Skipping school

[Madmentalbint]

When your child has been absent from school without reason, are the school supposed to let you know?

I had reason to believe she had been skipping school so went in to see what her attendance record looked like. She's missed whole sessions, and even a whole day, in the last few weeks. When I confronted her she told me the head of year had already spoken to her about it!

I have now spoken to the school but I'm furious they didn't tell me in the first place if they were already aware there was a problem. If I hadn't gone into school I'd still be none the wiser. She is 15 and in her final year.

I'm struggling with her atm and more support from the school would have been appreciated. Or will I have to sit outside the school all day to make sure she stays there?

Where mine are, and I work there, the school is meant to ring home if the student isn't registered in each lesson, without fail.

I don't know if it actually happens, though.

I would expect the school to contact you about it. Was she forging your signature on an absence note or planner? If so, then maybe they genuinely believed it was an authorised absence.
Could you suggest to them that they should only accept that you know about it if you have made a phone call to a designated member of staff?

As far as I know she hadn't offered the school a note or a reason of any sort until she was asked this week about it. She then admitted she'd been out of school without permission but they still didn't contact me.

the school have a duty to inform you when your child is not in school however this does not always happen as i found out as well.
My DD had been truanting for months and it was myself who infrmed the school.

I told they school that they had a responsibility to my child during the day and if she was not in school they had to inform me.

the school know they were wrong but they still struggle to inform me when she skips the occassional lesson