To think that this jobsworth of a headteacher is a spiteful idiot?

[GlitteryRollers]

I know it's in the Daily Mail, and these school bashing stories are usually rubbish. But I'm pretty shocked by this one.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3363790/Boy-5-banned-attending-end-term-cinema-trip-classmates-poor-attendance-run-spend-two-weeks-off.html

What a nasty, spiteful cow! I'd be pulling my child out of that school ASAP. "Exceptions can't be made"? He was run over by a car you cruel bitch. Was he supposed to attend school when he was in hospital?

Why is it that so many headteachers seem to lack basic empathy and common sense these days? Even my very strict andy terrifying old primary school head wouldnt have done something so bloody mean.

[youcanbeanything]

She doesn't sound spiteful to me. The situation is ridiculous but it's come about through pressure on schools to improve attendance.

[Chillyegg]

WOW! Poor kid! Bloody hell the head teacher has some "form" of strange logic in her point but to exclude the child who has been of because of a car accident still it's awful.

[abbieanders]

You seem disproportionately invested here. There's a chance you don't know the full story, but even if the situation is as given, would you not admit that your rage and language are excessive?

[GlitteryRollers]

On what planet doesn't she sound spiteful?! Anyone with an ounce of common sense would see this as exceptional circumstances. It's like these halfwit heads who refuse to authorise time off to attend funerals. Any school that shows such a basic lack of compassion doesn't deserve to get a good rating!

[honkinghaddock]

Making an exception in one particular case would be unfair on the other children who had equally valid reasons for missing school. What is wrong is linking attendance to something like being able to watch a film.

[youcanbeanything]

It isn't out of spite that she is making the decision is on the planet it isn't spiteful - I don't agree either but it isn't out of meanness or hatred of children.

It's because as she has said once she makes one exception everyone is clamouring for one.

[GlitteryRollers]

Not really. Evey situation is different, keeping a child off school just because you can't be arsed getting out of bed isn't the same as a child being off due to serious illness or injury.

[bearleftmonkeyright]

I think the head is stuck between a rock and hard place here. Her school is in the bottom 10% of attendance so I can see that she has to be harsh in these circumstances.

[ThornyBird]

Surely this is a non-story. Our school takes children with 100% attendance to the cinema at the end of each term. If you haven't got 100% for whatever reason, you don't go.

I don't agree with the principle of rewarding 100% attendance, it is wrong and penalises children unfairly, especially those with long term medical conditions who have to attend appointments or just aren't well enough to go to school. I also think it forces parents to return sick children to school too soon - our school has recently had to remind parents that children must stay off school for 48hours after D&V then on the same news sheet mentions the 100% attendance cinema trip

However, I agree that you can't make exceptions for 'special' absences if you are rewarding 100% attendance or it becomes impossible to manage - who is to choose what is exceptional?

As for Ofsted saying that this isn't how they want attendance to improve - what is their suggestion?

[Nothighgaphere]

Reminded me of this girl who had one day off to attend her mums funeral. www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/bedworth-school-excludes-pupil-end-of-year-7450507

[PotteringAlong]

But it was an attendance trip for those who had 100% attendance. He didn't. Why would he be included?

[Tiggeryoubastard]

Agree about the making exceptions for everyone, but if having a treat for perfect attendance is punishing some children for circumstances beyond their control, sometimes utterly tragic circumstances in which they've already suffered greatly, then surely that 'treat' should be stopped.
I do find it a fucking hideously cruel thing to do to helpless children, and yes, knowing that this is punishing innocent children as above, does make someone a bitch. And a cruel unfeeling twat.

[Sallyhasleftthebuilding]

There is a difference between a doctors signed off absence and general days off/holidays.
There should be some wriggle room.

[ThornyBird]

Got a bit long and ranty there but it pisses me right off!

[TheHiphopopotamus]

It looks like it's an incentive scheme. Our school does them. Not everyone gets to go, only the pupils who achieve 100% attendance.

I don't think the headteacher sounds spiteful. It's not like he's the only one out of the class who hasn't gone. Maybe he had time off school for other things, not just the accident.

There's only one side of the story here, don't forget.

[honkinghaddock]

All authorised absences should be treated in the same way otherwise it becomes unfair.

[Mumoftwoyoungkids]

This would be so easy to solve.

"Any absence where the child was in hospital (and can be shown by a discharge letter etc) will not count as absence as far as treats are concerned."

I always wonder how things like this work under disability discrimination laws. For example a child with spina bifida who needed an operation, a child with cancer etc.

[Tiggeryoubastard]

If its an incentive scheme, do you really think it incentivises children to not get run over or got forbid, become seriously ill. Would my nephew have decided not to get cancer (years ago, was touch and go at one point but all well and grown up now) and decided to forgo his chemo singe wouldn't be punished by being excluded at school because of a stupid decision of the head?
Surely it's discriminatory as well, and believe me, I feel that is a word used far too often and too easily.

[iPaid]

It's a pretty lame incentive, watching a DVD in the school hall

It's silly to reward attendance but Head Teachers can be pretty clueless when it comes to kids.

[Tiggeryoubastard]

^ Forego his chemo so he wouldn't

[SistersOfPercy]

I'm not keen on these schemes at all personally. Firstly they are unfair on kids with ongoing health issues as they are often not taking hospital visits and physio etc into consideration.
Secondly it brings out the stupid in some parents. One Mum recently confessed to me her DS had been up all night being sick but she'd cleaned him up and sent him anyway as he's on course for a prize of a scooter tomorrow for 100% attendance. So the other 28 poor sods in his class now have a wonderful Christmas to look forward to, but hey, he has a scooter.

[0verNow]

The mother's name is Faye May?

[GlitteryRollers]

I wonder why the school has such low attendance previously? Is it in a deprived area? If so Ive worked in one that introduced a walking bus scheme to make sure children who had attedance issuesgot to school on time, or in some cases at all.

It's incrediably unfair to punish a child for something that isn't their fault.

[WhoTheFuckIsSimon]

I don't like these schemes at all.

But I suppose the problem is if you make an exception for kids who have been in hospital, what about those with a real illness such as chicken pox. Should they also be made an exception for?

Then if the chicken pox kids are ok some mother will say well Johnny had the shits for a week and was genuinely Ill so he ought to be allowed to go.

Then someone else will say that their dc had a bad cold, ear infection, tonsillitis where they were poorly but no Drs note as Drs don't do notes for kids (and nor should they), so they will want their dc included.

Then someone who took their kid out of school for a weeks holiday but fibbed and said they were ill will demand their DC is also included.

And suddenly every kid in the school is off to the cinema and it's no longer an incentive.

[jay55]

A kid who had had chicken pox or the like would have been similarly excluded from the trip.