BTEC/T level/other vocational 25/26

CONGRATULATIONS!!!! 🥳 Whoo- Hoo (😹!!)!! That is truly amazing news!! That would be great if “ acceptable”! Does she have a specification as to what is required? I have tried to ascertain from DS the same, I have no idea whatsoever!

But, for right now, it is perfect Saturday night fabulous news!! 🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳

Dd has - we hope! - sorted work experience for next year (it's a retail shop she already works at occasionally)
Would be great if this is acceptable to college!

Oh I get that - however DD did go and ask for it to be fixed and they haven’t.

Which means I don’t intend to take their attendance records seriously (I take DD’s actual attendance seriously)

OK I'm not making excuses, well actually I am but the first day of term you don't know the students, you don't recognise them in the corridor.

And teens can be quite chatty so getting the first few registers correct is not as easy as it sounds. If I call out 20 names and I get 19 'yes' or 'here' ten I do a head count to check how many people are actually in the room.

If there are 19 people then I close the register.

OK I'm not making excuses, well actually I am but the first day of term you don't know the students, you don't recognise them in the corridor.

And teens can be quite chatty so getting the first few registers correct is not as easy as it sounds. If I call out 20 names and I get 19 'yes' or 'here' ten I do a head count to check how many people are actually in the room.

If there are 19 people then I close the register.

Never done Halloween, really
When I was young (back in the paleolithic era..) bonfire night was the big celebration
I am also mum taxi today @Sisublondie 🙄

Thank you! I am unbelievably happy and very excited for her… it’s been a very long road with Covid cancelling everything, then US strikes and then dead zone (basically impossible to work from 14-16) and finally feels back on track after a lot of rejections. Agent is over the moon too. They will speak to college if necessary so that is good.

I’m sorry I can’t advise, but, CONGRATULATIONS 🥂 to your DD!!!!!! Fabulous news! You must be so proud!!!

Happy Halloween 🎃 👻 🦇 everyone!!!!! ( I grew up in with religious Mum ( 💕) and shuddered when I wrote that, hearing my Mum’s disapproval!).

Does anyone have any fun plans … FOR THEMSELVES?! 🤷‍♀️😈😹! As if! I am on M-Uber duty around the Peak District, only popping back for the village children’s Trick or Treating!

Anyway! Today is DS’ Big Day!!!! I could really sleep last night, nerves and excitement for him. He bounded in first thing, picked 🐩 up… playing with him, so I dared drop in … “ Soooo, how you feeling?”…… bless him, he continued snuggling his ( therapy dog, best mates for over 9 years 💕), and said “ you know, little bit anxious, but….”……….
i checked he had picked his outfit, “ all sorted”…. and I can “see it when I need to, later!”… I’m a bit concerned as it changed code from “ fancy dress” to “ well dressed”, which I would hate to decipher!!

Anyway! I hope everyone has a lovely Halloween 🎃!!

Thank you, that is useful to know.

I am hoping sense will prevail... I was pretty upfront with what DD does in meetings with them and nobody said 'Houston, we have a problem' so...

Copy in the Chair of Governors and ask who the link governor fir attendance is

Attendance... having issues here as well.

DD has booked a TV role and needs time off for filming. Under 16, at school, they are licensed by the council and it's a separate attendance code so it doesn't count as absence.

College are now complaining about time off and it will affect her attendance figures. Despite my explaining that the government regard it as an educational experience and so it doesn't count towards attendance.

I can see there is going to be a difficult discussion coming up where I explain that we will be accepting all and any opportunities, and that I really, really don't care what her attendance is. She's on top of all homework and assignments and what is being taught is stuff she can do with her eyes shut, so not even like she needs to catch up.

I am hoping they will be sensible as I really don't want the row.

Am also annoyed as they marked her absent for a class she was in (on first day of term) and she missed 2 lessons for an audition workshop which they promised me would go under the correct code and not count... and it's down as absent. Grrrrrr

@Sisublondie My name is a somewhat obscure Nancy Drew reference, I think only one person has ever "got" it.

Thank you for your kind words.
I was fairly sure he would pass (I think I would actually have been told if he was at risk) but it was still a relief to get the email even though it was full of dire warnings about attendance and attitude (not him but in general).

