Hi all, DD has started school and I am worried about her catching those germs and bugs that spread around and reception children seem to be more prone too and when to keep her off. The schools DC go to have a big problem with persistent absence in the last couple years and below the national average in the terms of attendance levels.
Obviously I wouldn’t send her if she had a sickness bug, diarrhoea, chicken pox etc etc.
I have been told that attendance will be looked into below a certain number but what if they are generally poorly? All children seem to pick up germs in the first year of school more so than any other year.
In his first year of school my eldest (now 8) picked up chicken pox, impetigo, numerous colds which led to chest infections and I think about 2 sickness bugs. I think his attendance was in the mid 80’s range but nothing was ever mentioned. Thankfully this has increased and last year he was luckily enough not to get ill and his attendance was half an afternoon off 100 percent.
I feel this year is going to be different. DS got poorly at the end of the holidays and missed the first day of term this year already as he still wasn’t 100 percent. DD has gone school today but unsure if I should of sent her as she has a stinking cold and was up all night coughing.
I feel like schools don’t want sick children there but don’t want them having time off either.
Does attendance matter so much in reception before they are 5? (wondering why DS’s attendance wasn’t mentioned back then as it was a pretty bad year). DD isn’t 5 until next summer.
I just feel like it’s a losing battle!