Really stupid question about authorised/unauthorised absences

[TotalChaos]

I'm not sure what constitutes an unauthorised absence - if DS is off sick, and I phone up and notify the school, is it still an unauthorised absence?

No, its ill. Thats how its marked on our register, anyway.

No - sickness = sickness absence. Unauthorised is only when, for example, you ask for holiday during termtime, request is refused and you go anyway. Looks bad for school stats but doesn't really impact on you.

Thanks - so presumably same would apply for therapy appointments? (had to keep DS off school nursery one afternoon for NHS SALT, school secretary to give her credit was absolutely lovely when I phoned up to explain).

Unauthorised absence is only given at my school if a child is off, parent doesn't phone in, child returns without note saying why absent, parent is phoned by school and can't give a good reason "He bunked off, didn't he?" doesn't count!!
10 days' authorised absence can be granted by the Head (but they don't have to). Our pupils are not allowed to take holidays in Year 10 or 11 - so if they do go, it is always unauthorised from day 1.
Without being patronising, if you phone up each time, you are the sort of parent the school secretary loves!

Thanks Catok. If I phone in, do I need to write in afterward as well?

At my school you have to write in on childs return to school. Child could have got anyone to ring up to say they were ill and be back home by time parents came home from work. So parents never know they have taken day off!!!!

at our schools you have to fill in the 'reason for absence' form when the child returns even if you called in. it gets signed off by the head as authorised and filed accordingly so they have 'proof' for ofsted re attendance.
otherwise the school could just claim that all the mums rang in and the kids were ill, when really they were nicking sweets down the road.
if we forget, we get a letter 2 weeks later, saying 'x was absent - you called - please explain on the attached form with 5 days or it will be marked as unauthorised' - that way if little johnny's girlfirend rang up and said he had the pox, mum gets to find out anyway.

we have a very scary secretary.

Thanks and gosh! DS's school is pretty small (just over 100 pupils), so I suspect that the secretary recognises my voice, particularly as I've not got the regional accent .

ours is only 180, and they do know me, oh yes
proof for ofsted is more important round here...