To think this attendance mark is a bit harsh

[OnlyBaBaBiss]

Got DCs reports home today

Our attendance and punctuality are marked red amber and green according to percentages, we went on holiday in September (authorised but obvs still count towards absences) so I knew our attendance wouldn’t be green but was expecting amber as the DC have only had maybe 2 days off each all year

Anyway DSs attendance is ‘red’ - he missed being in amber by half a percent so 1 school session which is annoying in itself, but then looking through the breakdown of the year the odd session that took him over the threshold was 1 afternoon where school sent him home because of an injury that happened during one of their lessons

Now I know I know they have to draw the line somewhere lalala
But it’s so frustrating that it’s happened like this and now DS won’t get the attendance/punctuality treat as a result

When I'm dictator, any headteacher found ever to have used or condoned an attendance rewards scheme will be ignominiously sacked. It's so blatantly unfair and disablist, the Department for Education should have banned it long ago.

looking through the breakdown of the year the odd session that took him over the threshold was 1 afternoon where school sent him home because of an injury that happened during one of their lessons

No, what took him over the threshold was you taking him out of school for a holiday in September. Otherwise, that half session out of school wouldn't have mattered at all.

Another one who thinks attendance awards are unfair and very harsh to those children who have to keep medical appointments.

They didn't have attendance prizes when I was at school. Just as well, because the additional two weeks my parents took me off for sunny holidays would have put me out of contention. I'd rather have the holiday.

It seems strange to me that someone who cares about a poxy attendance prize for their kid is in the same breath talking about how they took said child on holiday during term time. Surely the two things are incompatible?

I love how you are trying to save this by saying PPs are taking it too seiously.

Half a percent is half a percent. If you are 30 seconds late for a train you are still late, aren’t you?

Or did you expect school to ‘bend the rules, just this once, because its your DC?’

As a teacher, can I just say that Attendance Awards (certificates) are a complete non-event. No one gives a rat's arse about them.

YABU to have taken them out of school and still expect a good attendance mark... but it's harsh that school injured them and sent them home and marks them down for it.

At my DDs school all pupils are encouraged to participate in a local eistedford. But you still have to notify school you are taking your child out without permission and they get marked as unauthorized absence. Then school proudly list all "their" pupils accomplishments!! Either support or don't, get off the fence.

@Yacka

My kids had yesterday off as they were exhausted and with the heat couldn't sleep or focus.

As a teacher with a particular responsibility for attendance, I can absolutely guarantee that the school would not have been understanding of this at all- it is, to be honest, utterly pathetic and is not teaching any ounce of resilience to your children, and is just incredibly damaging long-term.

Sorry to be so blunt- I know you want your children to be happy and healthy, as every parent does, but it's really important to realise that one day of comfort resting at home because they 'don't feel up to school today' is a huge price to pay for the long-term outcomes, and as parents we need to consider what is best for our children overall, including the future, not just that one morning. Those outcomes include lack of resilience, poor work/life balance, difficulty in a work environment, not to mention the absolute and massive link between lower attendance (even just a bit lower) and significantly lower GCSE results.

Each time your child misses school, think about the number of hours in lessons (a typical school would be 5 x 1 hour lessons each day). Do you genuinely make your child do 5 hours of catch up work every time they skip a day? Highly unlikely, and even if you did it would likely be less effective than actually being in school.

Feeling tired, unfocussed, sore throat, tickly cough, tummy ache etc are NOT reasons to stay home and jeopardise their learning (and, therefore, their future).

Harsh but fair, I'm afraid

But it’s so frustrating that it’s happened like this and now DS won’t get the attendance/punctuality treat as a result

Presumably you now understand why attendance treats are a bad idea.

If you hadn't chosen to go on holiday the missing mark for being sent home wouldn't have mattered. It's your fault he is missing the attendance treat. Sorry if that sounds harsh.

Yeah, it's the afternoon of injury that caused him to miss a treat, not the September holiday

But it’s so frustrating that it’s happened like this and now DS won’t get the attendance/punctuality treat as a result

Complain about the unfairness and discrimination caused by attendance rewards full stop, especially at primary school, than because your child lost out.

Complain on behalf of those children who have no say in whether they miss school or not because it is their parents who can't or won't take them in.

Complain on behalf of those children who have no say in whether they miss school or not because they have a medical condition which leads to them being unable to attend.

Complain on behalf of those children who have no say in whether they miss school or not because they have been genuinely ill, often because some people send their child in with contagious illnesses (who properly do get the reward!)

Attendance rewards are unfair and really ought not to be happening imo. We got rid of them years ago.

@Bazzlebear actually yes I do understand the implications as my sister is a head of science in a high school and I do see all the work she and the pupils go through.

And I also have seen the end of year curriculum of what the children are following in the last 2 weeks as my child's school has these set each term.

My daughter was sent by me to school complaining of a cough and tiredness many times. On the 3rd time I went her she was then after and a and e referral diagnosed with a collapsed lung and pneumonia. The school were apologetic for making me send her in. There have also been times I have adhered to the 48hr d and v rule but have seen many parent talk over social media how there kid was sick and then sent them to achool the following day. My kids school has immuno suppressed kids and I would happily keep my kids off an extra day to ensure they don't end up in hospital on a feeding tube.

