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Original poster

100% Attendance prizes and sick/disabled children

50 replies

BitOfFun · 10/12/2019 19:25

I've just read this thought-provoking article about attendance awards at school being discriminatory.

I have to say that I agree- what do you think?

OP posts:

KatnissNeverdone · 10/12/2019 19:30

They are discriminatory. DS 14 has a life limiting condition. His attendance last year was 83% which i know is really low but includes time off for hospital appointments and bed rest for vertebral fractures following a fall. He was excluded from the end of year reward trip due to his absence.

Sirzy · 10/12/2019 19:33

They are discriminatory.

Ds is currently on about 80% attendance this year, that’s where he generally sits. He has multiple disabilities and lots of illness and appointments as a result. He is in when he can and often when really he probably shouldn’t be (he has been in a and e today with a peg site infection but still wants to try to go in tomorrow)

His attendance take much more effort and dedication than some other children’s 100% would. And of course those who go in Ill to make sure they get their 100% make it so much harder for those like DS who can’t deal with illness

Flyingarcher · 10/12/2019 19:37

They are discriminatory under the Equality Act

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Kez200 · 10/12/2019 19:37

It also encourages children to go to school when they are sick!

Its crazy.

LilQueenie · 10/12/2019 19:39

I hate the things so every year I give dd a day off school to do something fun. better than the bit of paper saying 100% attendance being handed out.

BarkandCheese · 10/12/2019 19:42

They’re absolutely discriminatory. DD went to a primary which had a mix of special school and regular school pupils, they never did attendance awards because of the number of children who had long term medical conditions.

Katjolo · 10/12/2019 19:47

Blame ofsted. A school is frowned upon for poor attendance.

hazeyjane · 10/12/2019 19:48

Yes, the combination of them encouraging parents to send ill children to school and the fact that they discriminate against children who have complex needs and health conditions....well they are just shit really.

For ds everyday is an enormous struggle for him to get in, as a result of his severe digestive issues, anxiety and complex needs. His attendance is low due to these needs and appointments but the effort made to get in is enormous. He deserves a fucking award.

Autumnfresh · 10/12/2019 19:57

All awards seem to be discriminatory. My boy is well behaved but the naughty kids and the special needs kids are often getting stars in jar for doing stuff my boy does all the time.

frogsbreath · 10/12/2019 19:57

It's absolutely discrimatory. My son never gets 100% attendance awards because at least once every half term he will have a clinic appointment. They are non negotiable times, such as paediatric neurology being one half day a month on a Wednesday afternoon 12-4, epilepsy clinic being Monday mornings only etc.

He got really upset at the award ceremony at the end of last summer's term when children with 100% got plastic medals, certificates and bags of choc buttons.

School principal openly admits she wouldn't do these attendance rewards if OFSTED didn't expect 100% from every pupil.

Original poster

BitOfFun · 10/12/2019 20:00

My younger daughter went to a special school, which obviously didn't do these awards. I'd have been upset if she had been in mainstream though and excluded from school treats or outings for something she couldn't help.

OP posts:

juicey09 · 10/12/2019 20:11

My dc suffered a traumatic accident and required a lot of time off school as a result (in reception at the time of the accident). DC's little face when they had to watch all the kids get a special certificate and reward for 100% attendance broke my heart.

It's a grossly unfair "award" and should be abolished in all schools

ForalltheSaints · 10/12/2019 20:17

I think that 100% is unreasonable. Even though I managed it for several years at school. I had and have no disability, did not have to cope with a parent who couldn't be on time for anything (as some people are, I know some at work), and did not have a bus or train service with horrendous unreliability.

june2007 · 10/12/2019 20:21

My son has hospital appointmets, not any but it would mean even if he isn,t ill he would still not get 100% attendance. And how can you reward someone for not being sick.(Well done you din,t catch that Virus theat everyone else got.)

nancy75 · 10/12/2019 20:23

In reception dd had 4 days off & because of it wasn’t allowed to go in a day out to a theme park at the end of term.
The reason for her 4 days off was that she had chicken pox.
She’s 14 now & has long forgotten about it - I’m still bloody livid.
I can’t imagine how hurtful this must be to children (and their parents) that have disabilities & can never win the 100% award, it’s disgusting.

Waxonwaxoff0 · 10/12/2019 20:25

My son's school don't do attendance awards any more thank goodness. It's ridiculous.

ParanoidGynodroid · 10/12/2019 20:27

I got the rage just reading the title of this thread.
My DD(13) is autistic with high anxiety. She has quite a few clinic and therapy appointments throughout the year and when she was at primary was sometimes just too fraught to come in first thing. They made a huge song and dance about attendance, with certificates, badges, treats etc. at that school. Needless to say, she never had any of that. Luckily, she didnt give a fuck, but I was so angry about it.

Her younger sister is still at that primary and was concerned when I told her she'd miss a day to go to her sister's graduation. I thought she'd be thrilled, but she was worried about her attendance! They've really drummed it into the kids there that absence is akin to devilry.

Attendance awards can do one, AFAIC.

bathorshower · 10/12/2019 20:29

They are very unfair.

Interestingly, DD's school (very affluent catchment, overall attendance figures above 96%) doesn't comment on attendance publicly at all - you will get a snotty letter if attendance is deemed too low, but at least children with chronic illnesses etc. aren't publicly excluded.

june2007 · 10/12/2019 20:30

Sorry my post should say not many not not any.

user1471453601 · 10/12/2019 20:30

If it's any consolation (it isnt), DD always got good attendance awards. She hated them and in her 5th and 6th years in senior scchool, she refused to accept them.

It was 30 years ago, but she objected to the fact that she was lucky enough to be fit and healthy

CoffeeRunner · 10/12/2019 20:32

Oh absolutely.

IMO rewards should be purely based on achievement, effort and/or behaviour. Never on whether you have had the good fortune to be healthy all term!

ParanoidGynodroid · 10/12/2019 20:36

Perhaps if health related absence wasn't included it would be better.
Still, it's not a child's fault if their parents decide to book a term time holiday.

SauvignonBlanche · 10/12/2019 20:37

I agree entirely, these awards are so unfair.

YourOpinionIsNoted · 10/12/2019 20:38

Agree with pp, blame Ofsted. They will pounce on anything below a whole school average 96% attendance, so schools have to do everything in their power to get their attendance figures above that line. As all schools will have some kids with health issues / disability which creates genuine need for absence, they have to push everyone else up above the 96% to compensate on at the whole school level.

Schools have no option but to heavily incentivise 100% attendance. It's shit, but it's really not their fault.

AlunWynsKnee · 10/12/2019 20:38

Both mine are currently running at 100% attendance because one hasn't been unwell and the other has been lucky in how her medical appointments have fallen so no registrations missed.
I dislike attendance awards. They do discriminate against lots of children. Not just those with medical conditions but also little children who have parents who can't be arsed to get them there on time.

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