not to complain to school about an error in ds3's attendance record?

[StayingDavidTennantsGirl]

A couple of weeks ago ds3 was sent home from school sick one morning. We've just got his report, and on that day he's been marked as an M in the morning, which means missing, and an A in the afternoon, which is authorised absence.

Dh thinks I should ring up the school and get this changed because ds3 wasn't missing, but was sent home sick - there is no specific code for this, but he doesn't want the record to suggest ds3 was missing, when the school had sent him home sick.

I'm not really terribly bothered by this - I know where ds3 was - he wasn't missing or skiving - he was ill, and I can't see the 'Missing' notification for one single session causing any problems for ds3 in his academic career. His attendance record is good - 97.95% - so it's not like the Attendance Officer (if that's what they are called these days) are going to get hot under the collar, and I can't see any other issues it might cause.

So - am I being unreasonable to tell dh that I don't want to contact the school to get this single code changed, and that I don't think it is a big problem - and if he disagrees, then he can ring the school himself as I have plenty of mumsnetting other things I'd rather do?

Personally I would want to get it changed. If they're going to do attendance records then they should do them properly. If there isn't an existing code for this absence then they should create one.

YANBU, DH is.

'Sent home' is an attendance.

SIMS or CMIS - which ever your school uses can be encoded accordingly.

No School likesa 'truancy' as it reflects on their DofE statistics.

Best you phone and point out the error of their ways.

Why can't DH contact the school himself?

Well - that's my thought too, hissymissy. But I've said I will ask the Collective Wisdom of mumsnet, and abide by the result.

Tell dh to phone the school himself

At our place m is one of the codes for sickness. Could this be the same?

I did wonder that, madrose - I thought maybe M - missing is the code they use for sent home sick, because there isn't a specific one.

I got irrationally cross when my DS3 was marked as Late when I know without a shadow of a doubt that he was not late. So I do see your DH's POV - they've cocked up, and "Missing" does imply "Skiving". I'd get it changed - although your DH can presumably email the office himself. I don't see why it has to be your issue alone.

Without wishing to sound dull, the M stands for "medical" and was used incorrectly as the school sent the child home. This code should only be used for medical appointments eg dentist. S for "sick" should have been used. There is no code that shows the child was sent home so will unfortunately show up on his attendance record as he missed the whole of the following session.

It will make no difference I'm afraid if you speak to the school about it.

M is medical in SIMS.

He should have a resent mark for the morning if her was in for registration and be marked absent for the afternoon (usually I for ill) if he was sent home.

present

M means medical.
N means they don't know.
O means unauthorised (or 'missing').
I is for ill (which your son was).
C means condoned absence...I've never seen an A.

Maybe they put M as dc was in the sick room / not in class. I wouldn't stress but if dh was concerned, he could call the school.

According to the list in the report:

B - sickness with educational provision
E - authorised parental holiday
H - holiday
J - late - arrives before mid-opening
N - other unauthorised absence
Q - exceptional domestic circumstances
T - to be confirmed
V - field trip
Z - extended leave with parental consent
C - school closed
F - medically certified
H - should not attend
O - other attendance out of school
R - exceptional domestic circumstances (yes - I know that's Q as well)
U - truancy or unexplained absence
W - work experience
A - other authorised absence
D - self certified
G - parental holiday
I - in service day
M - missing
P - medical or dental appt
S - study leave
V - school visit (aka field trip - someone should have proof read this list)
X - exclusion.

We are in scotland - maybe their codes are different?

wow that's a long list for anyone to remember... probably just a mistake. If your DH is THAT concerned abot it suggest he rings them himself, thought I should imagine they have better uses of their time than to change half a days record.
I really don't think it will effect his academic career.

I don't think it will affect his career either - which is why I was so reluctant to ring the school - it seems a waste of everyone's time (though my mumsnetting time is, of course, far more important than anyone else's).

I also think your DH should ring himself.

You have a legal right under the Data Protection Act to have any incorrect information corrected. You do not know how this may affect your child's future, so if it was me I would get it corrected, and I would also make a fuss that it should have been recorded correctly in the first place.

Well - I have just rung the school, and according to what the secretary could see on her screen, he was marked as present for the first two periods before he was sent home. She said that when a child is sent home ill, they are usually marked as absent (with leave), and they'll make sure his records reflect this.