So annoyed at school.

[BabyHugg]

So...I'm getting married 12th March and all my children's schools have authorised the day of absence for them more than a month ago. On Friday my 16 year old came home with a letter from school saying that there is a school trip that day and he has to attend as a requirement and it is not an option. If he doesn't go he will be unable to answer part of his gcse exam as a result and will then not get the grade he needs to get on his college course. I have spoken to his teacher today and she has confirmed all of this. So my son has decided he has to go on the trip. I understand how important his education is and I'm so proud that he is taking it seriously but I'm absolutely heartbroken especially as he was supposed to be giving me away.
I'm annoyed that the school would leave a student without the skills to answer part of their exam question, what would happen if a student was poorly and couldn't go that day surely they have to have something in place to help these students? Would making a complaint higher up be beneficial or am I just fighting a losing battle?

Thank you to those that offered some very good advice (and those who offered their congratulations too 😊) The subject is indeed geography. I have spoken to the deputy head of the school who has arranged to get me all the information I need to take my son myself during the Easter break. He was rather disappointed that my sons teacher didn't offer this as a solution to begin with and apologised for the way the situation was dealt with.

Good outcome OP 👍🏻

I'm glad you've got it sorted. Congratulations on your wedding. Enjoy you day.

You do seem to be overlooking the fact that the person that has caused this is you.

I just nearly spat my tea over the sofa

I need to take my son myself during the Easter break. He was rather disappointed that my sons teacher didn't offer this as a solution to begin with and apologised for the way the situation was dealt with.

But how will the teacher be able to sign it off that he collected the data and where, if the teacher doesn’t see him do it? I don’t think you understand the specification, OP.

Exert from specification:

Schools and colleges must submit a written statement as evidence that the fieldwork requirement has been met and observed by the school.
The statement must record the date, location, numbers of students participating, the main issues/ questions investigated and the part of the specification content to which the fieldwork is linked. The statement must be signed by the Head of Centre.
Any failure to provide this statement in a timely manner will be treated as malpractice or maladministration (under Ofqual's General Condition A8 (Malpractice and maladministration)).

If the teacher isn’t there, they cannot confirm this, even if your word is gospel. I don’t think this is the last you have heard of this...

But this document seems to suggest that the requirement for documentation is to prove that the school provided opportunities for the students to gather the data, not that they all completed it

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/387655/gcse-geography-consultation-on-conditions-and-guidance.pdf

Requirements for fieldwork statements
1.9 The subject content document10 states that students must be given the opportunity to carry out fieldwork. It further states that specifications must require at least two separate fieldwork opportunities, and that awarding organisations should “require evidence” of this “in the form of a written statement from centres”. The subject content document also sets out minimum information that must be included in the statement.

1.10 Centres must provide fieldwork opportunities for their students. This does not go so far as to oblige centres to ensure that all of their students take part in the fieldwork. There is always a risk that an individual student may miss the arranged fieldwork, for example because of illness. It could be costly for the school to run additional fieldwork opportunities for the student. However, the opportunity to take part in fieldwork must be given to all students. Students who do not take up the opportunity may be disadvantaged, as there will be questions on fieldwork in the GCSE geography assessments.

1.11 The subject content document requires awarding organisations to secure evidence that opportunities for fieldwork have been provided in the form of a written statement from centres providing at least the date, location, numbers of students participating, the main issues/questions investigated during fieldwork, and the relationship of the fieldwork to the specification content.

But you missed the bit out, out of all of that, that says the document has to be signed to say that that all has been observed by the school....

From your post at least the date, location, numbers of students participating, the main issues/questions investigated during fieldwork,

How do they know the date and location if they were not there?

They only have to sign that the session was run and observed by the school, (so they will know the date and location) it does say it does not oblige the school to ensure that all students will attend, just that the students may be disadvantaged if they don't.

And if you look at 1.16 in the document I linked to, it says that the sanction recommended is to hold the school guilty of malpractice or maladministration if the document is not in order NOT that the students would be penalised. Which seems to show that the 'fieldwork requirement' is for the school to run a fieldwork opportunity and the document is to prove they did it, not to prove that the students attended.

*not to prove that all the students attended

They only have to sign that the session was run and observed by the school, (so they will know the date and location)

But again, how can they do that, just on the word of OP? They don’t know the date or location for sure.

No, they have to sign that a session was run by the school - ie that they provided the opportunity for students to attend/gather the data - and the information they have to provide is corroborating evidence that the session took place. They don't have to sign to say anything about students gathering data for themselves.

The GCSE subject content document assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/301253/GCSE_geography.pdf
says "Awarding organisations must require evidence of this in the form of a written statement from centres, providing at least the date, location, numbers of students participating, the main issues/questions investigated during fieldwork, and the relationship of the fieldwork to the specification content" but that doesn't say the school has to actually observe.
So I take from that that the 'official' session must be observed, to prove the school has carried out its obligations, but not necessarily any catch-up sessions by individual students.

Sorry, but you really should have waited until his exams and preparation for them were over. Ours is in year 11 too. He’ll be feeling stressed about them already without worrying about you being upset.
You’ll need to find someone else to give you away and have him join you at the reception. It’s not the end of the world (and tell him that too) but potentially losing his College place would feel like it for him.

Hope you have a wonderful day.

So I take from that that the 'official' session must be observed, to prove the school has carried out its obligations, but not necessarily any catch-up sessions by individual students.

I’d still contact the exam board rather than rely on someone’s take on it, especially SLT not involved in Geography! And as a parent, wouldn’t risk my son’s GCSE results.

PP is right. School has to provide the sessions and documents relating to that.

If kids don't go, basically it's tough shit. They have to catch up on the missed work or be at a disadvantage.

It really isn't up to school to provide the data (which is effectively doing the work for them) because you choose to take your kid out.