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Original poster

Bastard School attendance

49 replies

Mrgwl29 · 21/12/2023 06:43

Received a snotty letter from my eldest's school yesterday about attendance - he's had five days off for illness which has put his attendance at 92%. We always get him in otherwise, never late and no unexplained absence and he's doing well (reception year and has settled in really well and had good feedback from his teacher at parents evening).

What is the point of this? Am I to drag him in when he's vomiting? Or when he's coughing his guts up?

I know this is a well worn topic but man, it feels you can't do right for wrong as a parent sometimes!

OP posts:
Scarletttulips · 21/12/2023 06:45

Take the letter and stick it in a drawer - it’s just information.

Sept to Dec there are less days so the % is lower per day taken -

It evens out over the year to a better %

Peekingovertheparapet · 21/12/2023 06:50

This is tricky because absence stats is one of the things schools have to report on. So for some schools where there is a particular problem with absence they will be very zealous about absence.

the letter itself will be a standard issue to anyone who has absence that is significant (even if authorised). Part of the reason for sending letters home will be that later on in the year school absence for holidays (especially around feb half term, Easter and in the summer) will become bigger.

The school is just reminding you that they count the absence, stick it in a drawer or throw it away.

Whoopitywhoops · 21/12/2023 06:53

Blame the government/Ofsted for this and not schools.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Families General education Primary education
Soontobe60 · 21/12/2023 06:56

Scarletttulips · 21/12/2023 06:45

Take the letter and stick it in a drawer - it’s just information.

Sept to Dec there are less days so the % is lower per day taken -

It evens out over the year to a better %

That’s not correct. In my school there are 74 school days in the autumn term, 56 in the spring term and 60 in summer. A total of 190 days. Attendance is calculated on half days though. So 74 days becomes 148 half days. 92% is 12 half days.
92% of spring would be 9 half days, of summer would be 9.5 half days.

Youhaveyourhandsfull · 21/12/2023 07:06

Just chuck it in the bin and forget about it. It's their problem not yours.

Original poster
Mrgwl29 · 21/12/2023 07:06

I don't blame the school, I know they are only issuing this stuff because of government targets/OFSTED.

I think it's really irritated me because he was off a few days with a recurring issue - nothing serious, but he's been referred to ENT twice. Each time I've been unable to book the ENT clinic because they can't accept new appointments, so the issue isn't resolved and it's leading back to days off school.

I just feel like nothing works or is simple in our health and education system and that the outcome is that it's somehow your fault as an individual, rather than the system being underfunded/not working. Not explaining well but been up all night with a sick kid! Who will miss school! Again!1

OP posts:
Baneofmyexistence · 21/12/2023 07:16

I get letter regularly from my DDs school. She is disabled so get gets ill more often and has appointments to go to. I wish school could have a bit more discretion about who they send them to where there are genuine reasons for being off. It’s annoying but not their fault sadly. At least her school don’t do any attendance awards, I would be complaining then!

Original poster
Mrgwl29 · 21/12/2023 07:30

@Baneofmyexistence eurgh, I'm sorry that sounds like such a pain when your daughter has such valid reason to be out of school.

The attendance awards are the worst, I agree. Not getting ill is not really an achievement and sets the wrong tone for going to the world of work.

OP posts:
CeriB82 · 21/12/2023 07:33

I get text messages from school about attendance . Just last week my son was absent. he had mock exam . In the hall. With a room full of other people.I ignore all.

kimchio · 21/12/2023 07:35

That's ok there's the rest of the year to go

HewasH2O · 21/12/2023 07:39

It can also be a piece in a jigsaw puzzle which could highlight a pattern or underlying issue to some parents.

lightand · 21/12/2023 07:39

I started a thread about this sort of thing, in Primary Ed topic, about 1 month ago.
Will see if I can find it later.
Surprisingly, there were several who didnt see a problem.

Amana · 21/12/2023 07:39

The new term the Department for Education use is ‘at risk of persistent absence’ ( attendance between 90-95%). It is to evaluate, highlight and address patterns before they set in.
You have a child with authorised illness, don’t worry as once his health improves ( and the attendance data is measured over a longer period of time) attendance percentages will increase.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/working-together-to-improve-school-attendance

Working together to improve school attendance

Guidance to help schools, academy trusts, governing bodies and local authorities maintain high levels of school attendance, including roles and responsibilities.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/working-together-to-improve-school-attendance

lightand · 21/12/2023 07:40

I can see there are several threads below about the same topic.
When I have more time after Christmas, I wil have a read through of them as well.

MintJulia · 21/12/2023 07:46

They're just letting you know. If the letter said he was on 88%, you'd know he was bunking off while you weren't looking (unlikely in recption year, I know).

