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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

If you take your child out of school - with or without permission - have you ever been caught?

11 replies

MrsWicket · 15/10/2008 10:39

Taking DD (5) out of school for two days which we have got permission to do, I just wanted to know -

Do you need to take the permission form with you in case you get stopped?

What happens if you get stopped?

And if you did take them out without permission do you spend the entire time looking over your shoulder

OP posts:

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edam · 15/10/2008 10:42

Never occurred to me anyone might stop us, tbh. None of anyone's business! (Not that I've ever taken ds out of school, had no reason to.)

bozza · 15/10/2008 10:45

I once got asked why my daughter wasn't at school. Err because she was only 3.

coppertop · 15/10/2008 10:47

I think if it's someone doing official spot-checks on truancy etc you would just give them the name of the school and they would contact them directly to ask about permission etc. If it's anyone else then it's none of their business anyway.

AMumInScotland · 15/10/2008 10:53

It's nobody's business apart from truancy patrols - so many schools have different holidays and inset days that nobody else will probably think anything of it anyway!

leosdad · 15/10/2008 12:37

It's the teenagers that the truancy patrols are after, especially as shopkeepers especially the newsagents and daily mail readers are convinced that all teenagers are shoplifters/muggers/troublemakers.

Ours had a problem last spring as the headteacher (at a church school) had easter holidays centred around easter and the local schools had holidays two-three weeks later.

kingprawntikka · 15/10/2008 18:28

I saw a truancy patrol officer in Borders book store last week. First time i have ever seen one. She was talking to a man who had three small children with him, two of whom looked infant age.

branflake81 · 15/10/2008 19:01

I got stopped once and asked why I wasn't in school. I was 23!

MrsWeasley · 15/10/2008 19:02

branflake81

zandy · 15/10/2008 23:03

have been stopped twice in plymouth by truant officers. one time thought it was someone trying to sell something, so walked on and ignored, only to be stopped by a uniformed policeman telling me to stop. they work in pairs.

they ask question, why not at school? and ask for school details and name and addy, and then they do actually contact the school to confirm the absence is authorised.

not sure what would have happened had it not been.

cory · 16/10/2008 08:28

Have often been out with dd during school time on my way to and from hospital appointments/physio/chiropracter/counselling. Also been on holiday in other LEAs where school holidays are on different weeks. Never been stopped or carried any paperwork with me.
Have been asked once or twice by staff on supermarket tills (when holidaying)- answered politely, though really none of their business.

heronsfly · 16/10/2008 08:49

I got stopped a few months ago in Tescos, dd3 had been sent home from school ill, we had been to the doctors and gone into tescos to collect antibiotics,
I was furious, my children never have time off unless they are really ill.
I felt that people like us an easy option to reach there quota with,it is well known in our town that all the real truants collect on the corner of the sea wall, but the truant officers are never ever seen there,

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