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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

100% Attendance Award

252 replies

user1489094655 · 19/07/2017 21:22

Hi
Today, the school my dd goes to rewarded the children with 100% attendance with a trip to the cinema. In a school of about 90, there was 7 from various years.

My dd didn't get 100% because we took a two week holiday in June. My husband has holidays allocated by his work which this year was the first fortnight of June. Total lucky dip and not negotiable. She had NO other time off.

It also doesn't seem fair on children who are poorly, why penalise a child because they had, for example, chicken pox.

What about religious festivals, bereavement, family weddings etc.

All of these situations are out of a child's control.

If it's an incentive to come to school, for some families they don't care about the cinema trip or school so the incentive doesn't work yet for some children like my dd, it is a disappointment.

Any thoughts?

OP posts:

Guavaf1sh · 19/07/2017 21:49

I agree that it's wrong for sick children to miss out but in your case you took a holiday in term time so that's fair she lost her 100% record and didn't get the treat

colonelgoldfish · 19/07/2017 21:51

I'm a teacher and think 100% attendance is ok to be marked with a certificate but a trip seems overkill. Especially when children can't help illness or bereavements. I certainly wouldn't put missing 2 weeks of school for a holiday on a par with illness and bereavements though, I have to say. A holiday is a choice whereas there's no control over those things.

MrsWhirly · 19/07/2017 21:51

My daughter has severe allergies and is under the care of a specialist clinic. She has two appointments a year. For this reason my daughter has/will never get 100% as school will not discount it. Massively unfair in my opinion.

DrDiva · 19/07/2017 21:52

My DS has a food allergy. The school fed him his allergen, knowing it was one. As a result, he was off for three days, the only time off he has had all year. I'd be a bit bloody incensed if they did 100% attendance awards (fortunately they don't).

bangingmyheadoffabrickwall · 19/07/2017 21:53

My school awards children for attendance above 97% each term so it takes into account illnesses.
So in a 14 week term there are approximately 140 sessions and 97% means 4 days of illness.

But we are in an area with attendance (and punctuality) below the national average! Every little helps!

missmapp · 19/07/2017 21:56

Ds1 had a half day off as he was sent home with an eye infection so had 99.3% attendance. He missed out on a trip to the zoo but understood why and didn't mind.

DH only had term time holidays from work this year , but we haven't been on holiday as a holiday as they need to be in school and I work in one ! .

missmapp · 19/07/2017 21:57

too many holidays in that post - ironic really !

Mycarsmellsoflavender · 19/07/2017 21:59

Agree with everyone that 100% attendance awards are a bad idea for the reasons given above.

If your DH's holiday was for the first fortnight in June, didn't the first week coincide with half term? So you could have had a week away without missing any school. I don't feel you've got any grounds to complain about not getting an attendance award given that you took her out intentionally.

fourfuckssake4 · 19/07/2017 22:00

Huh, welcome to the world of school awards, my son, straight a ( in certain subjects) never got one ( thank god I didn't have to sit through the pretentious of it all) it was always and still is the same kids

Original poster

user1489094655 · 19/07/2017 22:00

What I don't like is penalising the child for our decision to go on a term time holiday or my husband's job and holiday allocation, it's not her fault but ours.

What about a trip out for HER progress , attainment etc.

OP posts:

Mrmoonmrmoon · 19/07/2017 22:08

My ds had a medical appointment last year, arrived in school 1 hour after the start and because he wasn't there at registration, was marked as medically absent - this was the only time he was not in but was not given 100% for the year!

SomewhatIdiosyncratic · 19/07/2017 22:09

DS hasn't missed a day since starting school two years ago. He's fortunate to be a hardy child who's had nothing worse than a routine cold in that time.

The difficulty with rewarding 100% for children like him is that there is no improvement, only sustaining or reducing, and that can be a source of pressure.

I'd prefer a system of realistic personal targets.

redphonebox · 19/07/2017 22:17

Meh. I see your point but I find it difficult to get worked up about this. And your DC did get a holiday out of it. I'd prefer that to a cinema trip and I know my DD would too!

