100% Attendance Award

[user1489094655]

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?

I totally agree with you about children who are ill, however you took a term time holiday, you can't really moan about not having a 100% attendance certificate can you.

I can't recall if we had 100% awards when I was at school, but I do remember that anyone who got 95%(?) was allowed to come on the trip to Thorpe Park.

And work places offer bonuses for 100% attendance?
Exactly how is this a good thing? This just tells me that they discriminate against people for medical reasons. And I also wonder about their other work practices.
We should be working towards ending discrimination, not proud to work for such a
Place.

GirlonTrain sounds very much like my old school!

Have to say that being ill and taking a term-time holiday aren't really the same though.

It's a total joke! I know mums that send kids to school with snot dripping from their noses just to get it, trouble is my DC catch it and I keep mine off to prevent passing it around school !

The whole thing is bonkers!

My other DC suffers IBS/hearing problems/low immunity other issues he sees medical professionals for after being premature, it's totally penalising him.

As you can tell I hate it and often tell DCs I don't care if they miss an odd day. I always try to hit 95% of the year.

I hate the 100% attendance awards. My dd has multiple various issues with her health requiring appointments at various times. Can we get these appointments out of school hours 'no'. It is a very unfair system. It also grates me that children more ill of health than others are penalised by attendance when infact they probably attend more when feeling quite poorly as they have no choice but to keep battling on.
My dd's first orthodontist would not do her teeth (braces) due to her allergies and insisted it be done at hospital. I recieved four appointments all at once from them and one of which on the first day back of school in Sept! Could I get them changed for out of school hours, not a hope in hell. This is in her most important year at school too GCSE's. Apparently if I canceled one appointment, they would all have to be canceled and they basically refused to be able to accomodate any times out of the school day.
I have no sympathy in taking your children volentarily out of school time though for holidays. It is a concern to me when dd misses school through illness and drops grades so I would never for whatever reason take her out of school for a holiday.

I don't mind a certificate or something like that but I don't think trips or presents are a good idea.
There were quite a few years where my D.C. had 100% attendance or almost 100% but as their schools never did the 100% certificate or award thing then no one acknowledged it except ourselves. I didn't care if the school acknowledged it or not.

I'm not bothered about not getting the certificate or the trip to the cinema. It just got me thinking about the reward being more about luck than anything.

We value our family holiday and will continue to take it when we are told by husband's work what his allocation is.

I was thinking more about medical appointments, illness, religious observance and of course those parents that don't care about the value of education.

It's seems not getting this reward is based on bad luck for the child who can't control these things.

Thank you

My dd has just sat her mock GCSEs and despite only having 75% attendence due to hospital appointments and admissions she got A and A* in all her subjects . She is in top sets for every subject and despite missing so much school it does not in any way affect her ability at school . It's so unfair because she has never and not will ever receive the attendence awards !!!

Well done her on her fantastic results but can't you see the irony. Is it 'unfair' that despite their very best efforts and high attendance some kids will never achieve such amazing results. IYSWIM

no I agree, trips are absolutely awful to reward with. So upsetting for the other children especially when it is something out of their control and they are little/primary age.
My dd does not give a fig now older about rewards but attendance percentage is greatly emphasised at secondary and is looked at for eg becoming prefects ect. (dd did miss out on that sort of thing in primary with the badge due to attendance)
I just absolutely hate health/hospital appointments being regarded the same as bog standard absence.

Do posters also disapprove of academic and sporting awards?

I don't understand why attendance awards are so disliked compared with other awards.

My DC never once got a sporting award. Two of them were great team players who pitched up to everything but were decidedly average sportsmen. This wasn't their fault it was just the way it was. It never crossed my mind it was unfair. Are D.C. who are dyspraxic or whatever being unfairly penalized because they are unlikely to win any sports awards?

But you can win those other awards even if you have been off sick so they aren't really comparable

It usually means 100% attenders have come to school unwell at some point and infected other poor souls whose parents sensibly keep them at home!

I think big reason we now get 100% is youngest child is older - out of infants - thie immune systems are more developed and they can hand wash better. Big source of infection removed.

