My son’s school refused to give him ONE day off for D-Day event to honour his granddad – we took headteacher to task
A NIINE-YEAR-OLD’S family has hit out at his school after they refused to authorise an absence for him to visit a D-Day event to honour his late grandfather.
Jack Sheath’s parents wanted to take the youngster out of school tomorrow to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day in Portsmouth, Hants.
The nine-year-old was excited for the “one-off” event – which King Charles is attending – to pay his respects to his late D-Day veteran grandfather and other fallen heroes.
But his school, Broadlea Primary School in Sandown, Isle of Wight, have told him and his parents that it doesn’t meet the criteria for “exceptional circumstances”.
The school acknowledged Jack will still be going with his father, Phil Sheath, 65, but will register it as an unauthorised absence, as per government guidance.
His dad frustrated dad said: “We were shocked and angry and it just boiled my blood.
“We demanded a meeting with the headteacher who explained that if it was a funeral, wedding or a graduation of a sibling then it would be exceptional.”
In an email sent to Mr Sheath, Broadlea headteacher Lynn Torrance said she appreciates the decision to mark the trip as unauthorised as “disappointing”, but understands the importance of him attending.
“I hope that you both really enjoy the commemorative event and we will look forward to hearing all about it from Jack”, she said.
As well as King Charles III and Queen Camilla, around 900 school pupils have been invited to attend the event on Wednesday, June 5.
But Jack said he will be “the one kid going who isn’t allowed to”.
“It’s probably going to be the last event where some of these veterans will be going”, he said.
“It’s not the school’s fault but the fact it’s not in the guidelines makes me angry.”
Jack’s late grandfather and Mr Sheath’s dad, Leonard Sheath, served in the Royal Navy during D-Day and the pair want to pay their respects to him and other veterans.
The school said the family would not be issued with a fine.
A spokesperson for the Isle of Wight Council told The Sun: “While the decision to authorise an absence is made by individual headteachers, Department for Education guidance is that absence from school, other than for illness, should only be authorised in exceptional circumstances.”
It comes after a mum-of-two learnt that she could be charged up to £5K for removing her children from school during term time.
And this woman who took her kids out of school to go on holiday is now being summoned to court.
Rules on taking kids out of school
Parents face fines of up to £2,500 if they take their child out of school.
The Government says kids must attend school every day, unless:
- Your child is too ill to attend that day.
- You have asked in advance and been given permission by the school for your child to be absent on that day due to exceptional circumstances.
- Your child cannot attend school on that day because it is a day you are taking part in religious observance.
- Your local authority is responsible for arranging your child’s transport to school and it is not available on that day or has not been provided yet.
- You are a gypsy/traveller family with no fixed abode, and you are required to travel for work that day meaning your child cannot attend their usual school