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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Unauthorised absence

22 replies

thunderbird69 · 03/03/2011 10:50

What exactly does this mean?

I want to take DS2 (yr 4) out of school on the last day of term as we are going away for a long weekend - DS1 has the day off as a teacher training day.

After a vague enquiry on requesting days off I was told by the Head that it probably won't be authorised. If it isn't then what happens if I don't send him to school that day?

Friends have told me not to request the day off but to just phone in on the day and say he is sick. I wouldn't feel comfortable lying though.

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cloudpuff · 03/03/2011 11:09

I know a lot of people who just ring in sick for their child when they are going away, I dont think I could lie either as my dd would spill the beans no doubt.

I have a family wedding coming up in a few months and it is on a Friday, I am just going to write a letter to the school and explain about the wedding and that she will not be in that day and ask for a bit of work she can do while travelling etc. If they dont authorise it it will just be an unauthorised absence, think there will only be a problem if a child has had lots of absences and attendance is below a certain percent.

If you mention to the school that you are going away and maybe ask for a little bit of work it should be fine. Not sure about your ds school but my dd last day of term they usually play games and watch dvds .anyway

BluddyMoFo · 03/03/2011 11:11

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BluddyMoFo · 03/03/2011 11:12

This reply has been deleted

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IndigoBell · 03/03/2011 11:16

It will go on his record as unauthorised absence.

Nothing will happen unless this happens regularly...

mummytime · 03/03/2011 11:23

The worst that can happen is that you could be fined. But it is unlikely to happen for one day (especially at the end of term).
I had to do the same for my son at the end of last year.

Original poster

thunderbird69 · 03/03/2011 12:16

Thanks

I was wondering if I'd get a truant officer at the door or something!

They never do any work on the last day of term so he won't miss anything - unless the teacher gives out some Easter treats...

OP posts:

ninani · 03/03/2011 12:56

No, the officer only comes if your child has repeated unauthorised absences and if you don't cooperate. I don't think you need to ask for permission. Like others have already said because you are a good parent you are informing the school that your son is not coming to school for that day. If they think it is ok they will authorise it themselves (our school doesn't authorise holidays but then they have a high rate of abcense)

pointythings · 03/03/2011 21:02

Our school would definitely have authorised a wedding for a family member - they authorised for my DDs to go to a memorial service on a school day and were very reasonable when we were stranded due to the Icelandic volcano. Their absence rates are about average though, not very high at all.

lemonmousse · 03/03/2011 22:20

Not sure whether all LEA's are the same but ours permits up to 10 days holiday (2 weeks) in any school year. If you haven't had him out of school for a fortnight's holiday in term time then an odd day shouldn't be a problem.

kattyo · 03/03/2011 22:28

Just to check - I will be taking my children out of reception for six days in the winter term, and five days in the spring term. Both of these will be before they turn five. THe first is a trip that I planned BEFORE I realised that the changes to the school year meant they would start in September rather than January (it is to south east asia to see friends and family). The second is family wedding in the US where they will be bridesmaids and the bride has actually set the wedding date so my children and their cousins can attend. (it's a jewish wedding, has to be after sundown, any later and the kids would not be able to stay awake).

Both trips willl be before the children turn FIVE.

SO:

The school is strict on absence. I will probably have an unauthorised absence. But

can they chuck us out if they are not yet five? - And can they fine us for this (two kids, the fine would add up).

I had even thought of delaying school till january just to avoid missing the first trip!

Thanks.

GraceK · 03/03/2011 22:43

Am pretty sure that no one has to attend school by law until their fifth birthday - anyone starting before that(because of the way the school year is now structured) is attending on a voluntary basis. I have a friend who's 4 year old (birthday 27th August) only went to school in the mornings through out his Year R class (with the school's agreement) as he wasn't coping with a full school day.

The school may get arsey because it affects their attendance figures but under 5 I think you have the law on your side

busymummy3 · 03/03/2011 23:36

do you mean the last day of the summer term? If so you may find that your school is to close 1 day early anyway we ahve received a letter informing us that school is to close on thursday 21st july as day has been allocated by LA for royal wedding(bank holiday falls in Ester hols)dont know if this is same in all areas though

nailak · 03/03/2011 23:41

due to the 15 hr thing, my 3 year old goes to nursery 5 afternoons and one morning, the day she has to go in morning and afternoon is very tiring for her as she has to leave by 8.30 walk to school, finish at 11.25 walk home get home 11.50 eat, then leave again around 12.20 to go back to school, whenwe asked if we had to bring her on tues mornings they said yes otherwise its not fair on kids who havent got a place....
am i within my rights to tell them i wont be taking her?

lemonmousse · 04/03/2011 06:47

Have a look at the direct gov website for more info

www.direct.gov.uk/en/Parents/Schoolslearninganddevelopment/SchoolLife/DG_4016103

lemonmousse · 04/03/2011 06:49

sorry - don't know how to post it as a link

gorionine · 04/03/2011 06:55

www.direct.gov.uk/en/Parents/Schoolslearninganddevelopment/SchoolLife/DG_4016103

was just looking for an occasion to try the automatic link button

I agree with not lying but accepting that your child w8ll get a mark of unotorises absence. Welfare officer inly contact you if a recurrent problem

i think.

cloudpuff · 04/03/2011 08:10

I know our school can authorise up to ten days but this year they have really clamped down and wont authorise holidays etc. Not sure why as its not like they have low attendance rates or anything. One mum has been refused one day on the last day of term for a christening and her son has had 100 per cent attendance since nursery and hes now in yr1. Shes just gonna leave him absent anyway.

Original poster

thunderbird69 · 04/03/2011 09:51

The school used to allow absences as long as they seemed reasonable but it seems that they have now changed their views (don't know if that is the head, the governors or the LEA).

I will do as suggested then and just tell them he will be absent that day, rather than asking permission.

busymummy3 - no, it is the end of this term. The wedding bank holiday is after the Easter hols here anyhow (return to school on 26th April)

OP posts:

bettyboop63 · 05/03/2011 09:08

indigo is right its just put down as unorthorised when they give you the slip later in yr it has strikes when school closed and says unorthorised if youve taken them out for what thy consider not good reasons ie holidays but nothing will happen unless you do this regularlybut personally i never would ive resisted so far and my \dc's are 10 14, 15 it really effects their learning my DS 15 a few years ago missed 2 days off ill in maths and thats when they had covered a particular area and he didnt do well a feww weeks later as usually expected in his math test so now they REALLY have to be extremely unwell ie puking up to get a day off or its ibuprofen n off you go

skybluepearl · 05/03/2011 18:48

I think EWO would only be interested in unauthorised absence if it reached the 20% mark. Over the term that is.

Head is entitled to grant up to two weeks. You might have more chance of getting it autorised if you put an educational slant on it - or are due to meet up with long lost family.

skybluepearl · 05/03/2011 18:53

yes also if son is only 4 - there is no legal requirement for him to attend school at all.

the Educaton welfare officers would not be interested at all in non attendance of this age.

the head just doesn't want you to take the time off as it will effect his over all school attandance figures and all heads have a fixation on those.

LatteLady · 06/03/2011 20:36

And the reason that Heads have a fixation about this is that once the figs start to go over 5% they can generate a visit from Ofsted.

Whilst understanding that there may be occasional absence it can start to add up. We had one group who regularly went to their caravans either missing a Friday or a Monday... we calculated that a number of children had missed more than a month of learning through these "occasional days". Sadly teachers do not have the chance to grab those days back for the children who are absent.

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