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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

I am peed off with school and 100% attendance award

79 replies

Lottieloves · 16/12/2016 21:59

My dd and ds go to the same school, now my dd got her 100% attendance award today but my ds didn't they haven't had a day off school this term so I don't understand..... the last time they did this they just said only we'll it's just one of thoses things and as I couldn't prove that he hadn't had a day off he wasn't getting it. I even got the teacher to check the register for the days they said he had been off and she had marked him away even though he was there.. they use a paper register if that helps.... I'm really peed off as I know he definitely hasn't had time off..... what should I do.... all week we have been saying to him, well done on Friday in the whole school assembly you will get your certificate.... I only discovered at 4.30 so too late to speak to school..... I just know all holiday it's going to bug me.....

OP posts:

Suppermummy02 · 16/12/2016 22:07

punctuality

DrScholl · 16/12/2016 22:08

whats with all the ......

DanyellasDonkey · 16/12/2016 22:12

I remember my dad (in the 1930s) telling me he was sent to school with chickenpox so he didn't break his attendance record. I though this was a thing of the past.

Can't see why some schools think it's important - surely it encourages some parents to send their kids to school when they're ill and should be kept at home.

We have a pupil who has done 4 complete days since October holidays and has been late on numerous other occasions but we're told there's nothing anyone can do about it.

80schild · 16/12/2016 22:13

Not sure but personally I tell my kids 100% attendance is a pointless award.

Topseyt · 16/12/2016 22:14

I thought most schools used computerised registers now, including primary schools. Perhaps I have that wrong though.

I would have thought that a computerised system reduced the possibility for this sort of error.

I wouldn't let it bug you over the holiday, but would question it at the start of next term. I am not keen on attendance awards anyway, partly due to this sort of problem and partly due to the fact that they discriminate against children who have been or are ill, or who have some particular medical conditions etc.

Coconut0il · 16/12/2016 22:15

Is he upset? If yes I might chase it up, if not I'd just forget about it. It's very easily done if the same person is checking all the registers.
If that happened at my school we'd check for you and give you a certificate. Ours are only printed and laminated so wouldn't take much.
Don't spend your holiday worrying about it, the certificate is nothing really. I think I'd just check DS1's attendance in his report to make sure it was accurate.

elephantoverthehill · 16/12/2016 22:17

Schools just try to praise for whatever. Otherwise it is just detentions etc. I am quite sure the error will be rectified if you flag it up.

Rainydayspending · 16/12/2016 22:18

I wouldn't care about the actual record nor award. But that's crap record keeping (especially as that will double as fire register).

Topseyt · 16/12/2016 22:18

Just to add, my 14 year old DD3 has had the 100% attendance award before.

She won't get it this year though. She dared to get severe sinusitis and could hardly move, so had three days off school!!

FlouncingInAWinterWonderland · 16/12/2016 22:19

Could you photocopy your DD's with a post it note over her name and write your sons name on as a temporary we're proud of you meassure?

Then address it with the school in January.

Ankleswingers · 16/12/2016 22:23

It's all about stats and data IMO. More of an actual business these days.

I think it's all wrong.

Inevitably some children will become unwell and be off School. How are they meant to feel when their mates get certificates/ medals/ badges etc and get called up in Assembly? Just because they haven't had time off unwell ? or they have been ill really, but have been dragged in to School by their parents

Great that your DC have had full attendance op, but I really don't think that it's worth getting cross over.

yummumto3girls · 16/12/2016 22:23

There really are better things to worry about!! Some children will never have 100% attendance, it's just schools finding another way to reward children and for parents to get competitive about!

Original poster

Lottieloves · 16/12/2016 22:24

Yes, he was a bit upset. My mistake really as I probably hyped it up by saying that he was getting it. He loves school, so I suppose I was bit disappointed for him. It's just I know he hasn't had a day off. I really don't agree with the attendance awards anyway because some kids can't help being ill. My two used to be constantly ill before they started school, so seem to have build up quite a resistance to bugs etc.

OP posts:

TheFlyingFauxPas · 16/12/2016 22:25

Surely there's a bit of a safety issue if pupil is marked absent and they're actually in school. What if there were a fire?

DrScholl · 16/12/2016 22:25

yeah - some parents are absolute wusses though tbh

AliceInUnderpants · 16/12/2016 22:26

all week we have been saying to him, well done on Friday in the whole school assembly you will get your certificate....

Stop bigging it up like it's some sort of fucking achievement then!

WhooooAmI24601 · 16/12/2016 22:29

It's essentially an award for being healthy. Nothing else. DS1 never gets it, never will. DS2 gets it every term and every year. Life goes on and is far too short to tell your DCs in advance that they're going to receive such a pointless award.

Celebrate the important stuff. This doesn't fall into that category.

thisagain · 16/12/2016 22:32

This is one award I always play down, for their sake and their friends. If they get it one time, it's by luck that they have not been ill that term but their friends might not have been so lucky and vice versa. My children know that my view is that if they get it then they were fortunate not to be ill, rather than having actually achieved anything. That way, they are not disappointed if they don't. There are enough other celebrations of achievements that they are in control of to celebrate.

Original poster

Lottieloves · 16/12/2016 22:37

But I think some of you are missing the point, whether you agree with these awards or not he was actually at school and they are saying he was absent so that indicates that record keeping is poor at the school. And as someone has said if there was a fire and my ds was away in the loo, would anyone look for him if the register said he was absent that day. (I know this is very very rare)

OP posts:

BurnTheBlackSuit · 16/12/2016 22:39

Agree with PPs about the fire register. Registers need to be accurate.

Eaglesandbeagles · 16/12/2016 22:39

I think the real issue here is why he's being marked as absent when he was there... What would they do if there was an emergency? Pretend he wasn't there? Did they even know he was there?
It's an incredibly dangerous mistake to make.
If there were to be a fire and your son were inside they wouldn't send anyone to get him if he were marked absent.
It is as simple as "it probably won't happen but if it does, someone could actually die" and clearly this is a mistake they are repeating.

BurnTheBlackSuit · 16/12/2016 22:40

Lottieloves- and if their record keeping is that poor, what if they'd marked another child as present by accident and went into the school to look for the missing child during the fire.

leccybill · 16/12/2016 22:42

2 registers are taken per day. Was he marked absent in the am and pm even though he was there?
If so, that's really bad.

Brewdolf · 16/12/2016 22:42

My DD won't be getting a 100% attendance award because she has some medical issues which means sometimes she's at medical appointments and not school. I tell her they're pointless but it feels discriminatory when the others who have missed out did so for being on holiday or their parents taking them out for a family event (all with school permission I feel I should add) and poor DD isn't off doing something fun and knows it. One teacher pointed out her attendance wasn't perfect, I asked her when she'd like me to schedule the mon-fri 9am-3pm appts in. She shut up after that.

DS starts school next year and doesn't have medical issues but I'm already telling him that these awards mean nothing. If they're ill then they're ill. If they need to see Drs then they need to see Drs. I cba playing the attendance game.

Marcipex · 16/12/2016 22:42

You're right, the register is the go-to list for any head count such as a fire.
It should always be correct.
Is it possible your DS is going in late and being marked absent?
Not that that is good enough as an explanation.

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