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.

Totally agree it's daft. My DS had 100% attendance in year 1 this year. He was taken to the cinema with 12 other children in the school. What a waste of resources. Incidentally he then came back and the whole class watched another film in the afternoon so he spent all day watching screens and was totally wired in the evening

DD2 is fucked for next year already - final therapy appointment from a course we've waited months and months for and can't easily reschedule is going into the school termtime. Will have her in for as much of the school day as I can - but still, how must it feel if you're in a school that goes at attendance ridiculously to know you're NEVER going to get 100% after under a week back at school? (Thankfully ours doesn't - still got a glowing Ofsted without being attendance bullies)

It’s discriminatory towards children with disabilities and long-term health conditions, as well as to those who are young carers or who suffer bereavement. Appalling policy, which thankfully our local school ended after recognised how discriminatory it is.

Awards have improved attendance at our school.

This has always been one of my pet hates. Rewarding children for not being ill is utterly discriminatory against those who are ill or bereaved or whatever through no fault of their own.

Schools have plenty of other procedures to deal with families where attendance is a serious problem and they very much use them. So this feels overkill to me, plus encourages unhealthy competition for a non-issue & can potentially cause distress to certain children.

These awards are cruel they are punishing children for being unwell. luckily my daughter school don't do them they just send a letter home to parents if attendance drops below a certain amount.

Should we start a Mumsnet campaign on this?

What improved the attendance at our school was that they deliberately put two inset days on a Friday and Monday over a late June/early July weekend to make it a nice long weekend if people ARE wanting to sneak in a term-time mini-break and they make it clear that this is one of the main reasons it's calendared like that.

What flyshine said ^^: these sorts of awards penalise children with serious illnesses and also encourages parents to send their kids in, knowing they are actually ill, therefore spreading germs and putting these seriously ill children at risk. They're disgraceful.

For some children, it might be the only award they get. My DD is terrible at sports, but it doesn't mean I think awards for sporting achievement should be banned.

I think children with infectious illnesses like chicken pox or D and V should not be marked down on attendance.

Bookridden I am completely with you. My own child is not terribly academic, so may not do too well in exams, do I think exams should be scrapped because they penalise the less able child? At the end of the day if it is just a certificate or small prize for attendance does it really matter if your child does not get recognition? It may be the only award my own child gets and it would be a great boost for their self esteem, even though children and their parents who do not have 100% attendance through no fault of their own may like you think they are worthless.

Worldcupnovice- yep, totally. I think all children should have a chance to shine. And of course there's an element of luck, just as there is in being gifted at sport or academia. And children with, say, a physical disability or dyspraxia, won't make the school football team. Should we therefore ban football and deny gifted athletes a chance to shine?

My dcs school does this. About 3 kids there have cancer. My dcs have been off sick so they've never had one. I'm just grateful that they have had nothing serious (asthma which I know can be serious but in comparison). I agree it's unfair and totally shit. Just tell yours that it's a uselesd piece of paper (like others have said) and a crappy old tea party! Have yr own little end of year tea party at home and print off some certificates online saying well done for working hard/ trying hard. Schools only do it for their figures and some parents send their dcs in when even when they a temp and pass onto other dcs. I explained mine why the school does it and they understood and felt ok about it. If you show thats it's not important to then it won't be to them.

when they have a temperature !!!

These awards are bullshit! It encourages parents to send children in when they're sick and I have a child with a very compromised immune system, the amount of times he's got sick and ended up in hospital form catching something at school is infuriating.

Our primary school have an award for the class that gets the highest percentage of attendance, which is great until a child then gets rounded on for bringing the class down when they're in hospital for weeks on end. It should be unauthorised absences that are taken into account if they must award kids on being lucky enough to have good health.

I think all children should have a chance to shine. And of course there's an element of luck, just as there is in being gifted at sport or academia.

I don’t believe in rewarding children for luck.

Reward kids for hard work. For achievement. For effort.
Don’t reward them for being able bodied with no life limiting illness or severe mental health problems. They already have that advantage - why do they need an award, too?

Totally disagree. Our DC are so thrilled to get them - I think it teaches them the importance of showing up and self-discipline.

Because nightfall some parents send their sick dcs into school because of it and then the more vulnerable dcs that tend to pick up everything going get whatevers making the rounds and hey they miss more school. Also dcs with SEN issues prob miss out too if they have a bad day and can't go in(just goin by a friend of mines experience with her dcs) Fine if they feel they have to give a bloody certificate (mine have had them at times) but give out others so all dcs get one for something at least. And don't have a special tea party for just the chosen few. Sorry just makes me mad to hear of others dcs being upset by this system.

The school my ds Is going to in September does attendance awards. Every child that has 100% attendance for the year names get put in a hat so many children's name get pulled out and they wine scooters bikes and other things.

tits! Yes yes! growingboys yeah shows discipline to go into school when yr not feeling well throw up over everyone else and pass a virus on doesn't it?

I must tell DS that he needs to show up and have more self discipline when he's developed sepsis from an infection another child has taken into school, clearly he's just not trying hard enough

Our DC are so thrilled to get them

Children with life-limiting conditions would be thrilled to have the people ivliege of attending school every day rather than hospital appointments. Instead they have to sit through an assembly where they’re made to watch their supremely healthy classmates be rewarded for their luck.

I think it teaches them the importance of showing up and self-discipline.

What does impeccable health have to do with self-discipline? Are you sending them into school when they’re ill?

Im totally fine with my kids learning that they can't have/win everything. They might not get an attendance award one term, their house might not win spirts day the next. They cant always be star of the week or top in the maths test or the fastest in the class. It's fine, they need to roll with it.

They are a terrible idea. Disabled kids need loads of time off. But all we have to do is reduce to accept them, then they will go away. I see parents proud of getting them, they should be ashamed to be part of such a cruel practise.