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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To disagree with 100% attendance awards

120 replies

user1498912461 · 20/01/2018 10:34

I completely disagree with 100% attendance awards. They reward the kids who are lucky enough not to get sick and punish the ones that are unfortunate enough to get ill. This year DS has had a nasty bout of flu, a vomiting bug and he banged his head very badly on the concrete in school so we had to keep him off. None of this is his fault but he will never get one of these certificates. What about kids who have to go to hospital or have a condition? It just seems unfair. I have also overhead many mums talking in the yard about how their child was crying all night with a ear infection or was up with D and V and they still send them in! So aibu to hate the things?

OP posts:
MaisyPops · 21/01/2018 19:23

Children miss school for lots of avoidable reasons and getting 100% attendance requires a bit more than luck.
Increased attendance increases attainment, something to be celebrated.
It is luck though largely.

It's luck that means I've not met one of my pupils thsi year because they are so poorly getting well is the priority.
It's luck that means half a dozen kids I teach a year have medical issues when their peers don't.
One of my pupils last year missed 4 months of gcse for surgery. She did all the catchup but she couldn't have avoided being off.

Good attendance is to be encouraged but all 100% certificates do it take the piss.

Plus, the ridiculous parents who let their kids have 85% attendance for stupid reasons won't care about a spot of paper anyway (whereas the dilient child who happened to get norovirus will probabbly be upset)

Julie8008 · 21/01/2018 21:19

the ridiculous parents who let their kids have 85% attendance for stupid reasons won't care about a spot of paper anyway

No but those kids might care (if secondary age) and for them it wont be luck if they managed to get their attendance up to 100%

No matter how much effort 90% of children put in they wont beat the lucky few children who were born with 'runners' genes. So why should sporting excellence be rewarded when it is out of the control of 90% of the population? Likewise with academic subjects.

My DC just got a badge for completing their Duke of Edinburgh award. In truth all they had to do to get it was turn up every week, and every child who turned up got the badge. Yet I never hear anyone saying that is luck and unfair on those who get sick and cant turn up. Why is that any different than attendance at school?

SleightOfMind · 21/01/2018 21:29

Awards are never fair. DD is exceptionally talented at a particular subject, she regularly gets awards for something she enjoys doing and finds very easy Confused.

She’d love a leading part in the school play however. (Not going to happen!)

It’s life. Sometimes you’ll win things, more often you’ll pretend to be pleased for others who win.

DCs need to learn resilience, how to cope with losing and not always getting what they want and how to win graciously and not be a twat.

ASauvignonADay · 21/01/2018 22:32

Does anyone have any useful alternatives or suggestions? We've tried all sorts. So much pressure and constant "so what are you doing differently this term to improve attendance". It's depressing!

BusyBeez99 · 21/01/2018 22:57

I really think they ought to allow for D&V situations with the percentage attendance. My DS12 has had two bugs since starting senior school despite never having a single day off in primary school and now has 96% attendance for missing three days total. Luckily there aren't attendance certificates that cope with else he would be upset because he's been poorly as well as stopping home to avoid passing it on.

duckdarlington · 21/01/2018 23:31

@BusyBeez99

Your 12 year old would really be upset because he's been poorly and so didnt get a certificate saying 100% attendance?

ASauvignonADay · 21/01/2018 23:39

There are loads of reasons for absences that are not 'pure luck' and that are a choice made by kids or their parents. Kids aren't just absent from school for medical appointments or genuine illness. (Thinking about another thread where people say they give their child a day off school every year on their birthday...)

Tomorrowillbeachicken · 21/01/2018 23:48

Tbh it’s only thing my son gets at school. He’s a high achiever but is overlooked for star of the week and gold merit as behaviour is good and no real scope for improvement.

Julie8008 · 22/01/2018 01:04

I really think they ought to allow for D&V situations with the percentage attendance

And who is going to prove it was D&V? Rather than a parent just taking a cheap long weekend holiday?

BusyBeez99 · 22/01/2018 06:17

He hates missing school yes. He loves it.

Yes it would be difficult to prove D&V not a weekend away wouldn't it. The answer is to drop these silly certificates then. Children also don't get a choice about hospital appointment times. Our DS will be getting a few dental hospital appointments and we've explained to him that it's not a pick and choose situation - you take the appointment that's given

Evelynismyformerspyname · 22/01/2018 06:37

Julie bloody hell they've dumbed Down of E awards down then! Did your DC not have to plan an away from paved roads route with map and compass and hike a minimum distance including climbing a certain gradient carrying all their food and camping gear for 2 or 3 days and nights, and camp at a basic site or wild camp? Didn't they have to do a set amount of volunteer work? The sport and skill ok, you could say are just a matter of turning up, but the expedition and volunteer aspects shouldn't be!

