To have refused to sign this parenting contract about attendance

At 62% attendance she will have missed a great deal - to reach her full potential in her GCSEs she'll need extra support of some sort.
It sounds like her medical conditions meet the definition of disability? I would look at EHCP. Repost in the SEND forum for more expert advice. Google your local Sendiass (special educational needs and disabilities informative advice and support service).

I had same problem with my DD and on several occasions she went into school on morphine just to get her there.

To be fair, she had a fantastic form tutor who intervened whenever he could but I had to learn to not care about the attendance letters. At one point our GP sent a letter to school saying basically stop being ridiculous. Don't know if yours could do anything similar.

If it helps, she did improve once she got the right treatment and has just graduated.

Agreed - came back to the thread to say I would put a response in writing with the phrase ‘as per the equalities act…’

You need to get onto the person in charge of SEN&D at the school, and the governor in charge of this. This contract is discrimination against your daughter who has long-term medical needs. It's a wonder your GP hasn't already jumped up and down about the need to provide evidence of absence.
It sounds as though a different school might be needed, or alternative provision. If the school aren't willing to engage, the local parent partnership people or SEND team would be the next people to go to.

Illness MUST be an authorised absence, and they can only ask for evidence if they doubt what you're saying.
Do they accept the "regular" absences, those due to her ongoing conditions? If so il I'd be tempted to use those reasons for all absences, even if D&V or whatever. It's not really right but ultimately if she's not well enough to attend school for whatever reason, does it matter what the recorded reason is?

YANBU

Its just shocking and patronising.

Who can we as a collective speak to about this nonsense? I’m sick of school obsessing about attendance (by kids are both at 100% so I have no skin in the game). They also tell the kids they’ll basically be failures if they don’t have 95%+ which really angers me as your opportunities don’t end at the age of bloody 16. it’s unrealistic and it treats children like numbers

Get the school do apply for the EHCP. They will do it better.

I think you need to apply for an EHCP to get home schooling but you need to stay on the school roll so it is in their interests to push for it to happen. We did that and we have EOTAS home school now. It is much better.

Bugger - that’s pretty much it they want is those marks at the time. I think there is a fb group called not fine in school which may be able to help and there is a send group people recommend that can give advice - hopefully someone else knows the name of it.

That’s appalling, they should be focusing on those who could attend and are healthy enough to do so, both mentally and physically, not cherry picking on those they are clearly well aware have chronic health issues. Education in this country is shocking.

I was in the same situation and spent years dodging that kind of shit. While I was sympathetic towards the school being under bureaucratic pressure, I had no control over my son’s health or the NHS waiting lists and lack of urgency over treatment so feel no guilt.

Would more rest/less exposure to germs impact any of the conditions? If so I’d look at applying for a reduced timetable

Can you play what I call the ofsted game. Basically get her in for morning and after registration but she may leave school in between those times?