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AIBU?

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Original poster

To want schools to drop attendance incentives?

143 replies

Sophie632 · 01/02/2023 17:53

So my son has a medical condition and has to attend hospitals appointments - sometimes not locally. Our school give out certificates for 100% attendance and he rarely gets these. There is now talk of starting a scheme where the whole class is rewarded each day everyone is in. I don’t think this is fair to children who have disabilities or medical conditions that may make them need to miss school, totally outside of their control. Also - should we really reward children purely because they don’t catch any nasty bugs? Hardly seems fair!

OP posts:
Dominoeffecter · 01/02/2023 20:55

RoseGoldEagle · 01/02/2023 20:50

Do these incentives actually even make a difference? Genuinely interested to know, can any teachers shed any light?

My child currently has 100% attendance this academic year, purely because we’re lucky that she’s generally healthy and hasn’t so far happened to catch anything. If she does get ill, I’ll keep her home, I’m not remotely bothered about what affect that has on her attendance, or that it will affect her chances of getting a certificate (and if I was bothered, and sent her in anyway- that would obviously not be a good thing!)

In those cases where children have to be off for illnesses, hospital appointments etc- clearly that can’t be helped, so this scheme won’t have any impact there either.

So we’re left with the kids that are having time off because- they don’t want to go to school, or they have parents that have a lower bar for when to send them in and might keep them off for something ‘minor’, or their home life is more chaotic and they don’t get in some days. Seriously- are these incentives making a difference in any of these cases either? Really would be keen to know if they act to motivate anyone other than those who actually SHOULD be keeping their kids off, when they’re genuinely ill!

Not really but schools are under such tremendous pressure they’ll try most things.

Ariautec · 01/02/2023 20:52

DfE guidance. Has to be implemented by September 2023.
www.gov.uk/government/publications/working-together-to-improve-school-attendance

Inclusive practice should however take account of needs. Targets can be personalised for each class/child if it is necessary to increase attendance.

Schools, once again are under awful pressure. LA’s have been starved of funding, so attendance support teams have mainly gone. Attendance at school has dropped significantly since COVID, creating educational and safeguarding issues and it is now left to schools again, to sort this out.
Schools are pressurised from above - DfE and Ofsted - and from parents too. A no win situation.
I have read some of the awful emails parents have sent back to her teachers, who are only doing their job.

RedHelenB · 01/02/2023 20:50

It's just one thing to be rewarded for. And for some kids it's the only reward they'll get. Yabu.

RoseGoldEagle · 01/02/2023 20:50

Do these incentives actually even make a difference? Genuinely interested to know, can any teachers shed any light?

My child currently has 100% attendance this academic year, purely because we’re lucky that she’s generally healthy and hasn’t so far happened to catch anything. If she does get ill, I’ll keep her home, I’m not remotely bothered about what affect that has on her attendance, or that it will affect her chances of getting a certificate (and if I was bothered, and sent her in anyway- that would obviously not be a good thing!)

In those cases where children have to be off for illnesses, hospital appointments etc- clearly that can’t be helped, so this scheme won’t have any impact there either.

So we’re left with the kids that are having time off because- they don’t want to go to school, or they have parents that have a lower bar for when to send them in and might keep them off for something ‘minor’, or their home life is more chaotic and they don’t get in some days. Seriously- are these incentives making a difference in any of these cases either? Really would be keen to know if they act to motivate anyone other than those who actually SHOULD be keeping their kids off, when they’re genuinely ill!

Dominoeffecter · 01/02/2023 20:43

We used to give a prize to the class with the highest attendance for a week but they would always be in the 90’s as no class ever reached 100% attendance for the whole week, ever.

user1471453601 · 01/02/2023 20:42

@BiggerBoat1 good health is an unearned reward in itself. Bad health is the opposit e.

to me, giving a "reward" for good health, if taken to its logical conclusion, perpetuates disability discrimination. It perpetuates the idea that good health deserves a reward and to be applauded whereas bad health is to be ...? What? Despised? Disliked?

