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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think there is far to much emphasis on school attendance

393 replies

Starwisher · 21/03/2012 03:55

My dd1 is in year 1. I got a letter telling me off the other day as her attendance has only been 92% when it should be 95% to date. Apparently the educational welfare officer will be keeping a close eye on us...

For goodness sake, dd has been ill! They know this, yet I still get the letter.

Im sick of parents smugly telling me how they just "bung a bit of calpol in the kid and chuck them in school" so they dont need to miss out on the gym or shopping.

They are the one's getting everyone else ill and causing more problems so they can avoid a sick child, yet get rewarded with attendance certificates.

I try and do the right thing and stop dd spreading bugs and getting better at home- and get in trouble.

What is with OFSTED threatening to drop a schools rating if attendance is below some target figure? What if a particular nasty bug is doing the rounds- why should a school be penalised? (Another reason why OFSTED means nothing)

Im not saying attendance is not important but its becoming ridiculous!

OP posts:
JugglingWithTangentialOranges · 21/03/2012 20:39

Well, I still think they've got the balance wrong.

And I think parents experiences and feelings do matter too. We're not robots.

Some people appreciate a bit of respect and appreciation.

A team approach between parents and schools would be refreshing !

busybee20 · 21/03/2012 20:42

Zookeeper - have you ever been on the receiving end of one of these ridiculous letters?? And as for protecting children, I think it has the opposite affect. I have heard many parents say 'fine, next time I won't follow school rules and keep them off for x hours when ill with a tummy bug etc.'

seeker · 21/03/2012 20:43

"My 11 year old has sobbed on the doorstep at 6.30am because she wants me to leave for school 15 mins up the road rather than risk being late," maybe it's time she learned to tell the time?

mathanxiety · 21/03/2012 20:43

Do you not have to call the school in the morning with an explanation if you are keeping your child out that day? I have always had to do this in every school my DCs have attended, or the school calls me, none too happy, to find out where the DC is. When I call I ask for the homework to be sent home.

Heswall · 21/03/2012 20:44

Don't be a cow seeker, she's very capable of telling the time thank you, why the nasty comments ???

seeker · 21/03/2012 20:47

Well, if she's sobbing on the doorstep at 6.30 worried about being late, showing her the clock should solve the problem, then.

mathanxiety · 21/03/2012 20:48

To be fair to Heswall, my own DCs, who are all able to tell the time, were like this as exH had a bee in his bonnet about being late and got worked into a frenzy every morning bothering them to leave for the two minute car trip to school about 15 minutes before the bell. For quite a while after he finally left, DD3 was extremely anxious in the mornings, nagged everyone constantly just as her father had, and seemed on the point of tears if we didn't seem to be running around like headless hens getting ready.

mathanxiety · 21/03/2012 20:49

The clock made no difference. The fear of lateness and the anxiety overcame her apprehension of facts.

Heswall · 21/03/2012 20:49

Well not really because she wanted to be at school for 6.45am to make sure she wasn't late.

zookeeper · 21/03/2012 20:50

I wish I had so little to worry about to be honest.

All I know is what I said in my earlier post; thank god that attendance is noted and low attendance is then acted upon; if a few feathers are ruffled along the way in helping one abused/neglected child then sobeit.

I agree it's not an ideal system but it's better than nothing.

zookeeper · 21/03/2012 20:50

that was in answer to busybee btw Smile

hobnobsaremyfavourite · 21/03/2012 20:53

OK, constructive question time. What should schools do to improve attendance? Some children do miss huge chunks of school and their education is affected, so how can schools help them without causing angst to the sensible majority?

zookeeper · 21/03/2012 20:56

perhaps they could do more to identify families that are struggling and encourage more liftsharing/ walking buses or help in some way.

I have worked with many women who struggle(through depression, substance misuse etc) to get out of bed to take their children to school so they let them stay at home

Original poster
Starwisher · 21/03/2012 21:03

Wow this still going!

OP posts:
Original poster
Starwisher · 21/03/2012 21:03

Oh and discussion for the day. Oh I feel famous! Kind of....!

OP posts:
zookeeper · 21/03/2012 21:05

blimey - must be a quiet day on mumsnet Smile

bejeezus · 21/03/2012 21:06

If the sensible majority, were infact sensible, there would be no angst hobnobs

bejeezus · 21/03/2012 21:07

They just need to get over themselves IMO

Original poster
Starwisher · 21/03/2012 21:08

Aww zoo dont burst my balloon :(

I was all excited too

OP posts:
zookeeper · 21/03/2012 21:08

at last some sanity...

seeker · 21/03/2012 21:10

"Well not really because she wanted to be at school for 6.45am to make sure she wasn't late.

You can hardly blame the school for that!

Original poster
Starwisher · 21/03/2012 21:12

Seeker your being a little harsh

OP posts:
soundevenfruity · 21/03/2012 21:19

I didn't attend a school in UK but if I was off sick it was a normal practice to call a teacher or a classmate asking what they did in class on the day and what was given for homework. It helped that there was a clear curriculum available to everybody. I am not sure why there is such an emphasis on attendance. It doesn't prepare kids for life as not everybody works 9 till 5. In good companies it's all about productivity and output. Different companies manage absence differently such as "duvet days", i.e. a day off for which you don't have to give a reason.

Heswall · 21/03/2012 21:23

You can blame the school because they sowed the seed in her head that should be worrying about being late despite never having been late before.

bejeezus · 21/03/2012 21:30

I don't think seeker is being harsh at all. She's being realistic

heswall you as your dds mother are responsible for regulating your dds massive over reaction to the schools perfectly reasonable request that students arènt late

You sound really chaotic- you want your dd to be a high acheiver so that she 'isnt employed', she has duvet days but is so stressed about being late she's crying on the door step at 630am. Get a grip woman