So I do usually send them at feeling tired and unfocused and 'tickly cough' but I'm sorry to you and all other teachers but (And I know it's not always your fault for the targets you have to hit) I am not in agree ment with your quote about GCSE targets and attendance. As I am fully aware primary feel the need to inflate the targets and also the secondary exams. Then when children can't achieve the expected inflation of grades it becomes an issue. Parents then shout and scream why aren't their kids on predicted grade targets. But unfortunately they were never expected to achieve this but during primary sats and yr 7 testing they were given wrong targets to make the schools look better.

Sorry of I have read your message wrong and I'm not the kid of person to argue over opinions. But please even as a teacher understand the pressure for 6yr olds is not comparable for other countries. And the system is very flawed.

If i am we in I apologise in advance but i see my sister struggling as teacher and I am lucky my children's school still hold personal experience in high stead as well as curriculum attainmenrs.

Well, it's partly your fault as you chose to go on holiday. This is the price you pay.

I took my DD out of school on transition day as she had a different transition day to everybody else in her class as she was going to high school in a different part of the county. Instead of spending the day with Y5 she went to Alton Towers. This was the one and only day she had off in Y1-Y6. She didn't get an attendance certificate in the final assembly. Fair play, it was my choice. If she had had 100% attendance Y1-Y6 I would have actually asked for a special certificate. But she didn't.

@Yacka

I'm glad (though that may sound odd!) that you do normally send them in with minor ailments.

Just to be clear though, I'm not talking about GCSE targets- they're a whole separate issue and to be honest aren't really that important in the grand scheme of things. They're just something we try to have a guess at to get an idea of whether pupils are doing as well as they could, and what to expect. What does matter is the actual results that pupils get at the end (generally we focus on GCSEs as those are the big ones that everyone needs- but it's the same regardless of what exams you look at).

Attendance does affect the actual results that pupils gain when they sit their exams and get their certificates in the summer. It's well documented and is a serious concern to teachers- not because we have some bizarre vested interest in achieving a certain attendance percentage just for the fun of it, but because we know the impact that attendance has on pupil outcomes, and that's actually what we care about most (just like parents, really). If pupils aren't in school, it doesn't matter what you try to improve their grades- they're not going to receive the benefit.

If we focus on KS2, for example: ^"in general the higher the percentage of sessions missed across the key stage, the lower the likely level of attainment at the end of KS2. In particular, pupils with no absence are 1.6 times more likely to achieve level 4 or above, and 4.7 times
more likely to achieve level 5 or above, than pupils that missed 15-20 per cent of all sessions."^

[from assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/412638/The_link_between_absence_and_attainment_at_KS2_and_KS4.pdf]

Obviously there are some students with genuine medical or mental reasons that prevent them from attending school, but as someone who genuinely cares and deeply recognises the factors influencing underachievement it is so, so frustrating to see parents phone in with reasons such as I've listed before (and even more ridiculous ones at times- such as 'too windy'!).

Thank you @Bazzlebear o do fully agree with you and the statistics you show. And as teachers I don't doubt you always have the best at heart rather than just statistics.

I am honest enough to admit my first reaction to the op was just get on with it as you know where the absences stemmed from. Especially as i know my own kids school does focus on more than just attemdencexas a mark for rewards.

But I do see as a teacher you obviously care about attendance and I do thank you as a teacher that you do notice absences as I know persistence in absence can be a hidden problem.
Sorry to have hijacked the the thread. I guess I am just on edge as I've seen the issues my sister has to go through as a secondary head of year.

Oh dear sorry about my spelling mistakes it never her on an education page to have bad spelling and grammar.

1/2%, 1%, bladeblah.....100%, he wasn’t there! There has to be a cut off! And please don’t get me started on term time holidays!!!!😡😡😡

Could I just clarify-he would have got the award/treat even for being in the amber?

I hate attendance prizes.

I have 1 dc who has no ailments and always gets pretty much highest attendance you can get.

Then I have 1 dc who has a medical condition that although mainly controlled does mean appointments often during school hours and more days off ill than your average healthy child.

I feel they are penalised for having this condition which I don't feel is fair on them at all.

Nothing helpful to add but my son was attacked at school. I was phoned and asked to take him to hospital. Treated for a head injury and the cut glued back together. He had half a day off...and lost out on 100% attendance, he was gutted. He made it to year 8 without missing a day other than 1 day for his Grandads funeral.

@jennyfromtherock
Yes my children missed days due to the death of there grandad and 2 incidences of d and v where they implied the 48hr rule. The days they missed due to the death of there grandad were authorised but we did loose one Friday going to a caravan. We did take the weeks homework
And there teacher also said the family memories at their age would be worth more than a class room excersise

I missed getting a distinction in my MSc by half a per cent. It’s annoying but when you set targets and boundaries even tiny numbers matter. At least your son got a weeks holiday.

@yaka

I suggested that maybe you had missed quite a bit of school - nothing to do with your children - and that attitudes to education seem to run in your family.

What's an implied 48hr rule?

a typical school would be 5 x 1 hour lessons each day). Do you genuinely make your child do 5 hours of catch up work every time they skip a day

10 minuets at home equates to an hours lesson in school - all that taking coats off, finding a space, rummaging for a pen, etc

So that's exaggerated

DS off school today and he's done half an hours maths and literacy at home -

Not because he's off sick but because he's Dyslexic and the teachers have no idea how to teach him .... hence he has the same literacy level he had since year 3 and now year 9

Teachers want to look at their own methods before quoting GCSE staticists aimed at the middle and up that exclude those with a disability.