They can kick them out really easily up to October half term, now they are stuck with him, unless he does something awful!

Next up - securing work experience!

Oh, totally and absolutely! I could not agree more! I think as I always called, DH must have just assumed not to say the truth “ to not to embarrass DS”, which, once I 🤯, he thought for a nano second and told the absolute truth!

As far as I know they were both aurhorised...if I find out they weren't I will contact the attendance office 😊

@LarkspurLane.. ..: Ahhhhhhh! The old sending sick children in to get round the issue… hmmm, yep, I’ve never done that, either! I do remember when DS’ got old enough to talk, their little school friends saying sometimes they had “ had a runny poo last night, but mummy says not to say!”.. I don’t miss that 48 hour rule thing!

Time off for funerals! Great! Sounds like 21 years ago, when I was first working in law in London, went back north for Christmas/NY to see my dying father, was in work for one day before I went back home as looked like it really may be the end, dealt with court cases from there, came back to work after his death and funeral, 3 weeks later ( which I guess is quite speedy)… and at my appraisal didn’t get pay rise ( whatever, fine), but was told I’d used up my annual leave so only had like 5 days left for the year.. WTA…….?! 🤷‍♀️🤯!

I love your name, by the way! @LarkspurLane! I’m sure the road I used to walk past and pervevover the houses at Uni in Newcastle was Larkspur Terrace!

But!! More importantly……… 🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳to your DS on passing his probation!!!!!! That is amazing news!!!! You must both be SO relieved!!!!! My DS hasn’t heard, yet. Nervous!

That is really fab thing to find out!! Really, really well done!!! 👏

@Sisublondie I refuse to put something like 'other, refusing' when it is a diagnosed MH condition. She was in as much as she could be, so not skiving.

It seems that we would get unauthorised absence for both of those things - but arriving late would be ok, so if traffic allowed them to arrive at some point that would be ok.
They told us with great excitement that we could have time off for funerals - probably an hour - I didn't ask any more.

One of my friends says she sends her son in sick and he gets sent home at register to get around the issue. I won't be doing that.

The college seems really chill in every other way so I was just wondering if it was something forced on them, or something to try to deal with woeful attendance.

In other news, got an email yesterday to say DS had passed his probation - woohoo!

Good to hear that is how you notify. I’ve never really thought to ask others! I was cross with DH way back, when he was about to call school to say DS had stomach bug….. when he couldn’t get up, as he was so stressed because a little bully had chucked a bottle of water at his head at school the day before.

It is heartening your DD’s college is sensible, and understanding.

Ahhhhh… ok, so you really do know what you are talking about when it comes to this kind of thing! Draconian is an excellent way of describing it….. a “ one size fits all” policy… not the best for ND DC, who some days struggle to get up and get dressed.

So, please tell me your DD wasn’t marked as absent (unauthorised) for the college- borne stomach bug?! And, the accident tail back………..( where I’m sure you said college were informed, as this was right near the start?!) 🤷‍♀️!

Thank you!! I’m 😻 so happy for him! .. now just 🤞🙏 it all goes well………… ( you know what it’s like!)

Hey, all ok here, thanks! 🎃 carving at his friends today…

Hmmmmm. So, do you mean zero absence is allowed- including medical appointments and the like? That seems insane!!! I know school is different, and I was fuming when DS19, or rather, me ( and not even a joint one, bizarrely, even tho DH and I are together) got an arsey letter at dropping below 96.98 or something.. but, that seems to be setting them up to fail! Is this the first time you’re aware?

I will try to check my DS. He had just been made course to, and I did note a thing was made of his “100 %” attendance, as it is only sheer luck he has not had a MH break so far..

Hope your break going ok, otherwise!

Oh, and dd has had 1 day off sick since term started due to a stomach bug picked up at college
She was also late once due to an accident on the motorway 🤷

@LarkspurLane
I'm afraid I have very little time for such draconian attendance policies.
They are applied to tick an ofsted box and - frankly - I've always considered them discriminatory towards those dc with chronic conditions/disabilities 😡 (I say this as an ex Chair of Governors..)
When I'm feeling charitable, I accept that the SLT/staff hate these policies as much as parents do.