As a PP said it's like getting an award for being good at maths, actually it's kind of out of your control if you're good at maths or not. But that's just how it goes sometimes.

Surfingwhippet · 19/07/2017 22:25

Ours get a certificate for attendance over the school target of 96%. This then does allow for the occasional appointment or bug

lougle · 19/07/2017 22:26

I don't know, I think a certificate is ok. I have 2 DDs at a school that does attendance certificates. One has missed 5 sessions this year - a morning for a doctors appointment because she had a bee sting above/ around the eye; and two day after vomiting bugs. She'll end the year with 98.7% attendance, so won't get her certificate.

My other DD has struggled emotionally to attend school, but by sheer grit and determination, she has attended every single day without fail, even when she's had a cold (not an illness worthy of a day off, no temperature, etc., but feeling under the weather), even when she's felt tired, sad, lonely, scared, she has dragged herself to school. She deserves that certificate.

Awwlookatmybabyspider · 19/07/2017 22:35

Oh don't get me started on them
They make me bloody furious.
Its nothing but discrimination against poorly children.
Or those who's parents are too lazy to to take them to school. I mean 5 year old little Johnny can hardly take him self to school, while his mum lazes In bed, can he, and There are such parents , Or supposing their parents are ill or going through trauma ect.
School can't always be the most important thing in families lives, because Ofsted and EWO stamp their feel. They don't always know what these families and children are going through.

Awwlookatmybabyspider · 19/07/2017 22:37

Also I was school phobic as a child.
I used to shake and vomit and everything.
What about those children.
I speak from experience that they do exist.

GreenTulips · 19/07/2017 22:44

Well only 7 kids went that some achievement - she wasn't left home alone - I'm sure they would all like to go!

How do you make it fair then? FAstest runners only? Best at maths? First in the door?

Let some kids have their moment and don't swear it!

I've one child who managed it one year - the others never have and we've clocked up 23 years school attendance.

Don't worry about it - it won't change her life chances

MrsKCastle · 19/07/2017 22:54

My DDs both got their 100% attendance certificates this year. I've made it very clear to them that they have been very lucky and that it's not an 'achievement ', it's just the way it worked out for them. (DD2 actually had a whole week when she was too ill to go anywhere at all... It happened to coincide with half term, which was incredibly boring for DD1 and I but meant that no one missed school!)

OwlinaTree · 19/07/2017 22:58

I think a certificate is ok, it's not a massive thing then. Some children seem to win everything in school, especially sports related things. In our school some of the children that get 100% attendance quite frankly are unlikely to win anything else, so I think it's quite nice for them.

I wouldn't think a big trip out would be right unless there are big trips out for other things too.

LaContessaDiPlump · 19/07/2017 23:00

My DC have qualified. I wanted to boycott but relented at the last minute - did email the head and grumble about it though. There won't be any changes.

Ironically I am now determined to make sure they are late at least once next year so I'm not conflicted again

Gileswithachainsaw · 19/07/2017 23:01

How do you make it fair then? FAstest runners only? Best at maths? First in the door?

You find things for each child. Certificate for being kind, trying hard, helpfulness, honesty,

I repeat.

If the only thing you can say about a child is "they showed up" something is seriously wrong.

HalfShellHero · 19/07/2017 23:02

We had tjis at my childs leavers assembly and whilst its an incentive i think they focus on it too strongly could have done a few most improved, most helpful awards etc

MaisyPops · 19/07/2017 23:04

I'm not a fan of attendance awards, but can see why they're done.

If you did a 95% attendance then you'd probably catch all the kids who are in school when they should be and off when they are genuinely poorly (medical exemptions obviously).

But, a term time holiday is not comparable with chronic illness.

HoneyIshrunktheBiscuit · 19/07/2017 23:04

I don't think there should be a certificate for each child. I think there should be no more than one award for each year group/form which is made up of a number of different factors.

Maybe I'm cruel but I don't like the culture of 'every child gets something'

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