Hi everyone. I'm desperately trying to help an old friend and wondered if anyone can put me straight please?
He wants to get some information about his son(following a few unpleasant incidents at school) and I've suggested he make a Subject Access Request. Friend and mum are not together and she is passing zero information on (split was far from amicable!). He's heard his son has not been attending school at all for a couple of months now and is very anxious about what's happening, especially as mum has started withholding access.
Can anyone tell me if an SAR is what he needs to ask for? And if so what info are school obliged to give him/what should he specifically ask for?
A girlfriend of mine said she'd tried to ask for an SAR once and school said she could only have the attendance record- but my understanding is you get access to anything that mentions the child or parents (i.e. emails/minutes from meetings etc). I should mention he definitely has parental responsibility.
Thanks in advance for any help. I've done my best to look online/called CAB, but I'm very cautious of getting it wrong and giving him terrible advice.
Ali x