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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think that these attendance things are really stupid?

70 replies

Pyjamaramadrama · 11/05/2015 17:31

Every week in the newsletter the attendance percentages are published by class.

The class with the best attendance are always congratulated and the worst are always asked to try harder next time.

Then there's always a message asking children and parents to try really hard.

Wtaf are we trying really hard to do? Not get ill? To go to school even when ill?

This is primary school, surely attendance is completely out of children's control.

If parents are the type to keep the kids off for no reason then surely that needs addressing on an individual basis as a note in the newsletter will make little difference.

That's not to mention the ridiculously extravagant prize they put up at the end of the year for good attendance.

OP posts:

Redlocks28 · 11/05/2015 19:45

My daughter's school have a chart up with little chicks with their names on. Each day, they come in and find their chick and put it in its nest.

I think the premise is, that those children who are away, have a sad little empty nest that day and it's supposed to make them not want to be off school. Only they don't ever bloody see their empty nest because they aren't at school that day!!

m0therofdragons · 11/05/2015 19:50

Our class (dd1's ) regularly gets 100 per cent. A few of us mums have come too the conclusion we are harsh parents who send ill dc to school as we have to get to work. Either that or our dc are bizarrely healthy but 2 terms in a row no dc have had a sick day. That's odd isn't it?

cardibach · 11/05/2015 21:16

Fanny that's the opposite of harsh! Of course it's well done to no longer have shit attendance. Would you object if they said a child had made improvement in maths? Or English? Or their time over 100metres? Celebrating improvement's a good thing, surely? And in this case shows a child has had bad attendance previously for reasons other then chronic ill health (or presumably improvement would not be possible) so the school's measures to encourage said child in worked. Congrats all round.

GardeningWithDynamite · 12/05/2015 09:13

I can't stand attendance awards. The HT at DD's school wants to focus on those who "can" achieve 100%, rather than those who "can't" so there's a certificate each term for those who "achieve" being healthy/having no appointments/parents getting them to school on time for the term (bronze for first term, silver for two terms and gold for the whole year) but nothing if you have any time off at all.

DD had a day off in the first term (D+V) so got nothing. She had full attendance last term so got a bronze certificate (which we put in the circular file) so she really did just achieve not being ill.

DD's school also publishes class attendance termly and praises classes with high attendance. Didn't help that DD's class had one pupil off for half a term

pieceofpurplesky · 12/05/2015 09:22

For some children attendance is the only award they will win. Do we stop giving out all awards as they are not fair to somebody? How about not giving an academic one out as is may upset the child who does not achieve? Or the effort one because, well as the parents say, their PFB is Only a young 7 and can't always concentrate? What about sport - let's not celebrate that as a child is disabled and therefore unable to take part ... Where is the limit?
I have every sympathy for children who are genuinely ill and when doing a class summary this days is usually taken in to account (at secondary). Most schools also award improved attendance. I understand that children get ill or have reasons (my own son has appalling attendance this year due to severe MH issues). But I don't begrudge awarding kids who do make it in - why shouldn't it be celebrated? We celebrate academic success, sporting success, effort ...

MyVisionsComeFromSoup · 12/05/2015 09:31

I complained when our school let the 100% attendance DC wear own clothes on the last day of half term, as it was making those DC with disabilities/medical conditions very visibly different. The head told me she "didn't mean to discriminate" but was going to keep the policy. Two terms later it's been dumped .

GardeningWithDynamite · 12/05/2015 13:29

But pieceofpurplesky what have they actually "achieved"? Surely an achievement has to be something that you have control over?

You might as well give out a certificate to the tallest child in the class, or the one with the smallest hands.

I don't believe that there is one single child who could "win" an attendance award but not be able to actually achieve something within their control, whether it's academic, sporting, musical, being helpful to the teacher, being kind to another pupil or looking after the school hamster.

pieceofpurplesky · 12/05/2015 16:25

You obviously don't work where I do then dynamite. The idea that some of my pupils would look after the school hamster (they don't have them at high school). Quite often the most damaged and deprived children always come in to school as it is the only place that they are safe.
These pupils have achieved 100% attendance and deserve to be rewarded - it's not punishing the others. It is motivating those who have problems beyond all the comprehension of most people.'
It is a big part of school and life to attend. Then maybe we should not give out sports awards as the fastest has the best build, or an academic award as the cleverest has a better brain ...

shrunkenhead · 12/05/2015 17:33

My dd got a 100% attendance certificate last year that we were both v proud of. It wound us up immensely that the child (whose mother works in a travel agents, so gets cheap hols anyway!) who was taken out of school for holidays also got the same certificate!

