to think thats schools should not give free trips away for 100% attendance

[RosesandRugby]

Just cross really that my DS was off school following an accident at school where he lost several days off due to concussion. Before this he had always had 100% attendance (4 whole years) and they previously just gave out certificates at the end of term with a badge. This year the school have paid for a day trip (theme park) complete with meal out for those with 100% attendance but they wont be able to do it next year because it was only due to a large donation by a local business that has allowed them to do it this time.

OK so im cross that my child has missed out but still, a day trip ! And before anyone goes on about rewarding good attendance etc as an adult you would just get paid your normal salary which would be reduced if you took time off......you wouldn't get extra for turning up to work 100% of the time !

stomps off to hide somewhere cool

I think that's a disgraceful way of using money that was, presumably, intended for everyone's benefit.

YANBU at all, they're very divisive and most unfair on children with a disability or chronic health problem.

yep, strange choice by the school to spend a donation that way.

YANBU in the slightest.

My DS is the same except trip to cinema. Last year he missed it due to asthma bad in winter and I felt so sorry for him.

YANBU. 100% attendance is marked with a certificate at my DCs school and mine never get it due to chronic conditions but they can cope without a certificates.,missing a day trip is not on though.

You haven't disagreed in previous years when your child got a certificate and a badge, but now you are on the other side and your child has not been awarded because of not getting 100% then it bothers you.

Mine missed out on a trip after taking a day off school for his Nans funeral. I do appreciate that schools are trying to encourage good attendance, but I don't think this is the way to do it

Yanbu given he was off for such valid reasons.

Reminds me of a school friend who had 100% attendance at school except one year when she had one single day off. For her mum's funeral. No certificate of attendance. Twats.

They do a similar thing at DD's school albeit not on quite such a grand scale (not an outing). It's grossly unfair to those who have been off with illness or those with a disability and might need time off for hospital appointments. I wrote to the Head but got fobbed off with a brief reply about "my school my rules" .

I should add, DD was included in the last treat as she had "qualified" but there would have been several who were not.

ICanSeeTheSun - you haven't read the OP properly. This is the first year there has a been a trip as reward.

100% attendance should allow for authorised days off for goodness sake.

My DS would never get to go on those trips as he has epilepsy and needs a yearly check up ( takes a whole school day). The whole system is hideously unfair,

I dis read it, but is suspect if OP child had 100% attendance the the op wouldn't have started the thread.

For 4 years she hasn't spoke to the school about how rewards for attendance is wrong. It's only when her child missed out it's now become a problem.

YANBU. I don't agree with attendance awards but there is a pretty big jump between a certificate and a day out a theme park!

Also if i was the local business owner who made the donation I would be a little pissed off about it too. I know that a donation is a donation and you can't dictate how it is spent but I would image they thought the money was going towards maintenance of the school building/buying educational supplies etc rather than spending it on a jolly, especially one that every child doesn't get to be included in.

Fair enough ICanSeeTheSun I see what you mean now.

I would kick up an almighty fuss if the school DS is going to did something like that. They do do 100% attendance certificates which I am not happy with but can put up with (especially as they also reward punctuality when they are in school which is something DS could acheive)

I have heard of 2 schools locally who have given a trip out for 100% attendance or a £20 voucher.

DS is highly unlikely to get 100% attendance, realistically we will probably aim for about 90% - thankfully his school have (so far we haven't started yet, but is just finishing the attached pre-school) acknowledged this and know it is out of our hands.

I hate attendance awards. Dd was a bit obsessed with them when she was younger and got very upset about being too ill to go to school. She has had several years of 100% attendance and I hate the awards as much those years as the years she hasn't had it.

100% attendance seems to be a matter of luck (no illness / accidents / funerals) or the result of going to school when you're really not well enough (which is surely good for no one).

The attitude that sickness is a personal failure seems to be prevalent at the moment though, in offices as well as schools.

I hate attendance awards. Dd was a bit obsessed with them when she was younger and got very upset about being too ill to go to school. She has had several years of 100% attendance and I hate the awards as much those years as the years she hasn't had it.

100% attendance seems to be a matter of luck (no illness / accidents / funerals) or the result of going to school when you're really not well enough (which is surely good for no one).

The attitude that sickness is a personal failure seems to be prevalent at the moment though, in offices as well as schools.

Sorry - double post. I really hate them!

you wouldn't get extra for turning up to work 100% of the time

Some employers do give a bonus for 100% attendance. It is rare but it happens.

strange choice by the school to spend a donation that way

It may be that the donor stipulated this was how the donation was to be used.

Yanbu!!!

There should be no prizes at all for "congratulations on being healthy"

Yanbu.

DS's school did a trip to an activity centre for 100% attendance this year. DS(6) wasn't fussed anyway (SN and would have hated the noise) but was very confused at where half the class were going.

Ridiculous to reward something completely out of a child's control and an odd way to spend a donation.

It is awful. Particularly because it is the school's own (sensible) rules that mean children don't come in when they have a contagious illness. It makes me so cross.

ICanSeeTheSun I don't object to awarding certificates generally. What I object to is awarding certificates 1 year and then another year paying for a trip to a very expensive theme park in the middle of Staffordshire (where the parent needs to buy their own ticket to accompany them because they're primary school age) and then informing the students its a 1 off because next year its back to the old certificates unless someone can come up with another donor to pay for it.

Its hot, im grumpy because I hate the heat so im getting miffed about silly things that perhaps normally wouldn't bother me.
Certificates are fine for all sorts of things as long as the school are consistent in how they award them. Incidentally my middle DD was 1 of the students who got a theme park ticket and now I've got to find the money to take her and pay for all the family to go too. Either that or she cant go......... maybe the theme park is in on this award because lets face it, who's going to say 'congratulations darling but your not going'