School refused to authorise absence

[Windybananas]

Hello everyone, looking for some insight into whether IABU.

We live rurally and about 45 minutes from DD's primary school. There are closer schools, but she was settled in when we moved here, so decided to keep her there at her request. The driving is a pain, but we work over that way too, so it fits in usually and she is adamant she wants to stay there.

Her attendance is excellent and she received a certificate last term for outstanding attendance. She loves school and always has fab parents evenings etc. Anyway, due to where we live, we are really suffering from the storm. We have lost power. Where we live is surrounded by (extremely bendy!) trees and a ford, too. I am also heavily pregnant (40 weeks) and also have a 19 month old. We currently have 78mph winds according to Met Office. I imagine in reality, it's much higher too, given we are on an exposed hill. As I say, it's pretty rural... think barren hill land.
Anyway, I rang the school office this morning to explain the situation and that I didn't feel it was safe to do a 90 minute round trip with DD in these circumstances. The office then refused to authorise the absence. I'm really angry as her attendance record is excellent as stated earlier. I appreciate it's not their problem that we live far away, but surely a bit of understanding and common sense is needed here.
Also just before anyone says it's unfair to keep DD in this school, I would love her to go to a closer school (I'd even say the closer schools are actually better...) but she really wants to stay where she is and we have respected that.
I am also a teacher myself (secondary) so I understand the attendance push and keeping on top of parents who are lax etc. But we never have been.
AIBU to contest the office's refusal to authorise the absence?
Thanks.

I know attendance is such a hot topic at the moment with all the changed in rules this year but I wouldn't worry about it. One non authorised shouldn't matter in the larger picture. We took a whole week unauthorised for a complete different reason....because the decision was right for us.

To you it is expectational circumstances but that is because you live so far away. To the school if everyone else including the staff are in, their can't really authorise it for you

In situations like that op, you're best just to say she is unwell. They won't authorise otherwise. Sorry about your situation, that sounds incredibly tough. 💐
Maybe you could email the attendance officer of your school, and mention the situation again, as well as "dd being unwell", you couldn't come in, and feel it should be authorised.

You're not being unreasonable OP, the ridiculous attendance rules that the schools have to adhere to are.

so what? you are stressing over nothing. There is no consequence to it. You add overthinking the whole thing.

One unauthorized absence is not a problem. I don't know why you are worried about it. She can't get to school today. It's not safe. Now a tree is blocking your track. The End.
If you really are that bothered then take a photo of the tree blocking the track and send it to school in an email so they have a record.
The only time I'd be making a fuss about this unauthorized absence is if the local authority decided to issue you with a fine for it (I don't know what the rules are about that) and in that case I'd be refusing to pay and sending the LA photos of the fallen tree etc.

My son got an unauthorised absence because he was stuck on the train to school for 3 hours. God knows what they expected him to do.

Our school authorised it when it snowed and we couldn’t get there safely.

Are the schools closer to yourself closed?

I didn't know they did things like that! Unreal!

I would just make sure you keep the email registering the reason for the absence, just in case there are more absences in future. Never trust schools or local authorities on absence matters and always keep written records.

This may not be the case in your area, OP, but it would be a foolish school which remains open and insists on staff and pupil attendance in a red warning area where travel is not advised. Imagine the fallout if someone were killed by falling debris on the way in.

It's not a big deal, look at the big picture: your children are safe and she has an excellent record so her learning isn't disrupted.

I agree that the systems are perfect but we can't fight all the battles in the world and it's notnworth the stress.

Just do some baking together and enjoy your bonus day. It's not worth the stress.

Schools have codes Y1 and Y2 available to them to authorise absence for travel disruption.

In fact actually, there are more.

https://theeducationspace.co.uk/what-are-the-new-requirements-for-school-attendance/

Seriously?

You won't have an attendance officer on your doorstep for one unauthorised.

Don't worry

Stop being a jobsworths! You say the LA are jobsworths. Don't just become like them.

