School harassing us over attendance...

It sounds ridiculous

I would be getting fed up with this

Hope your dd is ok

Checks are made on EHE.
LA’s serve School Attendance Orders, if education is deemed unsuitable or information isn't provided.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66bf6d2bdcb0757928e5bd47/Elective_home_education_departmental_guidance_for_local_authorities.pdf

But wouldn’t you simply think “….hang on her child seems to have an underlying health issue here?”

Her attendance is bad. Yes. But this is the UK and children don’t get medical attention / hospitalised unless they’re actually unwell.

If OP withheld a hospital stay then she could be in trouble with SS for doing that as well.

I don’t know what the answer is tbh.

People need to calm down in these comments uncalled for!

We had issues with DS's attendance when he was 4 and in reception, he is autistic so when unwell his behaviour would be unmanageable and the school would send him home even if he didn't have a fever. He also had several chest infections.

You should have a discharge letter from the hospital admissions as evidence, the GP can provide a letter or confirmation that your child has seen a GP for illness and that is why your child was not in for the other occasions. It is not unusual for children to have a weakened immune system if they have been very unwell previously with another infection. It takes time for the body to recover.

If it persists speak to the local authority attendance officer. We did this when we got letters about DS's attendance and when they understood about the situation and his extra needs they were more understanding.

What I'm getting a little confused by (maybe I've missed an update) is the fact that the GPs have her medical records and can verify each case as being genuine, so why aren't they?

The school are obviously safeguarding for the reasons other PPs have said.

Apologies if I've missed something.

But if op's daughter was in hospital surely that's different? And if they've been round once and seen a very spotty child with chicken pox you'd think that would satisfy them that she's not making it up

I work in a GP surgery. I'm not clinical (just a secretary), but I attend our safeguarding meetings and complete our child protection conference reports.

It's not unusual for a school to contact the GP surgery if they have concerns about attendance. The GP would then just look at the records to make sure that the reasons given to school for the absence lined up with the information in the medical records. The only time they'd likely progress this as a safeguarding issue would be if things didn't add up - for example, if a parent had told the school that a child was poorly with asthma, but the child didn't have asthma - or if a parent had told the school that they'd been to the GP surgery 5 times over the past few months, but had never actually taken the child to the GP surgery.

I just wanted to put your mind at rest because you seemed upset that there might be notes about safeguarding concerns on her GP records - it's far more likely that the call from school has been recorded/noted, along with a explanation from the GP that her absences line up with her illnesses/attendances at the GP surgery. I wouldn't worry.

I agree that the school sounds ridiculously heavy handed though, and I'm sorry you're having to deal with that alongside trying to look after a poorly child.

I'm sorry this happened to you, but just because it happened to you does not mean it's normal. Most cases of tonsillitis are mild.

My child attended school and had no support for either the medical issues or the SEN. We home ed because my child was suffering from inappropriate education. Self harm and mental health issues caused by school.
I believe OP because we also got pressure from school on attendance. But despite attendance being 'important' for educational outcomes my child didn't receive the legally required tutor while recovering from major hospital care. They didn't receive any reasonable adjustments they need to be able to progress. I do not believe this level of pressure in parents is anything to do with safeguarding and educational achievement. It is purely be abuse it is easier to attack us than go after the families where the child is at actual risk.
M child and OP child is seen by professionals regularly (doctors, hospitals, and other) they are not hidden

Would have thought this was ott, however have literally just read about little Sara Sharif and if her school was as vigilant as yours she might still be alive today. She had been off 4 months and school hadn’t acted.
Schools do have a duty of care for all children and even though they know how kids get ill, they have to follow their procedures.

It's not a new thing for schools to do house checks on unauthorised absence

And if OP isn't calling in each day when required to do so, then it's unauthorised

Cruel!!

I've had tonsillitis as a grown adult and spat into an old jug!

Tonsils have now been removed thank goodness.

If you have never been this ill you are surely not qualified to comment.

The OP and some of the advice being given out on this thread is absolute lunacy.

Some of the evidence being given at the moment in the Sara Sharif case is relevant here. There is a text exchange between her step mother and another family member saying something along the lines of ‘he beat her up and I can’t send her to school like this’. Schools have daily contact with children and are one of the better placed agencies to pick up abuse. A high level of absence is one of the causes for concern.

They are safeguarding your child. I am not sure why you are so angry about that.

Not unusual. I had septic tonsillitis when I was 24 and couldn't swallow my saliva. I had to have emergency IV antibiotics as my airways were closing up with the inflammation.

No, but I imagine they are worried about her child and rightly so.

They turned up at your house? Are they mental?

I'm not laughing at you, I'm laughing at how ridiculous the OP is. The whole situation sounds mad. Everything that's happened is the worst case ever, but the OP thinks this is normal and can't understand why the school may be worried?! Yes, you can be admitted to hospital with tonsillitis, as you were and I'm sorry that happened to you..but it is rare. Again... You can be admitted to hospital with chickenpox... But this is also rare. These two thinks happening back to back?? Surely the school is right to check things are ok? But no,.the OP thinks it's a personal attack,."harassment", and has sought legal advice. That is worth some laughing emojis in my opinion.

Schools are following guidance. Schools and LA’s are under intense DfE scrutiny for improving attendance rates, which have dropped significantly since COVIID.

There are triggers in the guidance for 15 days absence caused by illness, even 15 days that are not consecutive.

Did you read the guidance?

The OP can challenge the school if she has the facts and can show where the school is not following guidance. She can't challenge the school if she is unaware of the correct information.

It’s annoying that they are hassling you but their safeguarding lead obviously takes absence seriously. But at 4 they pick up all the germs. They should not have been calling you when she was so poorly in hospital. My children are older than yours but only left primary a few years ago and I did not ever receive this kind of response if they were off. Maybe look for another school that isn’t so ott. However you only have to look at children on the news who have been failed by safeguarding teams schools, health, social services where they have slipped through the net with tragic outcomes.

This is ridiculous from the school, my daughter is 12 and had a week in hospital and then a few days at home to recover and I didn't get a single phone call from the school, I received a generic letter a few weeks later about attendance but I chucked it and never heard a single thing after that, and this is a secondary school!

@1993baby my DC had a few years like this and I did receive some good tips from the consultant

1. children won’t be well unless their tummies are well. They need probiotics which will help them build their immunity. Apparently they heal inside out. Boots have some which are strawberry flavoured! www.boots.com/boots-good-gut-live-friendly-bacteria-kids-30-chewable-tablets-10269388

2. washing uniform daily - another piece of advice from my consultant

Hope that helps!

You are doing great, doing what you're doing, which is what's best for your child. Try and tune the rest out as much as possible. Maybe block the schools number, when your daughter is off? If they call social services and they do a welfare check, what's going to happen? They'll come over and see that she's ill and being well cared for 🤷‍♀️ Really shitty that the school are like that though, it isn't okay and I'm not surprised you are upset x

I have had the same with tonsillitis. It was awful and i lost so much weight. Couldn't even swallow saliva. I was just over 7 stone at 5 foot 8 by the end if it.

Yet many thousands of children are home schooled without any checks because it's the parents' right to withdraw from the education system. That's the thing I find really shocking - but thousands of Mumsnetters will defend their right to do this without anyone looking out for their children. Doubtless some of them are receiving a good enough education, but many will not have social contacts and some will be receiving a pretty rubbish excuse for an education.