Private school refusing to authorise leave

[Springhare76]

DS2 is 15 and just started year 11 at a private school. He has just been offered an 8 week trial at a premier league football academy which would involve him missing 2 mornings of school a week. I have emailed the school for approval. Not heard back yet but I think they are going to decline it which means that he will miss out on a massive opportunity. He lives and breathes football so this is huge for him. What are my options if they do refuse leave?

From what’s been said upthread, I get the impression that this boy doesn’t exactly have the best track history with the school and his education anyway so you’re right… may be wise to prioritise this as the alternative may not actually come to anything positive anyway

What I don’t get if that if the club has already pushed back the start date twice due to injury, then surely the Op has already asked the school the previous times?

Not sure that for something I’m so desperate for my son to do that I’d be dropping them an email to ask, akin to asking for one morning off for a dentist appointment.

This is the 3 tier Prem league academy. It’s youth development as far as I can see. So very normal to miss school if it’s this.

There really aren't. For example at our club there have been five trialists in the last year and only one made it. We are currently without players in certain positions because of it. Perhaps you would like to share your direct category 1 academy story and knowledge of this?

Sure. I can name at least ten academy players who played for Liverpool who are playing first team PL football right now who are still in their teens. A lot will be on loan to get game time for example so you won't see them in the UK or playing first team.

In fact Klopp gave over 40 academy players a senior debut in the 8 years he was there - so that makes at least 5 a year.

We aren't at Liverpool btw, but it's an example.

Talksport said on radio this morning that in the last season 265 academy players were given a professional debut.

But let's be honest, this is category 1 academies. Cat 2-4 won't have that success. If the OP's kid is being given a trial at a cat 1 then they won't sign that kid unless they feel he has the potential to make scholar which is about 8-12 kids every year.

Unfortunately as mentioned it isn't just being absent. The FA rules are that the school has to give the club permission to release the kid from school for training. This is to ensure that training doesn't affect school and that the club is taking the right measures to ensure school is prioritised.

OP - you have to get the schools permission there are no two ways about it.

Huh? Are you @XelaM ? That’s who I was quoting

Do whatever you need to, to make this work for him. It’s 8 weeks but if this is his passion, he’ll regret it forever if he misses an opportunity he really wants.

Yes, this is correct.

The school have refused to authorise leave apart from one session this week which he will go to. The club are being understanding as it is a lot of time out and I have written an email to the head challenging the decision and asking them to reconsider. Have proposed they let him miss just one morning so he can do one session. Waiting to hear what they say but praying they meet us half way as the only alternative would be to remove him from the school which is not really feasible at this point. The problem is that he has been offered trials at other clubs which may also require him to miss school which will also get refused to this may not be a one-off issue.

The school don’t want your son at the school op
so you’re on thin ice I’d say
start planning to withdraw him
he goes to the club
and you find online tutoring

@Springhare76 I'd consider an online school - they are both experienced at mid-year transfers in and very flexible indeed for things like this. As I said we have quite a few elite athletes (we're at Minerva Virtual Academy) so there's also peers to connect with - and they try to foster this with specialised events. It's cheaper than traditional private school. I'm pretty sure they have ways of handling it when kids move mid-GSCEs but I'm sure the admissions team could give more info.

I don't work for them! And my child is there because they have autism and are too anxious to attend a traditional school. But I'm aware that they offer all this to those who need it.

Why would you say this? They could have exited him at the end of year 10 but didn't so I don't think they are trying to get rid. Apparently they usually do refuse these requests for leave so I don't think we're being treated differently. It's a strict, academic school so the head is probably prioritising results over anything else. I don't want DS to leave due to the disruption for him but it's very strict, inflexible and intense which is causing us a lot of issues.

You posted on a thread I was on about how you were worried that the school would refuse to let him return for year 11?

so the relationship seems, at best, shakey

Didn't need to as it was during the summer holidays in August.

This club is unusual in that its training is in the day as it has its own school. It's premier league, cat 1.