You are making a sensible decision based on your personal circumstances. What is the LA going to do about it?

Really?

It's a mark on a bit of paper they won't follow up.

And even if they do, what are they going to do? Try and find you? Ok then, let them. Let them take you to court. It'll cost them. No reasonable court is going to rule against you in those circumstances anyway.

Honestly. Think it through. It's really not that important.

Let it go.

Neither you or the school have done anything wrong. They're not saying you have to come in today in stormy conditions, they're saying it's fine for you to not attend only that they can't officially authorise it. It makes not one jot of difference to you. You won't get a menacing letter or a fine. Even a few unauthorised absences here and there won't trigger that.

You only start getting fined by the local authority for excessive or repeated unauthorized attendances. You are way way off that.

And her school, teacher or future college or employer won't care or even have access to her attendance record. There will be no question of looking at her unfavourably at all. It's not a thing. Her class teacher probably will hardly notice. It's not an odd thing for people in rural locations to struggle to get in during a storm. That's an understandable reason. The odd unauthorised absence here or there won't be a thing they care about or notice. A student has to have a very low attendance record before it will become a serious concern. You are way overthinking things.

The school is fine for you taking a day off. They're just saying they can't legally authorise it under the Local Authority absence criteria. It's not a value judgement on you nor are they putting pressure on you to attend today.

You’re letting a what - 5 or 6 year old - dictate your important life choices?! They’re not that far away from the age where getting a blue plate instead of an orange plate for their lunch can be cause for meltdown! Of course no child will want to move school unless they’re unhappy, so will be resistant. They cannot at that age imagine a world where they’d be happy somewhere else because their brains aren’t developed enough. You have to be the adults in this situation and take control.

they absolutely inform a teacher's perspective of the child's background (rightly or wrongly)

they might inform your view of a child's background but are you really saying that teachers on the whole will make some kind of judgement about you as parents based on one day unauthorised absence? Your attitude is snobby, ignorant and from a teacher frankly gross.

sorry if already answered but where are you located? most schools in the red zone were closed.

My son’s school did this on a snow day. It was less the snow and more the fact the smaller roads were pure ice, no one was moving their cars safely and walking wasn’t an option for us. Every other school in the local area was shut! It was an UA but after initial feeling a bit cross just let it pass by. When had the same situation recently, did drive in but it was incredibly unsafe and will not do it again - half the staff were late due to the weather anyway. Safety is far more of a priority than one missed day when otherwise great attendance.

In the kindest possible way, I wouldn't give this a second thought. You have notified the school and they know she is absent - they are probably not allowed to authorise it.
My youngest has a day off for my older dds graduation - I emailed the school to let them know, the head replied back saying have a wonderful day but it obviously went on her record as unauthorised. I wasn't particularly looking for it to be authorised either, just letting them know she wouldn't be in and that I felt it was good enough reason to miss a day.
You made the right decision to stay at home - the LA really won't be fussed about this absence.

So are you saying you judge families for having an unauthorised absence? Wow, that's terrible as a teacher! There's a million and one reasons why someone could be off, and it's not for you to judge.

Not the point, I know but all 5 year old children will be resistant! When you have 3 children to cart around you might view things differently. If you can't move nearer the school I would move your child as soon as possible. It is far easier to settle somewhere new in Year 1 or 2 than higher up the school.

It isn't an unauthorised absence it is code Y2. (not possible to attend).

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66bf300da44f1c4c23e5bd1b/Workingtogethertoimproveschoolattendance-August2024.pdf

DS's grandmother had the audacity to DIE last year, which buggered up his attendance record (he attended her funeral).
Lucky the kid who doesn't ever get ill, need more than routine dental treatment, have family that die or get caught up things outside their control (travel delays, storms).

This is a situation where, if you're being pragmatic, you decide that the runny nose and cough your child has had on and off since November may well be something more serious and highly infectious so she'd better be off until Monday just to be on the safe side.