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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to be cross attendance officer at school has been to see dd2

28 replies

northern78 · 07/12/2015 13:36

Dd2 is in yesr 5 and has had 2 days off due to vomiting. Her previous school required students to be kept off for 48 hours so I just followed this procedure.
The attendance officer has basically said that to get attendance back to an acceptable level she needs to be in school every day for the next 3 weeks.
aibu to think this is a bit harsh. Obviously she is likely to be in but she can't help it if dhe gets ill.

OP posts:
TimeToMuskUp · 07/12/2015 13:42

Has she had much time off prior to this?

I work in a school and see first-hand how important good attendance can be; missing parts of the curriculum really can leave children struggling (in exceptional cases where much time off has been had, which is an admittedly rare situation). However, as a parent when DS1 had Scarlet Fever a few weeks ago I had to keep him off, and three days later when he was sick at school after a migraine, he had to do his 48 hours off. School phoned with the "we're concerned about his attendance level going below the set amount" and at that point I gave up. You really can't win no matter what you do.

Original poster
northern78 · 07/12/2015 13:42

I guess it is just bad timing. 2 dsys near the end of the yesr wouldn't flag up but because it is esrly in the year it has.

OP posts:
Original poster
northern78 · 07/12/2015 13:44

This is her 1st year at a new school. In her old school she had the odd tummy bug and a few medical appointments but nothing major.

OP posts:
Oldraver · 07/12/2015 13:56

Who is the 'attendence officer' ? Is it someone in the school with extra officious duties or someone form outside the school.

Either way I would be friggin livid with being called up for a SICK child not going into school.

I would probably just ignore them but you could ask then re-iiterate in writing what their sickness policy is and what in the real world you should do. It depends on how much you want to poke the nest

aginghippy · 07/12/2015 13:59

YABU it's a box ticking exercise. You haven't done anything wrong.

Just ignore.

Original poster
northern78 · 07/12/2015 14:09

She is employed by the school and works in the student support centre.

OP posts:
Enjolrass · 07/12/2015 14:49

Is it because she has dipped near the 95% mark?

Seems strange if she has only had 2 days off since September.

Iliveinalighthousewiththeghost · 07/12/2015 14:53

Ynbu. I've never heard of attendance officer approaching a child personally. A letter is normally sent home to the parents.
You can't win. They tell you to keep them off when tgey have V&D as theyre infectious and when you do. They're on your back as though your child has got sick on purpose. It's going to get to the point where parents just send their dcs into school regardless of passing on illnesses ect which a serious safe guarding issues in itself. Which the education are causing.

Enjolrass · 07/12/2015 15:01

I have thought about this.

At dds school, you fill a slip in their planner in and they take it to the attendance office. They usually take it and ask a couple of questions.

Dd said she got asked what was wrong and did she feel better.

I assume it's to make sure what's written in the form matches. Dd is in secondary though.

Is it something like this that happened?

Is it something they do every time somebody is off? Or something they have only done with your dd.

Or is it because she is new and they want to make sure she is ok and not had time off because she is unhappy or not settled.

Dipankrispaneven · 07/12/2015 15:04

I'd suggest you phone and ask to speak to the attendance officer to "clarify" what was said. Ask innocently whether this means that they're happy to have children back in school within a day of a D&V episode or whilst they're still infectious with other illnesses.

Original poster
northern78 · 07/12/2015 15:31

I think she goes round the school stamping good attendance in planners when 100%. Apparently she spoke to everyone in the class who had less than 100% writing down their % and telling them what they need to do to get to 98%. Think she is on 97%. Just seems heavy handed for 9 year olds. Guess it is because it's a middle school so more like high school.

OP posts:
febreeze · 07/12/2015 16:40

190 school days in a year - so 380 possible attendances.

This term has a greater affect on attendance as there are less days (so 4 days off now has a greater impact that 4 days off by the end of the year) and it depends on when they went back but here it has been 60-65 days so far this term. If she is on 97% then that is more than 2 days off.

Original poster
northern78 · 07/12/2015 19:00

Actually she has had 3 days off. In total. Another bug which I forgot about. Figure is actually just under 95% so that I suppose is why.

OP posts:
arethereanyleftatall · 07/12/2015 19:05

3 days is quite a lot to be off in less than a term.
But with the 48 hour rule I guess there's not much you can do!

NotMeNotYouNotAnyone · 07/12/2015 19:06

Smile politely and ignore. The school can't win and neither can parents with sick children (and all kids are sick sometimes!)

Tell DD not to worry, it's not a failing on her part or yours, the school just want to make sure she's ok because her occasionally children miss school for other reasons than sickness and the school need to check in everyone just in case.

Original poster
northern78 · 07/12/2015 19:11

Yes she was perfectly fine those last two days but because she vomited in the early hours I had to keep her off two school days.

OP posts:
HildaFlorence · 07/12/2015 19:34

Honestly this is the stuff that makes me pleased ds in at an independent school, he had a whole week off the week before last. Headache. Very high (99) temp achey limbs. He is 13 , his tutor emailed on day 2 to wish him well and say that if we needed any work collected to let him know . Bumped into the Head of pastoral , who said to keep him at home until feeling stronger as lots of nasty viruses were going around.

On return teachers arranged work and for him to set a couple of test he had missed and saw his tutor today who commented that he seemed still a little pale and it was probably good it was nearly end of term .

ToadsforJustice · 07/12/2015 19:35

This would give me the rage. If anyone has an issue with my DC attendance, then come speak to me. The bloody jobs worth can shove their planner up their arse. not at all helpful

hiccupgirl · 07/12/2015 21:00

I really wouldn't worry about 2 or 3 genuine days illness but I would be speaking to the school about them pressurising a child about something she has no control over. And the guidance is still 48 hours exclusion for D&V to try and contain infections.

I'm so grateful my DS's school doesn't do any of the crap 100% attendance awards. There's not a lot I can do when he's sick over his lunch and is sent home and then isn't allowed back for the next 2 days.

Jakadaal · 07/12/2015 21:43

The attendance police at school drive me nuts. Ds had a 6 weekly assessment with Camhs st the end of last school year due to bullying that the school refused to act on for 12 months. He was in school after each appointment by 9.45 yet was still marked as absent and I received a similar ticking off by the attendance officer. I understand they are trying to do a job but I had informed school well in advance of the appointments. Doesn't do much for parent /school relationships

Dipankrispaneven · 07/12/2015 21:46

I must say, I would seriously question whether it is a sensible use of the school's money to pay someone to spend their time putting pointless stamps into pupils' planners - and indeed whether it is a sensible use of time that would otherwise be spent on teaching to make pupils listen to her. Can you raise it with a parent governor?

Iggi999 · 07/12/2015 22:04

Yeah Hilda that type of kindness would only happen if you're paying for it Hmm

Original poster
northern78 · 07/12/2015 22:26

They would have had a field day with dd1 during her reception year. She had 7 consective days off due to vomiting immediately followed by chicken pox. Thankfully they weren't quite so strict than.

OP posts:
Domino777 · 07/12/2015 22:36

I would just ignore the officer.

95% attendance is perfectly average.

WhoTheFuckIsSimon · 07/12/2015 22:43

Schools need to use their heads.

Dd last year had terrible attendence, well below 90%. She was in year 9 and missed a 4 week block when she was really very poorly. She then got ? Appendicitis and was in hospital for two more days the following term.

School knew why she was off and never batted an eyelid. Never asked for a Drs note. Never wrote me snotty letters about it.