Unauthorised absence when everyone in the household tested positive

[selflessisolation]

So. On the last day of term I received a very strongly worded email from the school threatening all things on earth including prosecution as one of my children's attendance over the first half of the term fell below a specific critical threshold. A lot of patronising text about how important education is etc.

The reason it got so low is that we had a period of isolation in September where everyone in the house apart from the child in question had positive pcr tests (and was quite unwell too). I strongly suspect the child in question was positive too (was mildly symptomatic), but I just did not do the test properly (the child is quite young, just of compulsory school age, and was not very cooperative - maybe I did not reach deep enough with the probe).

There has been no indication at all from the school at the time that it would be a problem, but now apparently they consider it as unauthorised absence?. They were fully aware of the situation, the child's "positive" sibling is at the same school.

I can't really believe it, to be honest. Did they actually expect a very young symptomatic child from a single parent household, where everyone else is quite ill and has positive tests, to come to school? Never mind logistics re how they would get to school, but how is this sensible? Is it just our school that is so heavy handed, or is it the approach everywhere?

It feels completely crazy to me that just a few weeks ago in the summer term the children were repeatedly sent home and asked to test for a slightest sniffle and isolate until a negative result arrives.

I got similar letter when my child was in hospital. School said they had to send it

The fact that the child had symptoms means that this is wrong, plain and simple.

(I was told no symptoms = unauthorised absence fwiw, despite cases in the family).

Just reply 'okay' and nothing else!

Your child wasn't positive and they should have been in school. If they aren't in school, then they are missing out on their education, which after the last 18 months, is very important that they don't.

The school are following all of the rules, you should have taken your child to school. They are justified in writing to you.

@makelovenotpetrol

Your child wasn't positive and they should have been in school. If they aren't in school, then they are missing out on their education, which after the last 18 months, is very important that they don't.

The school are following all of the rules, you should have taken your child to school. They are justified in writing to you.

Of course! Also, I should have probably had a chat with all teachers as well, all whilst having a fever of 40 and coughing my lungs out - just, you know, to make sure we are not missing on anything important education wise. It is not like those 18 months were missed for some important reason, right? I feel bad now for destroying their future, these 7 days clearly were critical.

@sleepingrabbits

My DS had Covid then I had it. School said he had to go back after his isolation, so I had to drive him up and then phone reception for them to send someone out to Collect him. Got so many evil looks pulling up outside school, especially as I live very close 😬 But in your circumstances it was most likely your DC had Covid so I think you were right not to send. How long was the absence ? My DS had a week off for chicken pox before no issues.

So the school instructed you to break the law? Or have self isolation rules changed and I've missed it? (a strong possibility).

@makelovenotpetrol

Your child wasn't positive and they should have been in school. If they aren't in school, then they are missing out on their education, which after the last 18 months, is very important that they don't.

The school are following all of the rules, you should have taken your child to school. They are justified in writing to you.

He was still poorly. Even if well enough, OP is a lone parent, was feeling really shitty and supposed to self isolate. How exactly should she have taken the child to school and back? Portals?

@Bonusjonas

Does it actually say they will prosecute or that they may consider it?

That if it does not improve above 95% in the second half, they'll take action in accordance to the policy, which is prosecution. And I don't think it will be mathematically possible to get to 95% even with 100% attendance between now and Christmas.

You're just being silly now. No one needed you to talk to the teachers they just needed you to follow the rules and send your child to school. Which you didn't do. And now you're annoyed that they told you you should have followed the rules and sent them to school. Where they should have been.

But ok, you're right. Enjoy your post flaming your childs school, it's MN so I'm sure you'll get some fellow hand wringers to make you feel better.

This is how schools are required to record absences related to covid:
www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-attendance/addendum-recording-attendance-in-relation-to-coronavirus-covid-19-during-the-2021-to-2022-academic-year

Keeping a child off who has tested negative for covid and is well enough for school is, according to this, unauthorised. It does not mention in this context that a headteacher can use their discretion to override that coding, so it would be a brave headteacher who marked it as authorised. It certainly couldn’t be authorised just because the headteacher thinks the rules are stupid and dangerous. 10 whole days absent because a parent cannot find anyone to help get their child to school is also a long time, so I think a headteacher would be incredibly brave to do that, too!

all whilst having a fever of 40 and coughing my lungs out

The headteacher (and one or two PP) seem to have forgotten that covid is an illness with a spectrum of severity ranging from asymptomatic to DEAD and everything in-between. You cannot be expected to drive/walk your child to school in that state. If you ever do get fined , you'd refuse to pay and the judge would laugh it out of court.

@makelovenotpetrol

You're just being silly now. No one needed you to talk to the teachers they just needed you to follow the rules and send your child to school. Which you didn't do. And now you're annoyed that they told you you should have followed the rules and sent them to school. Where they should have been.

But ok, you're right. Enjoy your post flaming your childs school, it's MN so I'm sure you'll get some fellow hand wringers to make you feel better.

They told me when I called them to tell about us testing positive - ok, get well, forward the test result and we expect you back to school on xx/xx/xxxx. At absolutely no point had anyone told me to bring the child who tested negative to school at that time. Not even that I would be able to do so without breaking self isolation rules.

@makelovenotpetrol

You're just being silly now. No one needed you to talk to the teachers they just needed you to follow the rules and send your child to school. Which you didn't do. And now you're annoyed that they told you you should have followed the rules and sent them to school. Where they should have been.

