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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:
Original poster
Lottieloves · 16/12/2016 22:44

I'm not going to stew on over the holidays, but I will be having a word with school in the New year just to see what they say about it.

Oh and both the kids haven't even been late, so that's not the reason he has been marked absent. If that was the case, my dd wouldn't have got hers.

OP posts:
Brewdolf · 16/12/2016 22:45

Sorry lottie I have missed your point. He was there.

If your DS had an unauthorised absence they should have called you. You can ask them to provide evidence they attempted to contact you.

GardeningWithDynamite · 16/12/2016 22:47

That's very poor record keeping. Are they really saying there's no evidence either way whether a child was in school on a particular day? Do you pay for school dinners? Would they have expected a letter or call to report illness and does this get recorded in any way? If they thought your DS wasn't in school are they supposed to call you to find out where he is?

TheNumberfaker · 16/12/2016 22:51

Hate attendance awards.

I would be very worried that a child was
1). At school and not recorded present on the register.
2). Not recorded present and no follow up done to check with parents.

Original poster
Lottieloves · 16/12/2016 22:52

My ds has the universal free dinners so has no dinner account at the school.

I'm going to just ask for his attendance report when I get back in the new year, I will also speak to his teacher to see if she can shed any light.

Fair play if he had been ill, I understand but he hasn't.

OP posts:
FATEdestiny · 16/12/2016 22:54

Have they had any appointments (dentist, etc) during school time?

Not getting 100% attendance does not mean it was a full day off. It might have been one missed afternoon registration, for example.

Original poster
Lottieloves · 16/12/2016 22:57

He had one dental appointment but it was at 11, I picked him up at 10.45 then he was back for 11.30. (We live near the dental hospital)

OP posts:
glitterlips1 · 16/12/2016 23:00

My kids always have 100% attendance they don't get certificates termly. They have to have 100% for the academic year and then at the end they get a certificate. I like attendance awards.

FestiveBiscuits · 16/12/2016 23:01

My ds was in school every day last year, but his attendance wasn't 100pc because of a school trip. Insanity.

DailyFail1 · 16/12/2016 23:07

We laugh about it at home. Nephew gets the 100 per cent attendance award (but nothing else, as he hates school with a passion just like his dad), while dsd, and neices get the certificates of achievement that actually mean something. Both of them aced their exams in every subject, highest in their schools, and with only 60 per cent records as they both having recurring tonsilitis.

Rainbowcolours1 · 16/12/2016 23:09

Even if a child gets universal free school meals there is still a dinner register so that the kitchen knows how many meals are needed.

Brewdolf · 16/12/2016 23:09

lottie if you can, check out the attendance policy. DD is marked down for her in school appts. If I remove her from school for 30 mins just to see our local GP she loses attendance.

Cherrysherbet · 16/12/2016 23:11

My DD was given an award today for always working hard, trying her best and behaving well.
She had 5 days off sick this term, so she didn't get an award for 'not catching a bug', otherwise known as 'attendance award'. I can live with that.

spooniestudent · 16/12/2016 23:13

I'd be more worried about the poor records, especially if there was an emergency.
But I'm with the PPs that say that attendance awards are shit. I remember hating assemblies as I kid because I was always ill.

MrsKCastle · 16/12/2016 23:16

I agree with other posters that the attendance award is fairly unimportant but the record keeping is a concern. A school should not be marking a child as absent when they're not. I think it's much more likely to be the dental appointment counting as an absence.

Caboodle · 16/12/2016 23:24

Regardless of whether the award 'matters' or not this is shocking record keeping and has serious implications....obvious one is in case of a fire but also teachers look at attendance when considering the welfare of the pupil. I would really want to take this further with the school OP. If you don't see a satisfactory outcome you can write to the Head and CC the Chair of Govs (get their address from school office and send them a copy letter to ensure they get it). I am shocked that a pupil has been marked absent when present.
How old is dc? Have they definitely been turning up to school?
Dentist appt wouldn't count as absent btw as dc would have been present for am and pm registration.

NoMudNoLotus · 16/12/2016 23:30

I can honestly say I couldn't give a rats arse if my DS or DD received 100% attendance award or whether they didn't .

ROSY2016 · 16/12/2016 23:40

Although,My dd never miss a school day, at the last reception parents teacher meetings ,her attendance was marked 99.6 or something. I assumed ,they counted , one day she fell down and cut her lip and sent home after lunch and another day she had an accident and was sent home.

jamdonut · 16/12/2016 23:41

If a child is genuinely not well enough to be at school, then you keep them off. It's a shame they won't get 100% attendance, but it's not the end of the world ! There's always next time.

For those who manage to get to school every single day, it IS an achievement, and should be celebrated like any other. For some children it is the only certificate they might get in a year.

Our school also celebrates improved attendance, for those who have had poor attendance in the past.

My DH works for a well known supermarket. They have attendance ' awards', and are quick to point out your % attendance when you are off sick!!! If it falls below a certain level, you can be disciplined for it.

Caboodle · 16/12/2016 23:48

Attendance is marked at am and pm reg. A child sent home after pm reg counts as present. A child sent home after am reg misses 1 session.

Kreeshsheesh · 17/12/2016 07:09

Doesn't the school take a register every lesson? (Assuming it's secondary level) Most schools do this ime. I find it incredible that they don't take an electronic register! How do they store all the other data in school? If there was a fire, other teachers and pupils would know he was at school that day.

JustAnotherPoster00 · 17/12/2016 07:26

She dared to get severe sinusitis and could hardly move, so had three days off school!!

So you think the school should ignore the fact that she wasnt there and giver her the award anyway Hmm

TaggieRR · 17/12/2016 07:33

Off the point, as I can understand the issue with correct attendance records being kept for fire etc but what is the point of attendance awards? Nobody can help if they get ill, but if it's an anti truanting device then surely parents that let their kids skip school for no reason aren't going to be swayed by a certificate anyway. Stupid idea.

KittyandTeal · 17/12/2016 07:37

As a teacher I hate these awards. They're done to show ofsted that the school is doing something to improve attendance.

Personally I'd be more worried that he'd been marked not in when he was. I know it's a cliche but what happens if there has been a fire? No one would have gone looking for him!

ColdAsIceCubes · 17/12/2016 07:38

Ask his teacher to check his work books for the day in question ( I'm assuming that your school date their work) job done! If he wasn't absent there will be work from that day and proof he was in attendance.

As others have highlighted there are serious safety implications to having an incorrect register. If you're positive your ds was at school it really does need investigation.