I too have had the conversation with attendance office that their attendance being high is pure luck - if they are well they are in.

As much as I loathe attendance awards - I really hate the class attendance trips. I get why the school does them but the children do notice who is absent a lot and thus reason why their class hasn’t won the reward – and there is resentment. I tell my children health is luck but other parents don’t seem to.

The thing is - life isn't fair and kids need to learn that.

That's it - and OP you are jeopardising their education needlessly by taking them out of school for two weeks they aren't unwell and a holiday is not a necessity.

But you can win those other awards even if you have been off sick so they aren't really comparable

That's not true though. However hard they work some kids will never have a hope of winning an academic or sporting award. Some kids would also struggle to ever receive a good behaviour award through no fault of their own.

Actually - 100% is impressive. It means that the family has either had to pay for more expensive holiday or not have a holiday. It means that they have not taken days off for minor colds etc. I always aim for 100% attendance at work and some years I get it, some I don't. My daughter has had 3 days off for illness this year and won't get an award but I will still make sure she aims for 100% next year. It isn't just the work missed that has an effect but the shared experiences with classmates which build up friendships. I had a lot of time off at school and it had a massive effect on my school experience. If a child is ill, obviously they can't go into school. But why shouldn't those who have achieved 100% be rewarded?

Also - agree with above. Some children won't receive a sports award, does that mean no child should? Some children won't receive an art award, does that mean no child should? Just because your child did not achieve 100% attendance - that should not mean that no child should. Maybe there are children who are not academic or sporty but they show up on time and every time - they deserve a certificate for that.

That argument does not work.

When a child wins a sports award or an award for maths or whatever, it is because of something the child has done. Even if natural talent comes into it. that child has still won the race, trained for the competition, worked hard at their maths.

Attendance awards mean nothing at all. All they mean is the child has been lucky. In most cases they have done nothing whatsoever to win that award, apart from not be ill.

Do you not see the difference?

If schools are using the argument 'oh well but it's the only award some dc get' then they show a shocking lack of imagination tbh. Can they not find something to award that the child has actually done by themselves? Actually worked for, or tried, or made some kind of effort? If not, then that school is letting the pupils down.

But lots of rewards in life are down to nothing but luck - raffles, lottery, school tombola.

Equally being on time is not just about the parents. Certainly mine were more motivated to stop faffing and just put their shoes on by the thought they'd get a reward (dojo points) if they were in their places before the bell went.

At my DSs school the end of year trip is linked to attendance, behaviour and attitude to learning. They tot up the points and those over a certain amount get invited on the trip. I think this is a much better system rather than just going to school come hell or high water.

In business your attendance can often impact on your reviews and pay increases. Ive worked places where you faced disciplinary action for too much sick leave.

"It usually means 100% attenders have come to school unwell at some point and infected other poor souls whose parents sensibly keep them at home!"

Errr, well, that's an assumption and a half, if ever I heard one.

Neither of my ds's got 100% this year, I think because they were 15 minutes late one morning, due to Hospital appointment/Dentist, something, minor.

But my 2 are never ill. Ever. Ds1 missed one day in the whole of primary. Why they are never ill, I know not. But they never get colds. I've NEVER had sickness and diarrhea, with either of them. Why that is, I don't know. This isn't boasty, its just fact. Some kids catch every bug going. Some don't. fact.

So, why don't you all save your resentment for something more useful!!

Actually - turning up to work or school everyday when you are exhausted or a bit under the weather does take effort. If I was an employer, I would consider good attendance a real asset in an employee.

The argument does work because actually - being good maths is something not every child can achieve, being the fastest runner is not something every child can achieve. Yes, a child may work for it but may still not achieve it. But it is saying - you've done well here. If a child has gone to school everyday for a year, it is an achievement, they have done well.

Every child should aim for as close to 100% as they are able to get.

Yep life is even more unfair when my autistic child never gets why his condition results in never getting an award like the other children.
He goes through enough without having to stand out even more and gets penalised for something he has no control other what so ever!
So its not just a case of feeling a bit exhausted or he can not be bothered to go.

Over* sorry trying to type with a toddler asleep in arms.