to be furious with the school?

[Mimstar]

DD was absolutely fine when she went in this morning, ate her breakfast okay etc. When I went to pick her up, her teacher said 'Did you get my voicemail? She's been a bit sick.'

Panicked, I check my phone having had it with me all day. No missed calls. I check the contact sheet in the classroom and they had called my old number, despite having been given my new number twice. When I looked at the contact sheet, I noticed that DH and my mum's numbers weren't on it. I asked why that was, as I'd filled in a contact sheet with those on.

'Oh, they are on the sheet in the main office.'

'Why didn't you go to the office, then?'

'Well she seemed to perk up a bit after she had been sick.'

I clap eyes on DD, and she is absolutely NOT fine. She was white as a sheet, with a temperature.

'Oh, well she has been a bit quiet for the last part of the afternoon.'

DD had been sick on her jumper, and was just in her t-shirt. It is bloody freezing in that school, and she had been throwing up. They didn't even give her a spare bloody jumper. I then say that she won't be in tomorrow, given she has been sick, and there is a 48 hour policy.

'I'm sure she'll be fine to come in tomorrow.' This is what the teacher said. It is their policy. I then went to the office, carrying DD who was exhausted and hot, and I checked the main contact sheet. There, sure enough, is my correct phone number, plus DH's number and my mum's.

They didn't even fucking bother. They left my girl cold and ill, and do you know why? Because they are insane when it comes to attendance, because they were slammed by ofsted about attendance amongst other things. I have drawn this opinion, because this is not the first time I've heard of this. This is not the first child who has been allowed in/not sent home when they have been obviously poorly and I am fed up of it.

Also, she is in nursery - not even reception. The foundation stage.

DD has been poorly all evening, and will not be going in tomorrow. It broke my heart when we got home and she said 'You said if I be poorly you will come and pick me up Mummy, I did think you would pick me up.'

Official complaint, I think.

Wow that is appalling. Definitely complain.

Came on thinking this was yet another pfb let's bash schools thread but honestly YANBU. That us appalling treatment of a year 6 chins never mind a nursery aged child.

I'd be fuming.

Trying to ensure ill children attend or do not go home is an extremely irresponsible way to manage a school imo. My Ds is extrememly vulnerable to bugs, particularly vomiting ones and will usually end up in hospital. I am sure that in your daughters school there are similarly vulnerable children.

Howewver 1st and foremost they obviously care more about their statistics than their pupils. That would be it for me. New school required. If this is how they treat tiny little nursery children, how do they treat older kids??

Absolutely complain to the head, head of education in your area and maybe even copy the chairperson of your local NHS trust. They will be happy to know that school is actively increasing their patient numbers!

I am fuming. She won't be going in tomorrow, so it will give me time to calm down and get my point across in a reasonable way. Hopefully.

Oh , and don't they know how quickly little children dehydrate?? Grrr!!!

YADNBU.

I would be in there tomorrow tearing the head teacher a new arsehole. Her attitude in forcing her teachers to keep sick children at school is ridiculous and the sheer incompetence of nobody being able to check the phone numbers is breathtaking.

Complain away and make sure you ask them what they are going to do in future and you look forward to their response on this. Then you leave the implication that you will be not letting this go until you are satisfied some change has been made. Can you mention school governors? Are you able to talk to them? Or at least threaten to. Is the head teacher so desperate thy she can't see that keeping sick children in leads to more non-attendance? Jesus. You've got another seven years of this school if she's only in nursery now.

Above all her comment would have broke my heart. For the reason of her thinking you had let her down alone, break some ball!!! Pull off some heads!!! Break some legs!! Do all you need to do to get the message across!!

Oh I had similar when DS was 3. He had coughed during the night; I did tell the nursery leader and also told her I would not be contactable during the day but would ring at lunchtime. I did ring at lunchtime - two office staff and answering machine. I collected at 3pm and was yelled at for sending ds to school ill. I asked if he had had his puffer and was told he didn't ask for it. I complained and was told if I didn't like it to go to the head. I did; she had a go too. I asked why the office didn't stagger lunch breaks, why my ds wasn't offered his puffer and why if the school thought he was ill, they hadn't phoned my DH if they couldn't get hold of me. They told me they didn't know they could do that. I asked why they thought DH's name and number was on the form as a joint parent then.

I never sent DS back to that nursery. Still makes me angry 14 years later.

Oh, poor little love! That is appalling. I do think rabid adherence to attendance targets has a lot to answer for: I had an hour of sobbing this morning from a five-year-old with a temperature, a streaming nose and a hacking cough because the headmistress had been round all the classes last week laying it on thick about how important 100% attandance was and he was convinced that he was going to be in trouble if he stayed at home.

Yes Panda I know that but Ofsed have no jurisdiction over something that isn't statutory law so cannot 'fault find with attendance if under 5s.

I think you should go in and complain.We do get it the other way, though..I caught norovirus (I think that's what it's called, not sure of spelling) when I was six months pregnant because a parent said , "Oh, well. He's not so bad. Only sick twice!!"

2 weeks later, I got back to work....

the school had loads of numbers to get in contact with you, your child was ill and that is appalling they failed to contact you.

Poorthing

YANBU! I would have been livid - and heartbroken at her asking why you never came

See this is so wrong.

On the one hand we have our hands tied so we can't apply sun cream( personally I did as a cm and do as a TA) but have been told I shouldn't!

And in the other hand schools are so worried about attendance that they take the potential risk of a child's life( vomiting and temps can be a sign if a serious illness)

If all adults dealing with children actually stopped thinking about rules and regs and simply acted like sensible bloody parents would then this sort if issue wouldn't arise.

Of course the school should have acted sensibly and called you, soothed dd, made her comfy and not have expected her to be back at school the next day.

It's not bloody rocket science.

One if the schools dh teaches in had to close down completely last year just before Xmas last year because so many had norovirus. The place was deep cleaned over Xmas.

So very short sighted of the school.

Absolutely dreadful behaviour from the school. Your poor little girl.

I'd be looking for a new school I'm afraid.

That makes me see red! Fucking attendance figures! If you're ill, you're ill! You need to write to the head. The governers see all correspondence and he must reply. I'd also be copying in the LEA and OFSTED.

thing is, if this was because of attendance it's not even just wrong, it's stupidly wrong, because nursery stat's don't come into it - school attendance only begins to be compulsory in the Reception year
bonkers, and lousy care

Yes ninah, I said just that up thread. Just bonkers.

I thought Ofsted didn't look at attendance for under 5's?

OP it sounds horrible :( My DS1 is in reception so older than your DD, and I would be heartbroken if this happened to him.

I hope she is feeling better soon.

YANBU, the school is now in danger of a much worse attendance record, as a nasty tummy bug gets a real hold on the school.

Complain, surely nursery doesn't count for attendence anyway. Under 5's don't have to be in school.

I have the opporsite problem, seniour school send DD2 Y7 home when all she needed was a dose of paracetamol. The nurse is happy to dole out pills, but doesn't have any Calpol. DD can't be the only DC who can't swallow tablets.

They moan about attendence too.

I would have been incandescent with rage if this had happened to my DDs. YADNBU.