An attendance meeting at school for 5 days off since September

It’s for the school paperwork to try to look good for Ofsted so that they can show that they are ‘tackling issues’

If you’re available just go to the meeting.

If you work during school hours, tell them that you are happy to have an attendance meeting but unless they can facilitate a meeting outside working hours it will need to take place on zoom and ask them to set up the meeting and send you a link.

I was summoned to one and like you was pissed off (I loathe how the UK harassess ill children and their families!) I nearly didn’t go, but I’m glad I went. The headteacher basically looked me over and asked me why my kid’s been absent, I was super pleasant and explained the symptoms and my frustration with constant illnesses coming home from school and asked what infection control measures are in place at school, do they regularly remind the children about handwashing and covering their mouths when coughing, do they children have free access to tissues in the classroom, do they have free access to water bottles to keep them hydrated, which soap do they use, how can the school help us prevent future illnesses etc?

The head wrote down an action point for the school and never asked to meet with me again 😬

But around the same time my friend also got summoned to a similar meeting. She went in looking like a mess and quite sweary/aggressive ‘it’s normal to be ill’ etc and the head decided that she was a crap parent who needs a bit of monitoring and she has since been summoned to many other meetings.

Hope that helps.

Compulsory school age is the term after they turn 5.

Was any of these sicknesses when she was still 4? Technically she doesn’t have to be in school full time until she’s 5.

My son had several absences last year to the point of having a letter from the council. I contacted them back and pointed out every absences in detail, including the school sending him home due to illness (and one case injury) and other (more insane) reasons. Some were medical appointments that couldn’t be done outside of school hours (and quite honestly with how long we have to wait for these appointments, I’d never ask to reschedule anyway!). My other son was on a reduced timetable for a long time due to additional needs (different school, still mainstream) so his absence sheet looked abysmal but never heard a word about that…

The council thanked me for the information and never heard anything since. Funnily enough the school suddenly upped his support system so not sure if the council contacted them asking why the hell he was asked to stay at home when the rest of his class were on a trip (seriously). So maybe suggest you’ll speak to the council yourself if they feel there’s a issue and put the shits up them instead.

The issue is not necessarily the 5 t to, it's 5 odd days ... if your child is sick eg chicken pox and they need a week off then school understands, they are more wary where parents keep them off for odd days because they "don't feel well" partly because it's only those who have sahp that do this, other kids seem to magically not get these illnesses. If your child gets sick then don't feel bad keeping them off, you just tell the school they were ill at the meeting.

Definitely go, as otherwise it will look like there is something to hide.

Be very firm regarding the sickness bug (it will be school's policy that she cannot attend whilst vomiting).

And the other incident/s explain that you can't send a child into school when they are too ill to attend. You can't guarantee she won't be off again as she is 5 and susceptible to illness...how do they suggest she stops catching things?

On the one hand schools' obsession with attendance, to the point where they will punish unhealthy children to prove a point (I've seen posts on here where an infant school child with leukemia was banned from attending the class party because they didn't have 100% attendance due to chemo!) is ridiculous but on the other hand poor attendance can be a sign of neglect or abuse so schools do have to keep an eye on children to make sure nothing is amiss.

It's a difficult situation all round.

Is she actually compulsory school age? Check the definition and if she isn't then you don't need to do it.

Could you ask for the meeting to be on Teams? I think best to be seen to co-operate as refusal / non-engagement could escalate this

And ask them to clarify the sickness policy

I’d just decline. Say she has been unwell each time and is in school when well enough. It really is the school just trying to prove they are working on their attendance targets. It’s ridiculous.

School’s are obsessed with attendance now, to the detriment of the poorly child and their classmates. Go to the meeting and challenge. She’s 5. Ours were constantly unwell in winter at that age. It all passed by around 7.

The school will have to do this if attendance falls or is at risk of falling below what they deem acceptable. She's essentially missed a week of school over the course of the first term.

But, kids catch everything at school, young kids especially. As long as she isn't falling behind or struggling with school life as a result, I don't think there is much they can say.

Our school encourage us to always 'try' with any illness, so try and come in and if they are bad enough, they'll be sent home. I get what they are saying but it's a nightmare as a working parent. Much easier to keep them off school and make arrangements than scrapping to find someone who can get to the school when called.

I would be saying that she has been sick each time and so there is nothing to discuss unless their policy is that children should be attending school with an active vomiting bug.

What’s her attendance percentage? Just politely decline if you don’t feel it’s worth it. Sounds like they are doing a tick box exercise.