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Original poster

Absence and fines from school

61 replies

MummaPI · 31/12/2020 11:59

I'm not here for a bashing, just genuinely concerned.
I dont want to send my year 5 daughter back to school next week. Does anyone know how absences, fines work in schools? Whats the criteria?

OP posts:
thepeopleversuswork · 31/12/2020 16:00

I would be absolutely astonished if the local authorities enforce this, given how unpopular it is.

I've written to my head who is very angry about this and she has agreed to register my DD as shielding even though she's not CEV but she is at some risk. Depending on your school it might be worth trying.

However if this weren't possible I would take my chances with the authorities. It's outrageous to expect children in high risk areas to go in and fine the parents for doing this if they are keeping their children out to protect their health.

If that happened I would expect mass civil disobedience and possibly class action lawsuits. They won't want the publicity.

anonymous1020 · 31/12/2020 16:41

Personally I would probably refuse to issue any fines if there were reasonable arguments for not having sent the child in. It's usually schools that are pushing for fining not the local authority. We are quite reasonable people really. I would encourage you all to be honest with your schools and put everything in writing but I highly doubt anyone is going to be prosecuted. You all have to make a balanced decision that's best for your family but it really won't be helpful to be dishonest with the school. We are all very used to being fibbed to and would rather people were just honest. When I speak to parents on the phone I am honest with them about consequences that are likely / possible / highly unlikely and it's great if we get the same in return.

anonymous1020 · 31/12/2020 16:46

And also, there are already large numbers of parents keeping their children out of school and have been since September. I am expecting that to increase significantly! To be absolutely honest we haven't got the time, staff, funds or resources to follow up non payment of fines with prosecution for all those parents if we had even fined them all in the first place. (We haven't fined any to date).

Blubellsarebells · 31/12/2020 16:49

Say shes a close contact of a positive case and will be isolating for 10 days.
Then you dont have to pretend she's ill and you can still go out for a walk or to get shopping, obviously dd will have to stay inside.
Im really not sure what to do but if I decide to keep mine at home he will be close contact with a positive on friday.
In the hope that schools will all close the week after next.

LIZS · 31/12/2020 16:50

There is an online petition to suspend absence fines.

Blubellsarebells · 31/12/2020 16:52

Can they give fines for isolation?
Seems very unfair if so.

RETIREDandHAPPY · 31/12/2020 16:54

Can you not inform the school you will be homeschooling? That is allowed by law even though it is less common th UK than in Australia or USA. You can then send them back to school after vaccinations.
Plenty of info available on the internet and it takes much less time at home than in a large class. As long as they are reading, writing and doing some maths four days a week and investigating a science or social studies topic on the fifth day, they will be fine.

anonymous1020 · 31/12/2020 17:02

@Blubellsarebells you cannot be fined for isolating

@RETIREDandHAPPY problem with that is you are taken off the school roll and it may be given to someone else

AliceMcK · 31/12/2020 17:08

I don’t know any schools that are actively pushing fines.

If your worried say she has a fever, it’s very common in children at this time of year. After the isolation period, say you have been contacted to say you need to self isolate because you went shopping and came in contact with someone who has COVID. You can easily drag it out.

There will be nothing the school can do unless they think your child is vulnerable and at risk in which case they will flag you to the LA. But if your child is doing regular work and chatting to teachers and the school have never had cause for concern in the past they have to take your word for it.

If your worried have someone fake coughing in the background as you call or are on zoom.

WankPuffins · 31/12/2020 17:14

I'm totally torn here.

I'm very luckily in a position to keep year 2 Dd at home and she did brilliantly with home education last year (due to a house move and not getting a school place here before lockdown she was out of school from mid jan anyway, plus I home educated her older brother for years).

We're in the Midlands, just gone into 4 and our area is always on the highest rising cases list.

I think schools returning is madness.

Would the school want proof if you were to say they were self isolating?

WankPuffins · 31/12/2020 17:16

Before Christmas we were getting up to ten parent mails a day telling us of a positive case but that Dd hadn't been a close contact.

We also live in an area where people have been having huge parties over the holidays and generally not giving a shit.

