Learning at home with an EHCP is ‘authorised absence’

[BabbleBee]

My 13yo DD has an EHCP. She was offered a place in school, but as she’s clinically vulnerable she’s stayed home and has been logging in to online lessons.

I found out today that all children with EHCPs who do not attend school have to be coded as an authorised absence, even if they are attending lessons online. Children who are considered vulnerable are the same - if they attend school for say 2 days, they are coded as present for those two days and the other 3 as authorised absence.

I realise that this isn’t the worst thing that can happen, but it does affect their attendance and doesn’t apply to children without EHCPs.

So - if a child doesn’t have an EHCP, is not in school but registered online, they get an attendance mark. A child with an EHCP, not in school but logging in online just the same gets coded as authorised absence... how is that right?

I think I’d challenge that tbh, it sounds discriminatory to me - she’s attending lessons and has good reason to stay home. My understanding is that school places are offered to vulnerable children and those with SEN but not compulsory to take them up if the child is learning online?

A lot of people have asked the government that question. No response.

I agree. The SENDCo I was talking to is not happy that the students with EHCPs who have 100% attendance aren’t getting any credit for it, well not in the official way. This isn’t a school choice by the way.

I'm guessing it's done this way solely for data collection purposes, so they (the DfE) can measure the number of "vulnerable" children attending school/not attending school during lockdown.

I had no idea this was happening. DD attends part time. I assumed her home learning was included as standard attendance. Am irritated although it will make zero difference to her.

Children without EHCP or who are not vulnerable do not get an attendance mark, they get an X code (absence related to Covid, ie school is closed to them).

This time, the govt has made schools report in whether vulnerable children are in school or not. If school didn't think your child was safe or learning well at home, she would get unauthorised absence mark.

It's fine, OP. It's good that children with EHCPs or who are otherwise vulnerable are being accounted for.

I signed a petition against this a while back. Didn't have many signatures on it!

I'm not sure why you are bothered. It's not like there are going to be awards for 100% attendance this year.

What's the reason you're concerned about it?

User0ne - when you have a child with an echp you often come under a lot of scrutiny having an attendance record that says 5% when you have diligently home schooled is the kind of thing that could come back an bite you on the bum when trying to access support.

@MillieEpple

User0ne - when you have a child with an echp you often come under a lot of scrutiny having an attendance record that says 5% when you have diligently home schooled is the kind of thing that could come back an bite you on the bum when trying to access support.

Exactly this. Our children should be treated fairly and equally. My daughter is attending lessons in the same way as her peers without an EHCP, why should she be treated differently?

@RandomGrammarPun

Children without EHCP or who are not vulnerable do not get an attendance mark, they get an X code (absence related to Covid, ie school is closed to them).

This time, the govt has made schools report in whether vulnerable children are in school or not. If school didn't think your child was safe or learning well at home, she would get unauthorised absence mark.

It's fine, OP. It's good that children with EHCPs or who are otherwise vulnerable are being accounted for.

I see what you’re saying but my child should receive the X code like everyone else who is attending home learning, or some recognition that she is not absent from learning.

She's not absent from learning. Her mark reflects a student who has been given a place at school but is not attending, it is an authorised absence. In the same way other students need a mark to show that they have not been given school places and are learning from home.

Attendance monitoring is still taking place. My colleagues at the school l work out spend hrs collecting data as it is still needed for monitoring, ensuring students who are not engaging with online learning are picked up and if there is a need for others to attend school for some reason.

My Ds has an EHCP and is at home. At the moment he is getting an X mark on his attendance record. I'm not sure if that is what his school have decided to do, or if it is because his EHCP wasn't finalised until mid January.

@MissKhan1990

She's not absent from learning. Her mark reflects a student who has been given a place at school but is not attending, it is an authorised absence. In the same way other students need a mark to show that they have not been given school places and are learning from home.

Attendance monitoring is still taking place. My colleagues at the school l work out spend hrs collecting data as it is still needed for monitoring, ensuring students who are not engaging with online learning are picked up and if there is a need for others to attend school for some reason.

Thank you for explaining that.

What I don’t understand is why her overall attendance % should be affected by this when she is present for her learning.

I'm an education welfare officer. The coding is set by the DFE. I see your point and plenty of other people have raised that too but that's what we have been told to use. As for her attendance record I really wouldn't give that a second thought in the circumstances. It really isn't that important

@MrGruWeLoveYou

I'm an education welfare officer. The coding is set by the DFE. I see your point and plenty of other people have raised that too but that's what we have been told to use. As for her attendance record I really wouldn't give that a second thought in the circumstances. It really isn't that important

Thank you. I know it’s DFE and that’s irked me more! I would just like my daughter to be treated the same as her peers who happen to not need an EHCP. She is working so hard, and I am working hard to support her and it feels like she deserves to have her attendance recorded. She is also clinically vulnerable and shielded so couldn’t go into school even if she / we wanted to.

I agree that this isn't very fair at all. Can't you get them under disability discrimination.

I can understand why they want a record of which children with EHCP’s are attending to track what’s happening but it shouldn’t be difficult for them the be given an attendance mark even if it’s a different code to reflect the fact they have an EHCP.

Not sure how my sons school are recording his attendance as he has an EHCP but doing online at home. He still gets a attendance distance learning certificate each week like his brother