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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ignore attendance letter from school

81 replies

wheresthel1ght · 19/01/2018 17:06

Dd is 4 and in reception so legally she is not required to be in full time education.

We have had a letter home today about her attendance which is at 90.2% meaning she has missed 6 days since September. She has had 2 bouts of being sick due to asthma attacks but they insist on her being off for 48 hours which al(so 4 days there) and then she has had 2 days of hospital appointments.

To set the scene on the appointments; The hospital 35 miles away and is the closest hospital that offer dermatology services. It has no parking on site so you have to use the park and ride facilities in the city and then use public transport to. The hospital. It takes 45 mins to drive to the park and ride and then an hour on public transport to the hospital so a 10am appointment literally takes all day. So that covers her other 2 days.

She is due for tests next week which is another 3 full days off school which judging by the letter will drop her to about 87%.

Now if I understand correctly because she is not compulsory school age, they cannot fine us and the school, school nurse and council are all aware because the council refuse to accommodate her dietary needs which is why we are having so much time in hospital trying to get things sorted.

Am I correct? And if so can I just bin the letter?

OP posts:
YearOfYouRemember · 19/01/2018 18:02

One to add to the ridiculous list was a letter complaining we hadn't send in a letter explaining Year 7 DD's absence when she hadn't been back yet to take it in! This was after she had had three of the four agreed days off Hmm.

RainbowGlitterFairy · 19/01/2018 18:03

Not of school age doesn't really matter, once they are enrolled in a school they are on the register, which in most schools is electronic and automatically generates the letters. You won't get fined because its medical reasons, but the office genuinely don't have a choice about sending the letters out, it is a complete waste of their time and they just get abuse, the parents that need to read those letters don't give a shit and the parents with genuine reasons for keeping their kids home get understandably angry.

perfectstorm · 19/01/2018 18:09

Thanks Rafals, but I'm very aware of the laws pertaining to flexi-schooling and how they've changed in the last decade.

My point wasn't re. the OP, as she's not seeking flexi and this is just a standard letter. It was a response to those people insisting that if you send a child to school prior to CSA, then they have to adhere to the usual timetable. They don't, and if it's planned properly then the school doesn't suffer as there is a specific code (though the plan has to be in the child's interests, obviously). It's insufficiently well known, apparently. Some LA try to argue that it's not permissable, in fact.

SuburbanRhonda · 19/01/2018 18:13

they should employ a bit of sense and not send home letters bitching about absence that they have sanctioned.

In what way were the school “bitching”?

Skarossinkplunger · 19/01/2018 18:18

Rainbowglitterfairy
You are right that the letters are automatically generated, but they can’t take
It any further because she is not of legal
school age, the absences don’t matter.

SuburbanRhonda · 19/01/2018 18:21

The absences do matter, it’s just (as has been said several times upthread) the parent cannot be fined.

lolaflores · 19/01/2018 18:24

We had one the other week. We also get regular little reminders about not sending the kids in for 48 hours after an illness....
Which befuddled me for about 2 minutes and I decided to ignore all the bloody nonsense, reassure myself I had not broken the highest law in the land or anywhere else, balled it up and continued about my day.
It is box ticking.
Little ones in reception are sick a lot cos they catch everything going. Bless her, hope the tests help and that she can catch a break.

perfectstorm · 19/01/2018 18:30

Employing a bit of sense would mean having to pay a staff member to calibrate all the letters personally, though. And then work out how they could explain to OFSTED that this was being done in a way OFSTED didn't penalise them for. Just doing it automated is way cheaper.

I mean, I get your point, but taking school budget away from staff, materials and resources to pay someone to do something a computer can do automatically is a bit of a waste. I've had these letters, and I'd far rather get one than the school waste money smoothing over ruffled feathers I may feel.

TammySwansonTwo · 19/01/2018 18:33

Out of interest, if your child has a serious medical condition, can they still fine you for absences?

One of my twins

TammySwansonTwo · 19/01/2018 18:35

Out of interest, if your child has a serious medical condition, can they still fine you for low attendance? One of my boys is a few years off school yet but has a rare illness and it's very likely he will continue to have regular appointments at the nearest specialist hospital (takes most of the day), hospital stays and days where he has to stay at home - all of this attendance obsession really worries me, it's not his fault!

Ellendegeneres · 19/01/2018 18:38

Funny this thread, friend of mines ds is off this week, fever since the weekend then saw dr weds. Dr said he’s fine, nothing but fever. Next day he’s back there again, condition deteriorated so much that she later ended up in hospital with him. School on hearing that he’s been prescribed antibiotics ‘great, take pic of the bottle, that means the entire week (total that he’d have had off) is now authorised but we have to see the bottle with his name and date on it’. Not ‘poor love, hope he feels better, don’t forget a note with him next week’ just their bloody attendance stats!!
We were fuming. Poor kid, been so ill and she’s been so so worried. Same age as your little one op, so no doubt she’ll get the same letter —and tear it up in front of them if I have anything to do with it—

HarveySchlumpfenburger · 19/01/2018 18:48

No, Tammy, not unless you are also taking the piss and frequently not sending them in for other reasons.