Assuming the rules are the same for private school as state, this kind of sporting programme is definitely the sort of thing that a Head could authorise absence for but they are not obliged to.
I don't have any knowledge of football but one of my DC was on the national governing body's talent pathway for a different sport and another danced to a high level. They both had authorised absences for training and competing at various points. However the need to maintain academic performance and to always have a Plan B/C/D/E was stressed repeatedly to us. Only a small proportion of talented kids will ultimately make their living playing sport or performing and no matter how good they are there is always the possibility of injury ending things overnight so a decent batch of GCSEs should be a minimum target. Despite it often being said that you can do GCSEs anytime it isn't actually easy to find somewhere where that's possible so it is a good idea to try to get them at the standard time if possible. There are of course ways into employment or further/higher education without GCSEs but it's a great deal easier if you have them.
Given the fact that private schools often have shorter terms anyway, 16 missed sessions in 8 weeks is probably about 15% of teaching time in a term, and that assumes that the academy times mean that the boy can always get back on time for the afternoon session. That's a lot of time out of what is the penultimate full term before exams. And if the trial is successful, presumably there will be more missed school in the run up to exams? Whilst I do understand why the OP and her son would be enthusiastic about this opportunity I can also see why the school might be reluctant to authorise so much time away from school so close to GCSEs.
OP, given that it seems that the FA (very sensibly) will only allow attendance with school's permission I think you only have two options - persuade the Head or take your son out of the school. I'd ask to a face to face meeting and go armed with not only information on how the academy would benefit your son, but a plan of what he is going to do to mitigate the effects of his absence on his schoolwork and ensure that he keeps up without impacting on his classmates and teachers. Of course the Head may still refuse but I think you've got a better chance if you can demonstrate that you've thought through all the issues and are being proactive about finding solutions rather than just sending an email likely to be perceived as saying that he wants a day off every week to play football.
If they still refuse I don't think you can insist so you'd have to then decide which is more important. If it's the football trial then you'd have to find another school (likely to be tricky at this stage) or homeschool/use an online school. Best case scenario is that he gets selected and goes on to a glittering career whilst simultaneously aceing his GCSEs studied online. Worst case is probably that he doesn't get through the trial, you've burned your bridges with school and are left trying to homeschool a disappointed and disengaged young man months before GCSEs and he ends up with no football career and no GCSEs. Only you can decide how much risk is worth taking.
Either way, self discipline and a good work ethic are key to long term success in sport so I'd say that it needs to be him who is leading on finding solutions and making the commitments necessary to make any plan work.

Our private school told us last year that their school attendance is now reportable to ofsted. So they can’t authorise leave unless it’s absolutely necessary. However, they hinted that whilst they need to ‘show’ that the leave was not sanctioned by them, it’s up to the parent to go ahead and take the leave unauthorised if we want to. It’s more for census reporting than anything else.

And they let him come back. Our relationship is fine. I actually like the head and his Head of Year but they are a strict academic school and I have been told they usually don't authorise these types of requests. It's not personal so our relationship doesn't come into it. Don't create issues where there aren't any!

If you say so op.

Fact is… you have conveyed a very depressing view of your son in terms of his behaviour at school and towards you.

So it is possible the school would be relieved if you walked away.

Will taking him and bringing him back (is it local?) two mornings a week fall on you Op?

How far away is training?

Thank you, this is really helpful and basically where my current thinking it. I have emailed them suggesting a compromise of one session a week and asking for a call or meeting. My concern, as you flagged, is that the trial is not successful and he is left upset AND without a school which would be awful. In all likelihood, it's very unlikely the trial will be successful as it's highly competitive but we're told it's still great to have on his CV and that it will open other doors for him,

So is the trial for the equilvalent of something like Chelsea Academy where he would join that and the school?

if it is would something like the Fulham partnership with Raynes Park High school for sixth form also work?

and what is his end plan? Footballer or something like a college US scholarship

I think you are commenting on a thread I posted about my other son? My DS2 has not conveyed any depressing behaviour to me or to the school?

I very much doubt the school are saying no to try to force us out. I was told by a parent they usually decline these requests. They do have a cull at the end of year 10 and he didn't get asked to leave. His results and predicted grades are good and he has been offered a conditional place in the sixth form.

But this falls within the list of things school can and do authorise as leave, in line with Government attendance guidance. So that doesn't need to happen (and clearly in the OP's case cannot happen because of the academy requirements).

I think it's understandable that the school is hesitant about this if you just asked for the time off without any structure around what that will look like. If your son wants to straddle two worlds and both focus on football 'and' continue to attend an academically rigorous school, you're both going to need to put in the extra work and commitment to make it work. They cannot personally keep him up to standard and you cannot expect them to bend over backwards to accommodate this in such an important year. I still think the football is important to prioritise in this situation, but you need a really robust plan - go in with information on tutoring, maybe tell them different tutors you've contacted or online school to supplement... anything that you could manage (logistically and financially) is worth exploring.