Goldmandra · 12/05/2015 17:37

It is a big part of school and life to attend. Then maybe we should not give out sports awards as the fastest has the best build, or an academic award as the cleverest has a better brain ...

How about awarding those with the biggest family income, most parent attendances at PTA meetings, most reliable consent for returners, 100% voluntary contributions paid, longest essay in the class bear diary,....? They all make about as much sense at rewarding the ones who have had the fewest bouts of tonsillitis/D&V.

shrunkenhead · 12/05/2015 17:41

Admittedly a lot of parents are a bit soft and let their kids have a day off if they so much as sneeze....Most working parents don't have that luxury. Schools are simply trying to instill the importance of education in the few that don't bother listening to their kids read/take them out of school for holidays etc etc some patents clearly just don't get it.

hollieberrie · 12/05/2015 17:47

This is an Ofsted thing. Lots of pressure on headteachers from both Ofsted and the borough / county education authority to raise attendance using whatever means possible!

redskybynight · 12/05/2015 18:21

DD's school does same class attendance awards. There's a child in DD's class who is regularly has time off for holidays. Nothing the rest of the children in the class can do to influence this, but it scuppers their chance of getting the class attendance award ...

pieceofpurplesky · 12/05/2015 18:27

Most people really don't get this at all. Pupils should be in school. Yes pupils get ill. It is just another way to reward pupils - one of many. Funny how parents complain as often it is one that comes with a prize ...

HagOtheNorth · 12/05/2015 18:28

It's an OFSTED thing, that's why it became high profile.
No, I don't like them much and they do discriminate against some children with health or disability issues, but then so do other activities like sports day awards.
It's also a lifeskill, as my two both discovered. Most jobs expect you to turn up to work if you are under the weather, or you get sacked.

shrunkenhead · 12/05/2015 19:29

This child gets her award despite parents taking her out to go to Benidorm!

shrunkenhead · 12/05/2015 19:31

Thus giving the message you can't be genuinely ill but you can interrupt your child's education yo lie in the sun for two weeks!

Wigeon · 12/05/2015 19:42

I absolutely can't bear attendance awards / charts/ publications in newsletters/ attendance certificates - in my DD's infants' school! How on earth the school think infant aged children have any control over their attendance I have no idea. I am really amazed that it doesn't fall foul of disability discrimination.

I write as the mother of a child who has had almost 100% attendance for the last 3 years (never seems to be ill, we never take holidays in term time) and still thinks it is grossly unfair that she gets rewarded for it, and her classmate, who has a long term medical condition with time off for appointments, and due to the condition, can never get the rewards. Or a child whose parents take them in holiday in term time is punished - as if a five year old is going to say 'no mummy, don't take me on holiday, the school won't like it!'.

I totally appreciate that children need to be in school - but rewarding small children is completely nuts.

Goldmandra · 12/05/2015 23:12

I am really amazed that it doesn't fall foul of disability discrimination.

It does and when I pointed this out to one of my DDs' head teachers it immediately became an awful lot more low key.

I am really glad that now DD1 is about to finish Y13 and DD2 has an LA funded place in an independent school we will not be subject to this nonsense again. I just wish the same applied to all the other children I know who have additional needs and are being given an extra reason to feel crap about themselves.

Shannaratiger · 13/05/2015 07:18

Our school has the certificates as well. Luckily they've stopped any class rewards, just a photo on the classroom door. It does cause me major problems if Ds is I'll though as he still wants to go in!

sandgrown · 13/05/2015 07:25

Marvel. Just out of interest is school attendance in Ireland any worse than in the UK?

VelvetRose · 13/05/2015 07:26

The solution is to make it very clear that good attendance is expected in a general way and to talk privately to those whose children's attendance is poor. At my school there was only ever a couple of parents who were ridiculous about days off, now the more stringent laws are in place it's the same!
The vast majority of parents only keep their kids off if they are ill which is how it should be.

VelvetRose · 13/05/2015 07:28

I loathe the prizes etc.

Chattymummyhere · 13/05/2015 07:29

Our school does something similar however it's a weekly thing but they also do classes with the correct uniform and tidiest cloakroom not sure if it adds to their house points or not. I just see it as a way at my childs school of helping them to learn for the bigger world of being where their meant to be, being dressed correctly and tidy with their belongings.

exLtEveDallasNoBollocks · 13/05/2015 07:33

I loathe these awards too, but I have noticed a decline in the "I've got a headache" "I feel sick" "Phone mum to pick me up" requests from the same children each week since the class attendance prize was started.

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