Sixth Form pupil over 18 - unauthorised absence

[mumblechum1]

DS has taken 2 weeks out from yr 13 from today to attend a training course in connection with his future career. There was a miscommunication regarding this absence and HOY emailed me today playing hell about it.

Does anyone know what sanctions they could impose given:

1. He's 18 therefore adult

1. He emailed all of his teachers notifying them of his intention and asking them to tell him what work he'd miss so that he could do it in the hols (not one of them responded so he just bought the text books and read them in the hols)

1. He notified the careers advisor and head of yr 12, and neither of them raised any objection

1. He isn't taking 2 weeks off to go on a drug crazed orgy in Ibiza, but to do basic training in the Army, which is his intended career so arguably work experience.

I'm not altogether clear on how the miscommunication happened and can't ask as he's incommunicado for 11 days.

Anyone in the know about this?

i wouldn't sweat it. if his individual teachers knew and had arranged catch up work, then i would just reply saying that as far as you knew it had been authorised, he will make up the work, and see you in two weeks.

(it does beg the question why he notified the head of y12 and not his own head of year, though. he'll need to think a lot smarter than that in the army ;-) )

I think that is the reason for the mixup - he was in yr 12 at the time. I agree with you Mad, it doesn't bode well for big weapons and explosive stuff

The teachers hadn't arranged catch up work, btw, none of them responded to his emails asking what to do so he just went ahead, bought the books and swotted up in the hols.

Just tell him it was arranged with the HOY12, then. Comms mix-up. And you will get ds to come and see hoy13 on his return at 8.30 am on Monday 24th September to arrange catch-up work.

He probably should have gone to discuss it with his current teachers, last week, though... Just to remind them he wouldn't be in class for two weeks.

Numpty.

Hope he has a good time, anyway.

Thanks . Worst case scenario is they chuck him out of school but he loathes the place anyway

The HOY has just breached data protection by e-mailing you.

sashh - I know! I realised that later but don't want to get too arsey with them.

No sanctions if you have the papertrail that shows he gave them all enough advance warning, and opportunity to respond.
Be polite and puzzled at their lack of interschool communication.

When my DD was 18, she didn't need me to sign slips for trips any longer, but I still had to confirm her absence through illness

Do you know why the HoY is playing hell? Is it because of concern for DS? I don't think that it is because of concern for their statistics because, from what I have googled, there is no concept of authorised/unauthorised absence when you get beyond the age of compulsory schooling.

Senua I don't know; the email from her was pretty shirty, essentially saying she is extremely concerned....unauthorised absence....crucial stage of A2...

It's a high performing grammar and they do like to show off their shiny A* students

Well, the Head has written to dh and I, and said that if ds doesn't come back to school this week, he will be off the roll altogether.

As the other grammar school in the area doesn't do the same curriculum, that's it.

So have contacted DS to arrange to be released from his Army duties. This will put him back 7 months in his training. His Commanding Officer phoned the Head today to say that DS is performing at "an exemplary level", but he was not prepared to listen.

The reason the school gave is that he did not get formal permission from the Head teacher.

Obviously DS was in the wrong and he's learned a hard lesson, but tbh I can understand why he's pissed off; some friends of his have sloped off on holidays for 2 weeks and pretended to be sick. Different kettle of fish from learning to protect one's country, but there you are.

I've just seen this and I'm appalled at your DS's treatment by the school! I don's see your DS as being wholly in the wrong. This is totally heavy-handed. Can you not contact the board of governors before he's pulled out from his training? Presumably there's an email trail you could produce on his return. This seems an unconscionable decision by the school.

Disgraceful!
Your DS wrote to his head of year & if that was the wrong person to speak to then surly he/she could have told your son to write to the HT?

Sadly the oversubscribed schools can get away with this kind of behaviour & it seems you've done all you can to rectify the matter. How is your son going to feel studying at a place that has totally disrespected him & his future career? Maybe he's better off continuing his training & leaving school?

Mutteroo that was DS's reaction last week, but he knows that long term, having only GCSEs and ASs isn't going to make life easy .

On Saturday, when I got the letter from the Head, he was more angry than I have ever known him. When I phoned him yesterday he sounded calm, he is a remarkably mature 18 year old.

reshetima, arrangements made now for him to be released on Wed, as he was due to go on night exercises Wed night/late Thurs, so wouldn't have been in time to go back to school on the Fri.

I did suggest contacting the governors, but he needs a reference from the HT soon for UCAS so has to play the school's game.

Well, my repeated sympathies, but I'm sure you've reached the best decision in the circumstances. Well done to your DS for being so mature about everything.