have the last ten minutes in school.

Off topic but I wouldn't trust an appointment time unless I was given confirmation.

Just let them mark it as unauthorised. Who cares?

I’d just let them mark it as unauthorised. Our school doesn’t like you taking dentist appts etc in school time but every nhs dentist round here won’t do after-school for kids so there’s no choice 😅

They won’t mark them as absent though, because you will obviously get proof at the appointment or send it on to them a day or so later. They will only do that if you don’t send them any proof, which is entirely reasonable as proof is so easy to get (you were even offered it and turned it down) that the only reason you wouldn’t give them any is if you are lying, in which case fair enough. You’re not lying, so send them proof and it’ll go down as authorised.

Very petty of school.

Last year for the whole term, every Thursday I was collecting my DD, at 15:00 so she could attend swim lessons at 15.30. School didn't mind at all. She still had 100% attendance.

Our school insists on letters for stuff like this as well, although didn't ask for one when I needed to pick my eldest up for a fracture clinic appointment at short notice... I guess her arm being in a plaster cast was a giveaway though!

Go with specsavers or boots next time and book online. If an Optician isn’t willing to play ball on this really reasonable request then they’d lose my business.

This. If you show it retroactively then it can’t be marked as an absence.

Yes it's petty. It won't be classed as an absence unless they have a very unusual way of recording attendance. I am a teacher and we have kids leaving early for appointments with no issue at all. Unless there is a huge back story of dreadful attendance they are being utterly ridiculous.

Yes, the school are being petty! And @MadisonAvenue that is the weirdest thing ever! I would actually be extremely concerned about a policeman doing something like that. Sounds like they were flexing their authority.

We asked for special permission for my daughter to spend a day at the training centre for team GB gymnastics and be trained by the team. It was a one off and a huge opportunity.

We put the letter in with a recommendation from the PE teacher at the school.

Nothing came back to her but we had a lovely email from. The teacher saying she wanted photos for twitter. The day after we had a letter telling us it was an unauthorised absence!

Its ridiculous!

That’s absolutely rubbish in my opinion!!!
our school often accommodates early pick ups for that kind of reason! They certainly don’t get unauthorised absence for a whole afternoon If they’ve been there for afternoon registration!!!!!! Quite shocked actually!