To be pissed off with this text message from the school..

[WorzselMummage]

"last weeks school attendance was very poor at 90%. We need to aim for a minimum for 95%. Please send your children to school every day. If we feel your child is too ill to be in school we will send them home"

How's about fuck off.

It's really riled me. My DD was a 100% attendance this term anyway but surely parets are in the best position to decide what it best for their own children.

I get PISSED OFF when DD gets ill because some other parent has sent their child to school when they obviously ought to be laid on the sofa feeling sorry for themselves.

What is the sense im sending children to share their germs around

"If we feel your child is too ill to be in school we will send them home"

What the fuck? Because they know more about your child than you do and more about health than your GP of course.

Triggles - I like your Mum's notes!

Yes wondering how the 48 hour D&V rule works in this situation,methinks a bit of backtracking might occur pdq should a vomitting bug kick off.

Why can't they single offenders out though? It's not rocket science to work out which children have poor attendance and which don't. I can't see why the parents whose children have poor attendance can't be contacted and summoned invited in for a chat with the headteacher. Totally agree this kind of approach alienates those it doesn't apply to and does nothing to address the problem with those who need it.

I'd be really peeved by this too! YANBU.

surely parets are in the best position to decide what it best for their own children

You'd think so wouldn't you? Then you see the parents out shopping with their perfectly healthy school age children...or allowing them the whole day off for a 20 minute Doctor/Dentist appointment.

Not to mention the persistently absent kids who miraculously manage a full half term at school, after their parents have been threatened with court

Id text back, saying something like, "get stuffed" or... well, actually, that'd be it really!
bloody cheek!
I wonder how the school closures for the strikes will be affecting attendance?!

Indeed - I'd text back and say "well attendance will only be 80% this week thanks to you lot".

Georgimama serial offenders usually have other issues and come from vulnerable families. They can't be seen to be targeting families that are already having a bit of a shit time of it.

WRT inviting parents in for a chat with the head, if they aren't prioritising their children's education enough to send them in everyday, then they won't attend a meeting because of e.g. a) disinterest b) MH related issues e.g. anxiety c) fear of being told off. or many other reasons I can't think of.

You can't win. So don't try. If I send my child to school when they're poorly I get the patronising "please don't send you're sick children to school" if I keep them home its "attendence yada yada".

Ignore. Do what you think is right.

Worra -- not getting at you, honest, and SO not the point of the thread, but this:
'Then you see the parents out shopping with their perfectly healthy school age children...'
brought back such vivid memories of trailing DS (pretty severe OCD) round the shops once a week after his psychiatric appointment, on the shrink's instructions, to try to help him cope with the idea of normal life. Not sure who was more tense each week, him at the sight of the outside world, or me at the possibility that someone would look at him and tut. Think I would have wept into the cornflakes...

Everyone else out with their breezy offspring can just pull their socks up and jolly well go back to school, mind.

So someone should be addressing those issues. And if the school is powerless to actually help and it makes no difference asking them to do something about it, there's absolutely no point sending the texts at all to anyone. Texts cost money, schools are clearly wasting it.

what SHOULD the school do if (say) it's the summer term, all the children are healthy and yet sickness levels are higher than they were in February when there was actually flu going round... and they have 10% more sickness than the school in the next village..

if it's not acceptable to send a general note to parents what SHOULD they do?

YANBU - I would be fuming with the school implying that they are in a better position than parents to decide if a child is too ill to be in school. Not to mention the fact my child risks getting ill because some parents have taken notice of this text message!

Lancelottie there are always valid exceptions to the rule

Christmas tends to be worse...so many parents keeping healthy kids off for xmas shopping.

Personally I'd rather get rid of the little buggers for the day

How about,
'Please, if you are in doubt about whether your child is truly sick or playing for sympathy, send them in and we'll phone you if necessary'?

But maybe I'm that rare parent who really struggles to decide by 7:30 whether the wailing over breakfast means anything worse than a rough night and a bust-up with a school mate?

Someone should be addressing those issues, you're right. Who, though?

Teachers/schools are increasingly expected to sort out these problems/pick up the pieces and the schools wouldn't be so concerned about the attendance (because they do know who the offenders are and they will quite often be aware of the reasons for it) if Ofsted wasn't breathing down their necks for it!

I've often wondered how a school can be held responsible for the parents of it's children actually getting them to school. It seems ridiculous. But there it is, so the schools send out texts/letters aiming to encourage high attendance and end up pissing everyone off in the process.

Joy!

Lancelottie I like it. It's what I do. I've only been called a couple of times.

My DD has a "terrible tummy ache" everyday.

As I said, either actually contact the people whose attendance is poor, or do nothing. A blanket approach is pointless.

And what if the child has suspected meningitis - or some other highly contagious disease?!

Send the kid to school and then tell the teachers he/she has swine flu!

That was in reply to an earlier post not your last one summer.

Just another shining example of how our beautiful children are slowly becoming nothing but numbers on a page to keep the big wigs happy. I will be the judge of my DSs health. I will not send my sick child into school to infect the rest of the children so that Ofsted will pat you on the head and tell you how wonderful your school is. Disgraceful.