MaisyPops · 22/01/2018 06:49

My DC just got a badge for completing their Duke of Edinburgh award. In truth all they had to do to get it was turn up every week, and every child who turned up got the badge.
Bollocks.
To get a Duke of Edinburgh award students have to do a programme of volunteering and have it signed off and logged on eDofE. They also have to develop a skill and have that all signed off and evidenced on eDofE. They also have to prepare for the expedition usually through a series of day walks and a mock expedition. Then for their final one they are met by an assessor at different points.

If a school really is somehow getting kids Duke of Edinburgh awards just for turning up each week then they are either falsifying or being creative in terms of what they are signing off for eDofE.

But I suspect they are soing more than just turning up. A Duke of Edinburgh award is valued because of all the skills you develop and tje resilience/organisation you have to demonstrate.
Yet I never hear anyone saying that is luck and unfair on those who get sick and cant turn up.
Because a child who misses a Duke of Edinburgh session can still get their award.

One student in my group misses one a month from our expedition prep sessions because they do sport to a high level ans that's her skill for Duke of Edinburgh.

Again, if a school is saying you can't have Duke of Edinburgh for missing a single session they are talking bollocks. It isn't even a requirement of Duke of Edinburgh to have regular sessions. Students just need to be ticking away on all the areas and have a reasonabkr level of ttaining for the expedition. There are even 'open groups' for people who can't do it through schools.

Why is that any different than attendance at school?
It is Duke of Edinburgh, not school. And if school really is saying you can get a DofE award by just turning up ajd if yoy miss a session you don't get your award then they are chatting nonsense.

Anyway, back to attendance at school. Many children can't help being ill. My students who've been off for surgery are actually wotking better than some students with 100% attendanve who are present in body but operate at 75% effort, yet the ones who are just there get an award? Hardly fair. Oh ans the child who looked greeny white who was sent to school by mum only to throw up in my lesson after lunch, he got 100% attendance because he had his PM reg mark. He shouldn't have been in school but his parent wad clearly the type to send her ill child to school.

100% awards are ridiculous.
Thinking about another thread where people say they give their child a day off school every year on their birthday...
True, but then a certificate isn't going to change that. If you have a parent who keepsyou off for the sniffles, because they want qualoty time with DC etc and you're on 95% attendanve by October then why not keep having days off because you can't get the award.

ASauvignonADay · 22/01/2018 06:55

If you have a parent who keepsyou off for the sniffles, because they want qualoty time with DC etc and you're on 95% attendanve by October then why not keep having days off because you can't get the award.
Our school does it termly (as in 6 terms), so if you have a day off, it's only one term you can't get it.

It does work for certain students. For others, the hard line legal route works! For others they'll never have good attendance due to medical reasons etc and you have to just accept that but try and make it up elsewhere.

ASauvignonADay · 22/01/2018 06:56

i really think they ought to allow for D&V situations with the percentage attendance
DV seems to be the 'go to' excuse when a family is actually on holiday or not actually I'll (anecdotally), as it's the hardest to evidence! So this would never work!

HangingRock · 22/01/2018 12:26

@MaisyPops Also the physical part of the D of E (sport etc.)
Expeditions and weekly training for them, volunteering eg help at brownies
skill eg. Music,
physical - eg swimming.
And yes dd misses swimming once a month but is spreading it over a longer period to make up the time

MaisyPops · 22/01/2018 17:03

HangingRock
I'd forgotten the sport. Was too busy trying to outlinr all the things my students have to do which isn't 'just turning up'.

huha · 05/02/2018 04:07

Until Ofsted and the government stop putting pressure on schools re attendance and results, they probably aren't going to stop.

This. And also, kids won't learn until the pressure to pass a test is lifted. Best thing I did was to remove my kids from the UK school system. They are now in a system that isn't results based, promotes active learning (incl. taking your kids out of school to go away/day trip/etc), and is project based (around the child's interest ina subject!) rather than "pencil and paper test" based.

Apollo440 · 05/02/2018 04:14

Reminded me of this Dilbert cartoon about attendance awards.

dilbert.com/strip/1993-07-18

'...but what makes this award special is that each of you had to get sick for me to win it'. Says it all really.

EfficiencyDeficiency · 05/02/2018 04:46

Our school also hires a bouncy castle and gets an ice cream van on the last day of every term for the dc who haven't been off.

So those who are either very resistant to bugs or those whose parents have sent them in sick anyway ( heard many a parent saying this and telling dc to not mention it )

There was uproar at school last year as the mum of a dd challenged this as her precious had never been off since starting reception several years ago but was sent home after vomiting at lunchtime.

She had to stay home for 48 hours as per rule.
The mother insisted it was the school food which caused her dd to be ill and had tried to bring her in the next day.

( also unfortunately where I live it seems that many see school as childcare ) though not the particular parent above.
She just wanted her dd to continue getting the awards and rewards.

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