But ok, you're right. Enjoy your post flaming your childs school, it's MN so I'm sure you'll get some fellow hand wringers to make you feel better.

Well my DD's school bollocked a parent for wanting to send a child that recovered from tonsillitis to school without a PCR test. No covid symptoms, tonsillitis confirmed and treated by docs. They also strongly encouraged to keep her home even if she was better because "it's the last day of term anyways".

There are also schools that allow staff and pupils to self isolate if they live with someone positive because they have very vulnerable children and feel it's safer that way.

Could OP have done more? Possibly. But a bit of common sense, communication and compromise should be expected from the school too.

10 whole days absent because a parent cannot find anyone to help get their child to school is also a long time, so I think a headteacher would be incredibly brave to do that, too!
Would you personally have volunteered for 10 days of there-and-back school runs for say one of your children's classmates, knowing that there's covid in the family and there's a very fat chance the child is ill and infectious too?

@selflessisolation

10 whole days absent because a parent cannot find anyone to help get their child to school is also a long time, so I think a headteacher would be incredibly brave to do that, too! Would you personally have volunteered for 10 days of there-and-back school runs for say one of your children's classmates, knowing that there's covid in the family and there's a very fat chance the child is ill and infectious too?

Was it even 10 days? Surely there was at least a weekend in there too.

Some people are just so black and white.

So people honestly believe "your child was negative so should have been in school?"

I mean honestly?

Our only circus outbreak in school came from a child who wasn't even unwell attending school whilst the rest of the family were positive. That's the whole household. They came on school bus hence why they attended.

They ended up in hospital with severe respiratory problems.

If a single parent has cocos and so do siblings how exactly do schools expect them to attend legally when also legally the parent has to isolate?

When is your child 5?

Just to cover yourself I'd write an email.

Dear HT,

Thank you for the letter addressing my dd attendance during the first half term. I share your concerns that education being missed can be detrimental. This is why the pandemic and continued high case numbers is concerning.

Unfortunately as you are aware by law I had to isolate and therefore I was unable to bring dd to school during this period. I would be happy to receive suggestions from you if how to get round this in future should our household catch it again.

This letter has caused me distress after what has already been a difficult few week and I would like a response for my records should you decide prosecute me for following legal self isolation.

Regards

This idiocy's has to stop during the continued pandemic. Everyone knows children need to be in school as much as possible. But we cannot follow conflicting requests when 1 is legal and carries a fine to avoid another which also carried a fine.

@AccidentallyOnPurpose - it’s fairly unusual to get tonsillitis severe enough that it needs treatment (ie antibiotics) without the child getting a high temperature. A high temperature triggers the need to take a pcr test. So are you sure there were “no covid symptoms”, rather than the parents just thinking it was obviously just tonsillitis?

Dont worry about it we have had so many letters like this pre covid due to attendance % of one child. All absences were authorised and due to servere medical condition related illness and apptointments. The head was very sorry but they had to send them anytime attendence fell bellow a certain level. We also had to meet with the attendence officer who was lovely and so supportive.

The local council was meant to set up a home tutor for when she was off for an extended period following a major opperation but they didnt but thats a whole different issue. At the time i found the letters very stressful and upsetting but after the LA didnt support after opperation I dont give them a second thought.

Walk around** I had a uti with fever. I suffer uti and know when it's one.

Of course I didn't PCR test and neither did GP think I needed to when it was pretty damn obvious why I had a fever!

What a lot of fuss over a non issue, the school has to send the letter, ignore it and carry on as normal

No one's going to be prosecuted for covid related absence, tbh you are being a tad dramatic. Do you think the courts are full of parents who had to keep their children off schools for a few days, of course they aren't

Was it even 10 days? Surely there was at least a weekend in there too.
7 days missed.

Why on Earth was it registered as an unauthorised absence? The child, irrespective of pcr results had mild symptoms. Therefore was "sick".
You did a risk assessment and your actions were entirely correct. I'd be contacting the school and asking them to change the register and mark that absence was down to illness.

When is your child 5?
Already 5, so subject to attendance requirements.

@selflessisolation

10 whole days absent because a parent cannot find anyone to help get their child to school is also a long time, so I think a headteacher would be incredibly brave to do that, too! Would you personally have volunteered for 10 days of there-and-back school runs for say one of your children's classmates, knowing that there's covid in the family and there's a very fat chance the child is ill and infectious too?

Yes if they were a friend (but then I am walking distance away, so would be outside the whole time!). I wouldn’t expect the headteacher of the school to go against DfE guidelines and authorise such an absence when it is explicitly stated such an absence should not be marked as authorised. I wouldn’t be happy about any of it, though, as I think it entirely sensible not to send your child to school if the entire family have covid. Clearly the school also think it reasonable as they did not chase you up at the time (unless they thought it was ok at the time and now realise it couldn’t be authorised)! They should have told you that the absence of one of your children would have to be marked as unauthorised at the time, though, so that this was not an unpleasant surprise.

No one's going to be prosecuted for covid related absence, tbh you are being a tad dramatic. Do you think the courts are full of parents who had to keep their children off schools for a few days, of course they aren't
I have no idea. I am not British, I have absolutely no benchmark of how these things are supposed to work. When a person in a position of responsibility writes me a formal letter saying they are considering prosecuting me under the antisocial behaviour legislation, I, errr... believe them.