Will this be unauthorised?

[SnowGoAwayPlease]

The snow is really bad where I am. We live 7 miles away from my daughter’s primary school. Theres one closer but she got a place at this one before we moved house. The school is staying open when most are closed. But we are higher up and the snow is still coming, with cars being stuck on the roads nearby and traffic gridlocked so I can’t get my daughter into school. I’m worried as the headteacher is saying the roads are clear and that she made it from Nottingham which is 25 miles away.. but just where I am is awful and I don’t want to risk it. Will it be unauthorised absence does anyone know how this works?

I'm not sure about the unauthorised absence aspect but if you can't get your child in then it can't be helped so just phone them and explain the situation and hopefully they will be understanding, I doubt you will be the only one

Are there weather/traffic reports for the area you are in? I'd forward them on and say you'll try later if things ease up a bit. I'd keep hold of anything like that in case they did take it further, and ring in, explain and not go until things have eased up.

I suspect the warning from the headteacher is for those who live around the corner and would still try and say they can't get there, but not everyone is coming from the same place and expecting people to try is one thing, but expecting them to be able to succeed through gridlocked roads is unreasonable really, because it's not going to get the child to school if you're sat on the road for a couple of hours, potentially risking an accident or having to abandon your car because it's stuck.

So what if it is? Doesn’t really matter does it. Phone and say she’s sick instead if you’re that worried.

Does it matter if it's authorized or unauthorized? You can't safely get her to school this morning. Tell them that you will re-evaluate later and get her in if you can.

I'd guess most of it will clear by to.orrow, so you are looking at one day maximum. Don't stress about how the day is recorded!

Thank you. Yes lots of posts on the Facebook page saying the hill out of where we live is like a sheet of ice and there been a lorry stuck there since 4:30 this morning. Also people saying cars sliding all over and getting stuck. So it’s just not possible at the moment

Who cares lol.

Had this once or twice when DD was in primary, couldn’t get car down the hill we live on so tried walking, we both slipped and hurt ourselves, never tried again.

After that I’d just them she was poorly.

You can't get her in .... end of.

Distance is irrelevant, it’s down to terrain. If you can’t get to the cleared roads, it’s not safe and 7 miles is too far to walk. The school can like it or lump it.

You aren't going to get fined for one day unauthorised absence even if it does go down as unauthorised.

Ignore the head and make the best decision for your child and you.

Just tell them your road is not safe. What can she do?

The UK system is wild. You need authorization from the school? You're the parent, you tell them, not the other way around.
I'd let them write down whatever they want, makes no difference to me.

We live a 45 minute walk from primary, we moved for an incredible secondary but Ds2 was still in the primary. It was a drive down a dual carriageway but something I was able to do. In snow and ice I used to walk him in but I am a sahm and I was told very lovingly by the staff last time don't do it again because of how long it takes me to walk back as well. 3 hours out of my day minimum.

You won't be alone. So what if it is unauthorised? It doesn't matter unless you take them out on holiday which would potentially add to the unauthorised days.

Don't risk the journey if it's dangerous. Take some photos or snapshots as evidence if you can. Screenshot googlemaps if that helps as evidence.

You don't know how possible it will be to get home at the end of the day either.

Stay at home but make it clear it's a school day and get her to do something academic instead which she can take in tomorrow to say she did at home today. Reading, a project of some sort, some maths questions or maths puzzles, crossword, suduko etc,

The UK system is not wild, the English system is wild, here is in Scotland the absence system is completely different and a bit more relaxed!

Fair enough. I'm not familiar with the differences. Hopefully you don't have this authorisation nonsense.

We are not scared of unauthorised absences, or threatened by them, I had a school refuser and a child that got ill if someone mentioned a cold, he needed antibiotics, his attendance at primary was awful, we were never asked for dr notes, not once were we told his attendance is only whatever percent we had to drag him in regardless!

The school refuser was high school and they just tried to help to get her through until she was old enough to leave, she left at 16 and went straight to college where she thrived and now works a full time job.

Their attendance was never held against them or stopped them thriving when they left school!

Thanks. Looks like it’s still pending but above it it now shows as unauthorised but I don’t think the office have even picked up the absence request. Her teacher will have just marked her not there this AM

Yes, that is how it is here. The schools seem to have too much power imo.

No such thing as the UK school system.

No, that is not how it is 'here'. The UK is more than just England.

Take photos to show how bad it is?
I presume when you selected the further away school you anticipated this sort of issue?

See the follow up post.

Why? She can't bring her kid to school. She's told them that.
Why does she need evidence?