Seeking advice on absence issues when taking 11+ exams/assessments

[CheekyCoralScroller]

Our DC is currently going through the 11+ application process. This term, we participated in several entrance exams and scholarship assessments for independent schools. Unfortunately, some of these exams were only scheduled during weekdays, so we had to request leave from DC’s public primary school.

However, the headteacher did not approve these requests, despite we have explained the purpose. With the lack of approval, we still had to attend these exams. As a result, our DC’s absences exceeded the school’s policy limits, and we were issued a penalty. In the latest response, the school informed us that any further requests for term-time exams or interviews should not be requested, and they mentioned escalating the issue to the county’s Legal Absence Team.

This situation has caused significant stress for both our family and our child. We thought that the right to choose a secondary school was fundamental. DC has its own preference and was excited to participate in these exams to pursue its ideal school, and thought the current school would support these efforts, but instead, leaving confused and disheartened.

Adding to our concern, most interviews, second-round tests, and scholarship assessments for the schools we are applying to will take place in January and February. We are lack of ideas for next steps.

So I would greatly appreciated for advice:

1. Any of you experienced or heard of similar situations? If so, any suggestions for handling this issue?
2. What exactly is the county’s Legal Absence Team? We are unsure about the implications of this step and what actions we, as parents, can take.
3. Any other advice or insights would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you all in advance for your help.

How many schools did you apply for?!

Fines for parents for taking children out of school: What you need to know – The Education Hub

Interesting situation. How many schools did you apply for?

How many days has your child missed this term? And you say you have exceeded "the school's limits" - how many days is that?

Did your child have other absences prior to the 11+

It's not helpful to schedule the exams on weekdays. Neither is it helpful if the school to deny him the leave. He must have had plenty other absences previously to trigger this?
Is sickness counted also? Either way you wanted him to do the exam and he did. So there's nothing you can do now.
I don't know what the norm is now but I did 5 exams to enter private schools with 11+. All exams on weekends.
How many is your child doing?

We were always allowed to at my DCs primary school. There was a code that they could use so it was authorised. Lots of kids in our area sit independent exams whilst at State primaries.

@CheekyCoralScroller ,
See this govt doc
On page 82 there is Code J1 for attending an interview for admission to another educational institution. Ask the school if they will use this code for interviews. (It depends also if your primary school is maintained or in an academy).
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66bf300da44f1c4c23e5bd1b/Workingtogetherrtoimproveeschoolattendancee-Augustt2024.pdf

How frustrating. Most schools allow for the dc to leave for exams. I find it ridiculous they don't.

How absurd, I am sure you can appeal this I mean unless you have applied to 10+ schools or something like that. I wouldnt worry about it.

I guess it all hinges on how many schools you applied to.... Wasn't an issue for us, we just let the primary school know that absence was due to exam/interview/audition etc

We apply for 4 independent schools that each has their own exams. 3 of them are involved in the absence I mentioned above. 1 of them we managed to attend during weekend.
Also we applied for 2 sets of grammar exams, which gave us opportunity to fill all three CAF options. These tests were not impacted.
We apply a few others that share ISEB test, which also has not been related to this situation.

the limits is 5 full days in any 10 weeks

yes, couple of late arrivals at school. they account as absence as well. others are all come from 11+ tests as mentioned above.

I would protest the lates being marked as absence.

My DC did music exams and various grammar tests this term and our primary approved them all as educational absences.
Late is not the same as absent. Ask about the different codes they are using.

OP is your DC a high achiever likely to get greater depth in SATS anyway? If so, and the school are being funny with you, I would call a meeting with the head and tell them upfront that if they continue to record and threaten the educational absences in the wrong way, you won’t be sending your DC to bolster their results come May (that is if you don’t need SATs for state secondary anyway).

@CheekyCoralScroller , ask for the school attendance policy and using the current doc I posted work out if U is the correct code for the length of the lateness.

Inform the school that all future assessments are interviews and to use the code J1.

Attendance is such a hot topic especially if the school is due to be inspected that they don't want U codes showing if another code is applicable.
Make sure you aren't late for school.

U is the correct code if the pupil arrives after the register has closed but before the end of the session. It's counted an unauthorised absence in the statistics.

We have a ton of late arrivals on our record and our daughter has missed a fair bit of school this term due to exams, interviews, etc. All we got was some handwringing; ultimately everything approved and no suggestion of being penalised (though we can’t afford any more late starts).

Your kid’s school might justifiably be grumpy but flat out refusing to authorise the absences is really shitty. Contest it for all you’re worth.

My son is now in Y9 but when he was in Y6 (and y5 for visits), he attended entrance exams for 3 independent schools and an open morning for a state school. I think maybe 2 out of the 3 exams were on a Saturday though. Anyway the code went down as educated at another institution or something similar as stated by a PP. Definitely he wasn't marked as absent.

Let then escalate to the county’s Legal Absence Team. Make sure you have records of the requests, denials and exam attendance. I would continue to write requesting absences for future exams as well. You need the paper trail. You are not taking your DC out on a jolly. Its an exam FFS. I dont think anything will come of it with the county.

I’d expect this to be covered as “educated at another institution” as others have mentioned. You have no choice about whether the exams are at the weekend or weekdays so I don’t understand why there is any justification for the school to be grumpy at all and it sounds like they’ve stressed the child directly which is pretty poor as if they’re were an issue it would be between them and you.

Our school just puts it down to educational absence. They do the same for music exams. Your school are wrong. Would they really rather the kids were not allowed to do secondary entrance exams? It reflects well on them that their pupils go on to good schools.

Surely there's more to it, you must have taken the piss with "a few other iseb", several lateness and other absences. Schools don't issue fines willy nilly just because they can.