Do schools have the power to set individual attendance targets rather than a one size fits all 97% + expectation ?

[middlegroundmissing]

Is this possible ? It seems to be completely unrealistic to have a high target in some cases and leads to ‘failure’ and stress for parents.

Can schools set individualised targets ?

We have an issue with repeated illness. Ds is fully vaccinated. Eats healthily. Takes vitamins. Gets appropriate exercise and enough sleep yet constantly catches horrible viral illness with high fevers and stomach bugs. Had bloods etc and no reason for it apparently just childhood Illnesses. He does have adhd but that rarely causes absence unless he has an appt about it which isn’t often. If he’s ill he’s really ill and can’t go in . Rather than us repeatedly not managing to get the expected level can we legally ask for the school or LA to lower their target in an individual case - is that possible ? Has anyone done this ? I’d rather work towards something attainable instead of this constant failure

The targets aren't set by schools, they are set for schools by the government. And no, they can't be individualised.

If your child is so ill they are absent a very large amount your focus should be on pressing the GP for further investigation and perhaps ask them to update the school or provide a letter.

The fact that even with these things. (a diagnosis of a lifelong condition, hospital letters, intact even when the school have said they would prefer him to stay home)...my ds has still had letters and warnings from the attendance officer. When I asked about the possibility of work that he could do at home whilst well enough, we didn't get any. When I showed that we had done work at home we just got a letter saying that children who miss school have lower outcomes (no shit Sherlock)

And if they take your word that kid is OK to be off because he's ill, they have to take the other parent's word too - the abusive or neglectful one
No they don't.
This is what I mean as to the effectiveness of letters and warnings and fines and rewards ..
I know parents who have children with life limiting conditions, who have had to have lengthy hospital stays, getting the same warning letters as parents who have taken their children on holidays in term time repeatedly, or who miss school because of problems at home.
This makes me question how effective a system it is. One family is doing their utmost to keep their child healthy and well enough, another family need input to try and support them getting their child to school - how does the system, as it is, help either if the children of those families?

OPs Child doesn't have lengthy hospital stays nor a limiting condition and he's not going on unauthorised holidays. So as far as taking the decision as to whether his "yet another bug" or a truly awful homelife isn't one for the school to take. Can you imagine the guilt on a teacher if they got that wrong? They can't override it.

No judgement meant, OP, on you.

I realise the op isn't in those situations...it was more a general thought about the efficacy of the attendance policy as it stands.
It just seems a bit of a blanket policy rather than something which can balance safeguarding concerns, welfare concerns and the needs and rights of children who will, by the nature of their condition, miss chunks of in school learning through no fault of theirs or their families.

The school's attendance target is 97%? So what?

If your DS is well he goes to school, if he's sick he doesn't. End of story.

The push for higher attendance isn't about you, it's about parents that can't be arsed to take their children to school.

If they contact you to complain about your ds's attendance just say 'yes, it's a shame, but he was sick 🤷‍♀️' and think no more about it.

The school aren't in charge or you, they aren't better than you, you don't owe them anything, they just have pointless stupid targets to meet. Ignore

Holy mother of God. Our teachers are here to teach, not fanny about deciding if little Jonny should be in 90% or 91%. Do you not think our teachers have better things to do than argue with parents as to why child x can miss so many days but their precious can only miss y? Because that's what will happen - endless discussions about an arbitrary target.

If your kid is ill they can't go to school. No target will change that so just let it go and let the teachers teach.

Some schools are willing to commit to a Flexi schooling arrangement but many aren't and they are not obliged to. I think there's some really helpful Facebook groups. It's worth understanding the process / paperwork before approaching them apparently.

Sorry oops not even slightly relevant

How would you propose school determine 650 ‘individual’ targets for a primary and 1500 at secondary? Talk us through ideas for what would be included in that criteria ie. just think about it and not just you.

Aside from the obvious man hours this would create, can you imagine the fallout from parents who weren’t happy with being given a 97% target and someone else has a 94% - thus perhaps highlighting a medical need or issue at home and further making children feel different. Also, do lots of children start taking extra holiday as they’re ‘above’ target.

There is no way you are getting fined if you have explained the reasons for absence to school.

As noted, the government sets the target. However valid the case for something different would be, you can imagine the parents claiming exceptionalism and all sorts of reasons to be different. I also would not be 100% confident that different targets would be confidential, even just children sharing with others unintentionally.

The fact that he has additional needs is not recognised by them, despite the school receiving an email from them as he has been flagged and answering, no concerns, he has issues, we are aware.