I got a letter saying DS attended 97.5% of the time. He had one day off sick and a dentist appt.

As long as you know that he was genuinely sick, just ignore it.

Fallenangelofthenorth · 21/12/2023 07:53

My daughter gets these shitty letters and comments all the time and has done for years. I would love for her to be healthy and have 100% attendance but unfortunately she has a defective heart and is waiting for an operation to hopefully correct this. In addition to the shitty letters and comments she's also had the welfare officer sending her back to class after passing out and experiencing a heart rate of 235 bpm as "it's normal for her". I HATE this focus on statistics without any level of thought or understanding on the underlying reasons from schools. Yes, I understand the government are driving this, but I'd have thought educated adults would be capable of independent thought, but it appears not.

Natsku · 21/12/2023 07:53

Is it a standard letter that they issue automatically when a certain amount of missed days are reached? If so I would just ignore it, don't let it bother you, your child was home because he was ill so you know it was reasonable.

The way it works with my DD's school is that the online portal automatically sends a message after so many hours missed (30, then 60, then 90 - at 90 it also automatically goes to student welfare and the headteacher), I got one last year and DD's teacher then sent me a message saying not to worry about it, he knows the absences were because she was ill so he has zero issues with it. I fully expect to get it again this year, DD gets ill a lot but I always make sure she catches up with missed work (luckily her teacher is fab and sends her books home with a friend that lives nearby and tells me what she's missed)

PuttingDownRoots · 21/12/2023 07:53

I remember my parents getting such a letter. It confused them. Apparently I was off one afternoon a week. So they asked me. I definitely hadn't been bunking off. So they asked the school... who confirmed they had forgotten to add me to the Tuesday afternoon register...

Anyway... you know your DS was off on those dates. You know he was genuinely ill. So there is nothing more you can do.
If you were being lax, it might make you think... but some parents don't actually care. (Look at the recent Disney land thread for example)

StaySpicy · 21/12/2023 07:57

Soontobe60 · 21/12/2023 06:56

That’s not correct. In my school there are 74 school days in the autumn term, 56 in the spring term and 60 in summer. A total of 190 days. Attendance is calculated on half days though. So 74 days becomes 148 half days. 92% is 12 half days.
92% of spring would be 9 half days, of summer would be 9.5 half days.

Show quote history

I think @Scarletttulips meant that the days accumulate as the year goes on and the percentage would then go up, so 5 days missed in the autumn term gives a lower percentage than if it was 5 days missed over the whole year.

BreatheAndFocus · 21/12/2023 08:10

File it in the bin. I did go in and complain when I got the first letter, but it’s all buck-passing - the computer’s fault, the trust’s fault, the government’s fault.

We also have a stupid reward for the class with the best attendance. So, yes, parents and children, do send your child in when they’re sick because we wouldn’t want to lose our attendance reward 🙄

SomeoneYouLoved · 21/12/2023 08:13

This is one of the joys of home education, prioritise well being above achievement.

NewtonPulsifer · 21/12/2023 08:22

There is no perfect system for alerting parents to absence levels without pissing off those whose child has genuinely be unwell.

Ceremoniously file it in the bin, perhaps add a Christmassy phrase when it flutters into the bin. Yippie Kay Ay? Merry Christmas Ya Filthy Animal?

crumblingschools · 21/12/2023 08:24

It’s tough and you can blame OFSTED. But persistent absence is a huge problem in schools and getting worse since lockdown. And it impacts attainment.

Obviously, if your child has been off for genuine reasons it is annoying to get these letters.

I have attended a few webinars on how schools can try and reach out to parents to improve attendance without pissing some parents off whilst still being successful with improving attendance and fulfilling OFSTED requirements

FlatWhiteExtraHot · 21/12/2023 08:34

BreatheAndFocus · 21/12/2023 08:10

File it in the bin. I did go in and complain when I got the first letter, but it’s all buck-passing - the computer’s fault, the trust’s fault, the government’s fault.

We also have a stupid reward for the class with the best attendance. So, yes, parents and children, do send your child in when they’re sick because we wouldn’t want to lose our attendance reward 🙄

Are they still doing this shit? I objected to it 20 years ago when mine were small and it’s still ridiculous now.

Putting the pressure on chronically ill children, or children with medical issues requiring lots of appointments, to be in school so their class gets a bloody prize is obscene.

Justrolledmyeyesoutloud · 21/12/2023 08:35

Youhaveyourhandsfull · 21/12/2023 07:06

Just chuck it in the bin and forget about it. It's their problem not yours.

Heard it all now!!
Stupid response.