I’d be surprised if DN1’s attendance has ever been over 90% and she’s in year 9 now. They’ve never been fined. The school are aware that her health issues mean she might frequently be absent.

MiaowTheCat · 19/01/2018 18:50

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

TheLambshankRedemption · 19/01/2018 18:57

Section 444(3)(b) of the Education Act 1996:

The child shall not be taken to have failed to attend regularly at the school by reason of his absence from the school—

(b)at any time when he was prevented from attending by reason of sickness or any unavoidable cause

Just bin it.

Original poster
wheresthel1ght · 19/01/2018 19:21

Thanks folks. I will file it under school junk and forget about it.

I'm answer to the can I get her in for the register, depends on appointment time. Most of them have been between 9 & 11 and as I say it take 2 hours to get there so no chance.

Depending on how long we are there I will do my best to get her back for lunch time. Monday's will be anything from 1.5hours to 3 hours depending on whether they do 1 or 2 of the tests.

My issue with the woman in the office is her attitude when I asked her to explain ad I was under the impression that preplanned medical appointments weren't taken into account. She got very shitty with me and belligerent about discussing it. I have left it that I will take it up with the head. I have a good relationship with the head, have to due to the complexity of dds issues.

Re the poster who asked about the allowance for asthma related sickness, I have raised that but they argue that they only have my word that it is asthma related and it could still be a bug so the policy has to stand.

OP posts:
SuburbanRhonda · 19/01/2018 19:45

Any response to my question about in what way the school were “bitching” in their letter?

Original poster
wheresthel1ght · 19/01/2018 20:06

When did I say the letter was bitching about it? I said they were, as in the woman in the office who got shitty and bitch when I questiones it as I had been led to believe her medical absence would not be included... Funnily enough by the woman in the office.

OP posts:
cestlavielife · 19/01/2018 21:08

Get informed and understand attendance codes
www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-attendance

On an appointment or sick is absent sick . She cant be marked as there when not.
So yes it will impact her % . So be it.
If she attends a hospital school for the day she will be marked as educated off site. So different from an absence.
She has a genuine reason so you need to not let it bother you. You will get these letters. Dd has chronic condition so these letters are routine.

blueCanvas · 19/01/2018 21:11

bin it

cestlavielife · 19/01/2018 21:13

So marked as sick is an absence and brings down the attendance %. but a legitimate absence.
So not truanting. You can't be fined.

bangingmyheadoffabrickwall · 19/01/2018 21:58

I'm a teacher.

Ignore it.

Schools HAVE to be seen as 'proactive' in terms of improving attendance for OFSTED. Attendance DOES get commented on and whereas its parents' responsibility, schools suffer because of the minority who choose to use 'us' as a babysitting service and pick and choose their days (NOT YOU!)

Our school sent out a letter recently detailing the agenda for attendance drops.

E.g. below 97% - a letter from school. Below 93% and an invitation into school to speak to the HT. Below 85% EWO get involved. So unless your child's attendance drops below that, don't even panic. AND even then, EWO (if sympathetic) will nod, be kind and write it off if you have evidence to back up what you say.
My own attendance dropped significantly the year after my return to work after maternity leave. It (a meeting with my HT) was triggered automatically by the LEA and I was in for 2 minutes as soon as I said I had proof (medical records) that each time I had seen a GP and diagnosed with an illness requiring time off (or my DS was!)

A lot of people understandably panic when they get letters like these but 95% of the time, it is simply just ticking a box.

Your HT probably couldn't care less (in a nice way!) hence why no mention of it at your meeting.

Relax. There will be horror stories of the contrary but in reality no harm will come of this.

PS: We have a child having a few months off for surgery. We're fine with it.

bangingmyheadoffabrickwall · 19/01/2018 22:00

Medical reasons DO NOT get marked as 'educated off site'. On SIMS they are recorded as 'M' for medical purposes.

MountainDweller · 19/01/2018 22:16

Write back and ask the school if they would like to take on responsibility for your child's health. Maybe they would prefer to pay for a private consultant to come to the school to treat DD? It's insane - what if you took their letter seriously and made her attend school instead of the appointments, thus endangering your child's health?

Original poster
wheresthel1ght · 19/01/2018 22:20

bangingmyhead thank you for you time post. That has reassured me loads. My worry is her appointment regime next week will drop her attendance to the ewo bracket and I hate confrontational situations.

You are right of course. The head is fully aware and on board and as I said she has pushed for it because without these tests etc they can't get the paperwork trail they need to fully support her at school.

OP posts:
Originalfoogirl · 19/01/2018 22:27

On an appointment or sick is absent sick . She cant be marked as there when not. So yes it will impact her % . So be it.

Plenty of schools do not let it impact on %. The guidelines are just that - a guideline, not law, or even standard procedure.

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