Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3

Original poster

Do all schools do this?

65 replies

Kit2015 · 08/03/2018 18:11

I was running an event in a primary school today and as I was setting up I had a look at the display boards around the room.

One board was attendance. With 100%, 80%, 60%, 20% in rows. The kids photos were then stuck on which ever row I assume their attendance was at.
I had quite alot of health issues when younger and my attendance wasn't great, and this would have really upset me.
So aibu to think this is quite off? Or is this current practice.
My DD is not yet school age so I've got nothing to compare it to.

OP posts:

alltheworld · 08/03/2018 18:12

Never heard of this. Parents should withdraw consent for their kids photos to be used in this way

Italiangreyhound · 08/03/2018 18:14

Never heard of that. It sounds ridiculous. If I were a parent I would complain. Way to go alienating the pupils!

nellieellie · 08/03/2018 18:15

Think it’s a bit rubbish. Some parents calpol their kids when they have a temperature and send them in. Some kids have particular health issues which mean they have to be off a lot. It’s nobody’s fault. Could even be seen as disability discrimination if a child has a chronic condition.

Original poster

Kit2015 · 08/03/2018 18:16

I wanted to ask one of the teachers there but it really was none of my business and nothing to do with why I was there.
As a parent I wouldn't like it. It was a board in a room that the kids were coming and going from often so not private at all.

OP posts:

grasspigeons · 08/03/2018 18:16

Attendance is a big issue in schools and schools have lots of different ways of tackling it.

I know 3 schools well enough to say this isn't the way they have chosen to tackle it.

With the GDPR I'd be tempted to say that their attendance data shouldn't be displayed like that where the public can see it

SureIusedtobetaller · 08/03/2018 18:16

Noooo, that’s awful. We would definitely NOT do that! The problem is we are heavily pressured attendance wise- can’t get Ofsted good if attendance is poor- but no, way too far. Not the child’s fault either- some have illnesses, anxious parents. Horrible.

Original poster

Kit2015 · 08/03/2018 18:17

In the two schools I've been in over the last few days there were lots of posters about attendance in the 'public spaces' to be fair. I just felt this was too much?

OP posts:

Topseyt · 08/03/2018 18:17

I've never heard of that one, although awards for 100% attendance are common.

I think it sounds bad. It risks shaming children who have been ill it who have medical conditions which will affect their attendance.

I think the same thing about awards.

Namechangetempissue · 08/03/2018 18:18

I wouldn't be pleased about that. Attendance, in my opinion, is a personal matter and only the concern of the parent and school NOT for display to all and sundry. I have one child who had a near perfect attendance record for the whole of her primary school time and then my son who has SEN and health problems with a more average/low attendance which is neither his fault or mine. Snide public shaming is crap.

seriouslystumped · 08/03/2018 18:22

My DS infant school used to do this. There was a board in the hall dedicated to attendance set out similar to the way you have described. The school used the childrens' names and not photo's. At his junior school now the weekly newsletter tells us what whole school attendance was for the week and the class with the highest attendance. It's one of the areas that ofsted look at.

FreshNewUserName · 08/03/2018 18:25

That's crap. My DD has extra needs and when she starts school will likely miss sessions for speech therapy, paeds appointments etc. The last thing she would need would be to see herself on a Wall Of Shame through no fault of her own. How demoralising. Its not like little kids are even responsible for their own attendance.

hidinginthenightgarden · 08/03/2018 18:47

Kids attendance at that age is rarely down to the child. As a parent I decide if my child is well enough to go to school so why are they humiliating the students for a decision that mostly isn't theirs?

HolyShet · 08/03/2018 18:49

Nope my kids' school doesn't do public humiliation and ridicule, especially for things beyond children's control

They do hand out little slips to take with Green, Amber and Red depending on attendance but they stopped that because they realised even that was a bit mean.

Original poster

Kit2015 · 08/03/2018 18:52

I'm glad that people find this wrong and as uncomftable as I did.

OP posts:

BewareOfDragons · 08/03/2018 18:53

I would not stand for shaming children in this manner. Attendance is beyond their control in primary school.

mynameismrbloom · 08/03/2018 18:54

What are they trying to achieve? To shame pupils into not being ill?

Mishappening · 08/03/2018 19:00

Humiliation for being ill? Whatever next?

Pengggwn · 08/03/2018 19:01

Common in private areas, not in public areas.

I'm in disagreement with my school at the moment about the manner in which certain data is being spread around (can't be specific) and it really is infuriating how little respect some school leaders have for what is 'their' information and what is information belonging to pupils.

Original poster

Kit2015 · 08/03/2018 19:03

If I had been there in the capacity of a parent I probably would have asked questions , expressed how inappropriate I found it.
I couldn't because it really was nothing to do with me as I wasn't there even as a direct educational link. If you see what I mean.
I hope the parents speak up about it or just a teacher realise that perhaps it's not the best way.

OP posts:

ProfYaffle · 08/03/2018 19:10

This would infuriate me. dd2 had surgery earlier in the school year, had about 7 weeks off in total. Even if she doesn't have a single day's further absence her attendance level will never now be 'acceptable'.

I'd be furious if she was being humiliated in this way as a result, what's she supposed to do about it?

CuboidalSlipshoddy · 08/03/2018 19:19

I wonder if there's a similar board recording the attendance of the teachers, with no allowance for the reasons for absence?

PotteringAlong · 08/03/2018 19:19

Freeze sperm at a sperm bank and then self inseminate?

PotteringAlong · 08/03/2018 19:19

Wrong thread

Ski40 · 08/03/2018 19:23

That's punishing children for being ill which is totally wrong.
And rewarding the ones that go in when sick and make everyone else sick.
It's just like in the office... 🤧🤢😷

Rainuntilseptember15 · 08/03/2018 19:23

Oh don't worry Cuboid, when we are absent we have to be interviewed on return by a manager and it is escalated if you are off more than a minimum number of times - no matter what the reasons. Don't think they're doing that for pupils, yet.

Flip

1 2 3