AliceMcK · 31/12/2020 17:20

@starray

In Tier 4, primary not closing...don't want to send child back either. Can anyone help to clarify the fines? Thanks
Dont say you don’t want to send them back, say they are ill, they can’t fine you for illness.

I’m a governor at a school, no one is being penalised for having a child off sick. Of course we know some parents are lying but as long as the school has no concerns about those children (the HT knows which children to worry about) and they are doing work from home, then it’s being recorded as COVID absences. Our school ptfa has managed to buy some extra tablets for struggling families in case of they need them.

Given it’s winter and the height if winter illness season there will be lots and lots of children off sick.

Our school (T4) is actively encouraging parents to be extra cautious sending kids back.

Of course all schools are different in their attitudes, but even a shitty school attitude can’t change the fact a child should not be attending if they have symptoms or have been told to self isolate. If they ask for proof tell them to fuck of. No court will uphold a fine if you have said you were off with COVID symptoms.

Blubellsarebells · 31/12/2020 17:22

Not sure if they would ask for proof, but what proof could I give them?
As example, my ds was close contact with my brother (childcare bubble) on friday.
Brother tests sat and gets positive sunday night.
I cant send my brothers personal medical information to the school.
Track and trace might not contact us for a weeka and do they track kids anyway?

WankPuffins · 31/12/2020 17:25

@Blubellsarebells yes you are right. I panic about things like that though.

anonymous1020 · 31/12/2020 17:31

@AliceMcK plenty of schools are surprisingly keen for us to be fining! I'm an education welfare officer. We aren't fining at the moment though.

AliceMcK · 31/12/2020 17:32

@Blubellsarebells

Not sure if they would ask for proof, but what proof could I give them? As example, my ds was close contact with my brother (childcare bubble) on friday. Brother tests sat and gets positive sunday night. I cant send my brothers personal medical information to the school. Track and trace might not contact us for a weeka and do they track kids anyway?
They can’t/shouldn’t ask for proof, if they do tell them to jog on.

If schools on focussing on stressing parents out and asking for proof they are very much focussed on the wrong thing.

PandemicPavalova · 31/12/2020 17:33

I think short term thinking is needed.

Personally anyone wanting to keep them off I think, we just need to buy about 10 days.

So I'd start off with general winter illness.
I appreciate anonymous speaks of honesty but that way you are putting yourself at the mercy of the head then you also start an immediate clock ticking against yourself.

PandemicPavalova · 31/12/2020 17:34

Alice, some schools are though! And I've been asked in the past for the covid test result form!

anonymous1020 · 31/12/2020 17:34

@PandemicPavalova no - it's better just to be honest. Then people like me know where the kids are, why they are off and aren't tasked with making ten thousand phone calls and home visits.

anonymous1020 · 31/12/2020 17:36

Also we are perfectly happy to be reasonable to parents not wanting their children in school and so are many heads but it's reasonable to ask for some honesty in return. I'm really giving you my best advice.

AliceMcK · 31/12/2020 17:39

[quote anonymous1020]@AliceMcK plenty of schools are surprisingly keen for us to be fining! I'm an education welfare officer. We aren't fining at the moment though. [/quote]
Really? Maybe we are just lucky in our area. Then again we have a very heavy key worker school population in most of our local schools and a close school network where schools have been working with and helping each other and families out.

There is zero appetite to add any more stress to peoples lives.

I know our HT has flagged a couple of families she’d rather the children were in school but is working closely with these families to make sure they are being looked after. The rest she’s been very understanding with families who are worried about their children’s safety and as long as the children are maintaining good levels of learning she hasn’t pushed it.

PandemicPavalova · 31/12/2020 17:39

Yes but whilst my honesty may make your job easier, it makes mine harder if I'm under pressure to send dd in.

I also think it may not get that far if we buy illness time...

PandemicPavalova · 31/12/2020 17:40

Thanks for your in put though anonymous.

anonymous1020 · 31/12/2020 17:44

@AliceMcK yes of course and it depends who the families are a little of course, we still have safeguarding responsibilities