I speak as a parent whose child many years ago, got multiple good attendance awards , and who at the latter ones, refused to accept them.

she recognised that she had in no way earned them, she was just lucky with her good health.

Iam4eels · 01/02/2023 20:41

We reward our children for academics but we also reward determination, hard work, and effort. Recent reasons for Star of the Week include being a good friend for taking an injured classmate to first aid, facing your fears for a child who let a tarantula sit on their head during an animal encounters visit, and community spirit for a child who decided to litter pick in the park.

Hibernatalie · 01/02/2023 20:39

It isn't school policy, its government policy.

WestendVBroadway · 01/02/2023 20:37

While I agree that 100% is out of the question for children with medical issues etc , I actually have no problem with a child being given a certificate for good attendance .My DC was not very academic at school, neither were they sporty or good at arts etc. Them receiving a recognition for attendance was actually the only award they ever received. It was only a certificate and a badge, nothing more exciting. It could be said that some less academic children are being penalised because they are not capable of passing exams , we don't stop giving out rewards to bright children who are fortunate enough to be clever,or giving out sporting colours to athletic students.

Hopefullyupwards · 01/02/2023 20:27

Iam4eels · 01/02/2023 20:21

At the school where I work we don't do whole school attendance awards because it encourages children to attend when they're ill which is miserable for the child and then increases absence rates for the rest of the class when they catch it. Plus it isn't fair on children who are disabled/have medical conditions/have an accident/other circumstances, and above all else we want our school to be an inclusive school.

Instead we work with individual families where a child's attendance has dipped, looking at ways we can help support them back into school and to remain in school. Where its a child who is refusing to come into school then we might look at a reward system on an individual basis if that's something they're likely to respond to.

We mostly encourage children to want to come to school by encouraging a nurturing environment where they're valued and where they're rewarded for persevering and doing whatever their individual best is rather than meaningless awards for presentee-ism.

At our last Ofsted our attendance rate was noted to be "exceptional" and that "children are keen to be in school and eager to attend".

This seems a much more rational approach.

orangegato · 01/02/2023 20:26

YABU as not everyone can win everything for a variety of reasons. Some will win awards for the highest marks, not everyone is capable of achieving that. I think it teaches kids lessons, obviously not nice for things beyond your control but intelligence is too and rewards are dished out for that.

JassyRadlett · 01/02/2023 20:25

BiggerBoat1 · 01/02/2023 17:58

Good attendance it vitally important in schools so it is worth rewarding. Can you not just explain to your son that this is one award he is unlikely to get but through no fault of his own?

'Congratulations for being lucky!' is a fucking weird message to give kids.

Mousta · 01/02/2023 20:24

I agree with you about the whole-class reward, but apart from that I would just leave it. For some kids it’s really important that parents are encouraged to take them in even if they have a cold or a tummy ache. So I’d just explain to your son that in school there are rules and systems and they don’t always suit everyone.

Quartz2208 · 01/02/2023 20:22

DDs school have just removed attendance as a part of the class golden ticket reward and instead points for good behaviour and taken off for bad behaviour and lates which is much better.

at a tutor consult I was asked why her attendance was 90% and I pointed out it was covid which requires 3 days after the test day and took 2 days for a positive. It was only as good as it was as one day was the funeral (covid hit her hard)

in these times of flu/covid/norovirus/strep it promotes going in at all costs and therefore taking everyone down with her.

EmmaDilemma5 · 01/02/2023 20:22

I think the new scheme is very harmful.

It's not just children with medical issues, it's also children with chaotic backgrounds who's parents just don't care about education.

Imagine being blamed for letting down the class 🙁 it actually saddens me to think some children will bare that burden.

Absolutely I would complain about it.

