To think that attendance awards in primary are mean?

[schooltripwoes]

DCs were distraught (no exaggeration) earlier this term to catch chickenpox, because it meant they had to stay off school and wouldn't be able to get an attendance award. They're 5 & 7.

Their school makes a BIG thing about achieving 100% attendance for the whole year. The 'winners' get an award in the end of year assembly and then go to a special tea party with senior staff on the last day of term. Only 5% of kids achieved 100% this year.

AIBU to think that it's wrong to reward attendance at primary level because generally, kids aren't absent due to anything they control. It's either genuine sickness (which is more prevalent in younger children), or family holidays, which the parents have decided to take. Fair enough to encourage a truant 14-year old, bit not little ones. The kids are so upset when they can't go to school.

Ds got sick with a D and V bug in June and missed out on both attendance awards as he had two days off, as per the school rules.
The bug came from school too. Tbh i think it’s moronic that following the rules meant he missed both when he only missed two days.
This is also same school moaning about lack of money and healthy eating years takes the 100% ones out for McDonald’s.

I’m hoping the child that brought in the bug didn’t get either award too.

I think they are not an effective way to tackle attendance where attendance is really an issue for the child

I don't get why they don't just work with families where attendance is a problem and its starting to impact on their education

Yeah, we didn't have them in kids schools, seems odd to penalise children for getting sick or reward kids for not getting sick, like it was a choice

my kids*

Our school award for 100% attendance.
The same school insisted that a lady who works in the kitchen on food prep came in for a shift 5 hours after the last time she vomited!
Children are required to be off for 48 hours though.

We’ll also miss them next year as he appointments for his Sen that are really important.

As the parent of a child with cancer these awards upset me so much. Children being penalised for getting sick! They infuriate me, I want to campaign to get them stopped. Rewarding children for not getting unwell is utterly ridiculous (and a totally different matter to unauthorised absences for holidays/weddings etc) it also creates a problem where children go or are sent into school when they are unwell JUST so they can get their 100% awards, spreading illnesses to others.

At my sons school they have a gold/silver/bronze attendance award for the EOY which I think is a good idea that way more kids are awarded. His brothers school only do 100% certificates at the EOY assembly but also do termly attendance certificates which is a reasonable idea I think.

I think they’re the most ridulous invention ever . If they must happen at all they should be termly.

As the parent of a child with cancer these awards upset me so much

Sorry to hear that :(

Tbh for the families they are targeting who have terrible attendance they also make no difference anyhow.

Our school do awards but no prize. You have the chance to get 100% in each term and earn a certificate rate bronze/silver/gold. Bronze for any one term 100%, silver if you manage two terms and gold if you manage the whole year. That way if you are ill in the first term or second you can still earn a certificate.

Agreed. DS has severe asthma. I would love with all my heart for him to be well enough to attend every day but it just isn't happening at the moment. Yanbu OP.

Is this the main moan of 2018? Honestly, I think I have seen more threads about school attendance award certificates than any other topic.

For what it is worth, I agree that it isn't particularly fair on the children.

However, and it's a big one, if it stops a reasonable minority of people from taking term-time holidays (because they know their children will be upset not to receive the award) then that is benefiting their education and, on balance, I would say worth it.

There are fors and against but schools only have so much they can do re attendance. The fines don't deter people so they don't work either as they are far too low.

Not sure what the answer is. Genuine sickness is one thing but duvet days, holidays etc just make a mockery of free education that many countries would love.

My children's school give 5 bikes away for attendance prizes even if there are more than five children with 100% attendance.

sugar is ds’ school did that I’d tell them where to stick their fundraisers.

Luckily my son's school don't do this.

He has struggled into school when feeling really poorly but had to have time off for chicken pox, when he was hospitalised and had urgent medical referrals for suspected cancer (thankfully he's clear of this). Completely not his fault (nor mine as a parent).

YANBU. Schools are absolutely correct to worry about attendance but attendance awards are ridiculous. Parents are responsible for deciding whether a child is well enough for school and getting them there. An award for something that is pure luck is outrageous.

One of mine was ill in hospital in November, so she missed out on the termly certificates for attendance (it was culmulative) and missed out on the donuts and hot chocolate rewarded. It's utterly disgraceful. She was not at fault for needing a hospital stay.
They do not tackle problematic attendance issues and are pointless.

Why can't people just accept that this is just one of many reward systems used in schools. ALL reward systems will penalise somebody in some way, good behavior awards with penalise some SEN children, Sports day will penalise unfit children, SATs and GCSEs will penalise less academic children. Do you suggest will get rid of all awards in the name of fairness? Yes, it is one of the many blunt tools schools have to use, but feel free to lobby you MP to do something about the hoops Ofsted makes schools jump through.

There are hundreds of threads with this topic title if you search. You'll find thousands of irate patents furiously typing their angst and annoyance at this. Get over it. It's not an A level they've missed but an attendance certificate that no one ever will give two fucks about as long as they live. Some kids get sick and some don't. Like so much in life it's luck. My dd was seriously sick and honestly her school attendance was the last thing I gave a shiny shit over never mind a crappy piece of paper.

At my last school, the STAFF got a certificate and bar of chocolate each half term if they had 100% attendance. It is ridiculous. If you're sick, you're sick.