I suggest you write to the head of Children’s Services or whatever they call themselves in your LA (like 0 to 25 services), and point out that DC has additional needs and they have to make reasonable adjustments as The Equality Act 2010. In his case, that means accepting that he is not well enough, due to his serious medical condition, to go to schools at times and attendance targets should be dropped, as per a person centred approach.

Failure by them to do so, would be disability discrimination.

Copy your email to The Monitoring Officer of your LA, whose job it is, to ensure the LA complies with the law.

It just seems a bit of a blanket policy rather than something which can balance safeguarding concerns, welfare concerns and the needs and rights of children who will, by the nature of their condition, miss chunks of in school learning through no fault of theirs or their families.

Precisely! Large organisations, such as LAs or schools cannot have blanket policies for the disabled, because it is treating some less favourably than others, by virtue of their disability! Some children may have a disability that does not affect their school attendance; but for those that do, they are entitled to a reasonable adjustment per The Equality Act 2010, about their school attendance.

You have my sympathy as my youngest has a health condition which means she misses a lot of school. However, she is at 89% and we've never been contacted by the school as they understand. I'm amazed that the target is 97% as surely that's just encouraging children into school who are ill and would be better at home recovering.

I am loving the fact people seriously think that schools have the time or resources to set individualised attendance figures 😂

Yes ….how hilarous ….

They have time for multiple pointless meeting though , emails and phone calls despite us clearly explaining if ds is Ill he can’t come in and no amount of meetings will change that. If they are spending time on the issue surely better to use that time to think of something that might help rather than insisting on a one size fits all expected attendance rate

What is the actual attendance though? Last year my daughter was at 100%. I think she’ll be at 90% by the end of this term. I would be quite annoyed with the school if they questioned me or her about an arbitrary 97% figure as she’s just had a bad run this half term. Sometimes kids get sick and need time off. There is so much going around at the moment.

Schools do have to 'fanny about' dealing with individual children's needs. schools should 'fanny about' every single child...And when those children have underlying conditions or health needs then school should be working with the family and outside professionals to support those needs and make reasonable adjustments. Part of this should be supporting them with attendance issues arising from hospital stays, illness as a result of chronic conditions etc.
It frustrates me that even in a special school, I have received a letter about my child's attendance and timeline of what would happen if it falls further.
I realise that we have done nothing wrong, my child always does work at home if he is well enough and I make good communication with the school, every single day missed is due to illness, hospital or appointments that could not be rearranged.
It just seems crazy to have it as an added worry, to the extent that my son has just been discharged from a stay in hospital with Covid, and I am drafting emails to his school regarding attendance.
LaughingLemur I am glad to hear that some schools don't send out letters, I have heard of others from special needs groups where the school doesn't in the case of chronic illness etc.

82%

I am loving the fact people seriously think that schools have the time or resources to set individualised attendance figures 😂

It’s not what about what people think, it’s about what the law requires. I heard a MP say in Westminster

”We make the laws. It is not up to [substitute the word schools] to invent parallel systems, they impose on families!”

Actually its quite simple - schools take children with disabilities out of the database of attendance or whatever, so that these letters about attendance only go to the families of the “normal” school population!

Have a look at the Facebook group "not fine in school" www.facebook.com/groups/NFISFamilySupport/?ref=share

Like most things, people would get wind that Joey is "allowed" 10% of the year off - equivalent to a day off per fortnight- and would want the same.

There is a way of doing it though. I've supported some children with complex medical needs and as long as the family are in touch a lot, transparent about the situation and the child comes in as often as they are able to, then it tends to work ok. It's harder when the issues aren't understood, the family are hard to engage and apathy towards learning takes hold.

My dd has Crohn's. Her attendance is currently at 91 percent but was as low as 84 percent earlier in the term due to multiple hospital appointments - for which I provided letters of course.

School - which is of course aware of her condition - has never been in touch to query her attendance.

So they must be able to at least opt some children out of the attendance letters.

Surely hospital appointments don't count towards absence? Definitely doesn't here. I think we are lucky to be in Scotland. I was just reading that Glasgow will be trying to help pupils with low attendance rather than punish them and they counted low attendance as under 60%.

Ds's hospital appointments, operations and hospital stays have always been counted as authorised absences, but these still go towards his attendance figures.
When he was discharged from hospital yesterday, the consultant specified he should not rush the return to school, as he had been extremely unwell and needed time to fully recover. I am happy to work with school on a phased return, work from home, zoom calls etc...but it annoys the hell out of me that this is being done with a background noise of how this is affecting his attendance figures and we will still get a pissy letter letting me know that the attendance officer will be calling...as if it's a choice, it's his health FFS.