Iam4eels · 01/02/2023 20:21

At the school where I work we don't do whole school attendance awards because it encourages children to attend when they're ill which is miserable for the child and then increases absence rates for the rest of the class when they catch it. Plus it isn't fair on children who are disabled/have medical conditions/have an accident/other circumstances, and above all else we want our school to be an inclusive school.

Instead we work with individual families where a child's attendance has dipped, looking at ways we can help support them back into school and to remain in school. Where its a child who is refusing to come into school then we might look at a reward system on an individual basis if that's something they're likely to respond to.

We mostly encourage children to want to come to school by encouraging a nurturing environment where they're valued and where they're rewarded for persevering and doing whatever their individual best is rather than meaningless awards for presentee-ism.

At our last Ofsted our attendance rate was noted to be "exceptional" and that "children are keen to be in school and eager to attend".

DonnaBanana · 01/02/2023 20:16

Why don't they just change the definition of "100% attendance" to "0% unauthorised absence"? Authorised absences shouldn't count against attendance as they could be for all sorts of perfectly legitimate things. It's truancy, term-time breaks, and lazy parenting that should be punished.

Sweettruelies · 01/02/2023 20:16

Complain to your MP - this is discrimination under the grounds of disability.

This shit needs to die off honestly - it just further rewards children who are fortunate enough as it is to have good health and a stable home life.

Anyone defending these awards need to have a word with themselves, anyone’s child can end up with a disability, it’s just luck that your hasn’t.

fgsfgs · 01/02/2023 20:07

FourTeaFallOut · 01/02/2023 18:01

Well, yes, this is what all parents of children with medical needs do - but when attendance incentives are based on whole class attendance, it paints him as the weak link to his classmates. It's a dick move. Schools aren't forced to do this.

Show quote history

THIS.

dick move, isolates the child with the medical issue, disadvantaging them socially…
It worsens the stigma and it really pisses me off!

verdantverdure · 01/02/2023 20:04

YANBU.

Original poster
Sophie632 · 01/02/2023 19:59

@Tinkerbyebye YES to this!!! A big factor! My son has to cope with these feelings about his condition and hospital visits which is enough without additional and totally unnecessary guilt. And even as a parent, it’s a process accepting a medical condition and doing your best and trying to find the best consultants and treatments. You don’t need anything making your child feel worse or yourself.

OP posts:
Tinkerbyebye · 01/02/2023 19:56

@BiggerBoat1

your comment indicates you have no understanding of what it’s like to have a child that needs all this hospital treatment

i can guarantee they won’t feel happy about the appointments, wont want to go because sometimes it means horrible tests, and they they get kicked by the school with no hope of getting an achievement award, when they have had horrible invasive tests. The icing on the cake is that they then have to catch up with the work in their own time with little teaching support, because an illness meant they couldn’t attend

School attendance awards should not be given out, it’s as simple as that. Why are they being rewarded for something they should do anyway! Far better in my opinion that awards are given for those that attend despite adversity, to encourage them

Original poster
Sophie632 · 01/02/2023 19:31

Thanks so much for these replies, and the reassurance that I’m not being unreasonable. I guess my first step is to establish whether the school has good attendance. If it does, they have less justification to let ofsted put pressure on them (they were marked as needing improvement at the last ofsted but I have read the report, and attendance isn’t mentioned - as far as I’m aware, children generally attend at a good level). So maybe a two pronged approach alongside contacting ofsted/DfE? Any more advice or reassurance at all would be helpful. Thanks again.

OP posts:
TheMoth · 01/02/2023 18:40

Tell ofsted that then. It's ofsted penalising the schools with poor attendance. How many times do people need to be told?

SpringtimeCherries · 01/02/2023 18:28

It’s an awful thing, kids are being told that you can be rewarded just by being lucky enough not to get ill. Awful!

Our school did this just before Christmas, saying full attendance in December would mean no homework for January. Just while winter flu, colds and bugs are really hitting school children.