What do I do about head's mistake?

[Allthenicknamesaregone]

At the end of last year I asked the head of my daughter's state infant school for permission to take her out of school for 4 days in May for a holiday. The head wrote back granting us permission, so we went ahead and booked and paid for the trip. Six months later just two weeks before we were due to go the head wrote to us again saying there'd been a mistake and the permission was withdrawn.

I tried to contact the head about this to point out that if we cancelled at such a late stage we'd be nearly a thousand pounds out of pocket, but my emails (several of them, increasingly urgent) weren't even unanswered.

In the end we went. And now my daughter who's only had one day off sick in the whole year now has four unauthorised absences on her record.

This seems very unfair to me, but does it matter? Should I fight it? Or just let it go?

(FYI The reason for taking the holiday in term time was so it could coincide with an annual trip her grandparents always make and would be a rare chance for her to spend time with them. If the head had said, when asked, that it wasn't acceptable then we wouldn't have gone.)

Don't worry about it - seriously.

The government, former, recently clamped down on this so I expect that's why. Unreasonable on head's part to withdraw permission already given though.
But so what? It's not important. Too much hysteria about a few days off these days. Enjoy it. School's problem not yours

No need to fight it at all. My son has several unauthorised absences due to the school not understanding that he had several important appointments which the school knew of but have marked as unauthorised because I forgot to hand in the appointment cards, and I am so not worried about them

i personally wouldn't do anything about it.

you took her out of school because it was too late to change your plans that you had had permission for.

if necessary, you could write a note that can be inserted in your DD's records, but i don't think anyone really cares about infant school absences (for records purposes)
and don't the absences look bad on the school's record rather than your dd's? if i'd been the head i would have changed it back to authorised just so i didn't look bad to ofsted...

I wouldn't worry about it, and tbh I can't believe that if as you say your dd rarely gets chance to see her gps, that you would let the school dictate to you when she can see them. What's more important?

who cares about unauthorised absences?

I'm a bit new at this so wanted to know what was the significance of having these absences on my daughter's record. Is there really no down side?
I was quite taken aback by the head's attitude to the whole thing which seemed breath-takingly arrogant and unfair.

The consensus of these replies though seems to be that I should just get over it. So perhaps I will.

Thanks to all who replied.

There's no downside really, ignore it.

Our board of governors have recently decided to give blanket refusals on all term-time holiday requests (apart from weddings or funerals). People are continuing to go regardless, either citing phantom illnesses on part of all their children at the same time, or just saying "up yours, we're going anyway."

If you wanted to make a point, you could write again (copying in the Governing Body), saying that you would like your DD's attendance record restored to what it should be, as you believe the HT was unreasonable in withdrawing permission once given. Don't waste time re-iterating all the reasons for the holiday, just state what you expect them to do.

Thanks Clam, that's useful advice. I may write a short letter as you suggest.

Teacher hat on.
There is no downside for your family, it goes down on the school record for OFSTED to query.
It's continuous absences that trigger the interest of the EWO, so seriously don't worry.
Many of our pupils take a long weekend a year to go somewhere lovely. the SMT flaps and fusses but that's about it.
For permission to be granted and then removed is highly unethical.

How do you think you are going to fight it?

She is was off, you cant fight the facts.

Unauthorised absences aren't a real problem in schools so don't worry as long as you are not taking the kids out for weeks at a time or 1-2 days everyweek. I would keep hold of the original letter of permission and if for any reason your son has to be off again for an appointment etc and all of a sudden he is in touble for having a lot of them then you can fight it, but chances are it will be forgotten about as long as you continue to be responsible with his absences. Goodluck x x

I'm a teacher too, and I totally agree with what Goblinchild said. Really, don't worry, especially not a primary level.

Fab - it's not the fact that she was off that the OP wants changed - it's the fact that it has been recorded as an unauthorised absence, because the permission that the Head originally gave had been withdrawn too late for them to cancel or change their plans without losing a lot of money.

'How do you think you are going to fight it?'

Presumably the way my teens point out when I'm BU. You shouldn't try and change an agreement without good reason and explanations.
By saying that it was agreed, and that to change an agreement two weeks before the holiday, and thus incurring distress and financial penalties is unfair.

Good thing that there's no reason to fight it anyway.

Something similar happened to me. However, original acceptance was verbal. I will have 5 days unauthorised marked on my childs record and will be fined if I do it again. However, we took our than 5 old out for a good reason. Don't worry op.

I wouldn't worry about it. We took our kids out for 5 days last year and it went down as unauthorised. The head was refusing all holiday rquests and parents were taking kids out regrdless, but when the end of year reports came home this was changed to authorised, presumely the head didn't want so many unauthorised absences on the schools record. It wont affect your DD, just the schools stat's.

Another 'teacher hat'.

The school is measured on 'unauthorised absence', so they'll try to discourage it - although the week before the stats go in, the office will probably be quietly magicking them in to 'authorised absence'.

The only time you or your dc should be worried about it is in KS4 when putting college applications in - a lovely girl in my form was initially knocked back for her first choice college, purely on attendance. I argued her case & we got it sorted (she's a carer - if at 15 I'd been responsible for looking after a seriously ill parent & 3 younger sibs, I'd have had below 95% bloody attendance too...).

Send a letter as Clam suggests, by all means, but your dd's record won't be permanently blighted!

Don't worry, the school might be worried because its absence rate is getting too high, but it won't affect you. As you were given permisson originally I assume it can't be year 6 SATs week (Oh no she's only at Infants). So you have no worries.

Really don't worry, won't affect your daughter at all. I can't believe the head withdrew approval and then wouldn't discuss it with you ....have you been able to discuss it since? Hope you enjoy/enjoyed your holiday!

Just wanted to thank Clam for the advice and finish off this story. I wrote the letter Clam suggested, copying in the governors. The head has now backed down and the absence is being recorded as authorised.
Thanks to all who repied on this. Not a huge issue I know, but head's behaviour was poor and I'm glad now I didn't just put up with it.