Threatening letter from school regarding DD's attendance

[Sofi88]

We received a letter from DD's school yesterday saying DD's attendance is below average, and hence not good enough and had to be improved. The letter was threatening, and the words "Be Careful!" was highlighted in huge letters. The letter goes on to say that we have to make sure DD is in school every day from now on, so that her attendance improves. It also states they may contact the Education Welfare Officer if it does not improve.

Thing is though, DD has been off sick ONE day in the period this letter refers to, and I have picked her up early to go to medical appointments three times. One of these times I picked her up at 12 (only available appointment), but the other two I picked her up at 3:20 - ten minutes before I was due to pick her up anyway.

DD has a medical condition, which she has so far been treated for by her GP and a specialist nurse. She has actually had less appointments than normal this term, due to her now being transferred to a specialist paediatrician at the hospital. Our first appointment there is in December, so her GP and the nurse have told us to simply wait for that appointment unless there are any concerns in between. The school knows about her condition.

And also, she had one day off due to illness, where we phoned in and explained she was too ill to go in, which they said they were fine with. DH then went in at 3:30 to pick up her homework. Apart from this one day and the three times I've had to pick her up early due to medical appointments, she has had no absence!

Doesn't my child have a right to get treated for her condition, as well as a basic right to stay home when she is too ill to go in? Apart from this letter, we haven't received anything else - like them asking for medical evidence, doctor's notes etc. We have simply got the impression everything has been done right. The teacher has not mentioned anything when I've picked her up early for a GP appointment. You'd think they ask for medical evidence before sending out a threatening letter like this? A note from her GP would be no problem at all to provide. Would be a lot nicer to have them ask for that, rather than this threatening letter!

Does anyone know anything about this?

Breathe. Firstly you can take her out as much as you like as she is below compulsory school age. As a August born she doesn't have to start until next September so even if you dod take her out for a two week holiday they can't even fine you.
Secondly it's a generic letter, out school ring to apologise for sending it in cases like yours (my DD had two days off sick in September we got the same letter as her attendance had dropped below 96%) our school said the LA made them generate them and to ignore it. My letter was also very threatening.
Finally don't ever feel guilty for settling your child before or after an appointment. She learns far more about herself and her relationship with you by how she interacts at the doctors then she will in a month of playing in the sand pit.

Don't fret but ensure that routine appointments that are flexible are not booked in term time eg my kids school did not allow time off for dental/orthodontist check ups whereas emergency treatment is different. My dd missed a lot of school so I just worked hard to minimise time off wherever possible

80% attendance is a day off per week.

In the case of attendance I think the percentages make the absence not look so bad. 80% attendance sounds okish until you realise its a day off per week.

In that pattern, a day off per week, there could potentially be an issue at home but if a child has that attendance figure, it's more likely they've had longer periods off school with illness and longer periods attending school. When I was a child, one year my attendance was 80 something percent, the reality was I'd needed weeks off as I had glandular fever. Other than that, I attended school regularly. No threatening letters home back then though, just genuine concern from teachers for my health and catching up on what I'd missed.

@MissMarpletheMurderer Thank you! Yes, I actually wondered about her being an August born being relevant. She struggles in school as it is, and doesn't like it, so would break my heart having to run back for half an hour in school after an appointment. She's very sensitive, struggles with her condition and also the youngest in her class, so school is hard enough as it is, without having to deal with this

I also think they might have counted the half day off for the appointment in the absence totals as I have to take my (secondary) school DD out before afternoon registration for an appointment and had to check whether they would count her in or not if she was off all afternoon. We don't get a lot of choice in appointment times and I'll try and avoid it again if possible!

Just speak to the attendance officer at school because as others have said, they're just following procedure.

As irritating as it is to parents, this has come about out of necessity and it is a good thing as far as children are concerned. Keeping track of attendance is a vital safeguarding measure which is designed to flag up children living in potentially abusive households.

I think it's silly my son got 89% at the end of the year in reception but he got chicken pox ( as did half the class ) had a ear infection and tonsillitis both with high temps and poorly. Then they sent him home one day and I picked him up early twice for hospital appointments. I sent him in with cold, coughs ect but obviously cant and wont send him when Ill. I wasnt sure what I was meant to do as they are so little and often reception is a time when they catch every bug going.

It isn’t extreme situations now is everything. DS started school with enlarged tonsils causing tonsillitis/viral wheeze and a gag reflex that caused him to throw up at school. Nothing extreme nothing particularly long term scary (and indeed at 7 he has touch wood grown out of) but a collection of things that caused his attendance to drop. I had not flagged it with the school or given documents so they could not answer when the EWO visited.
The school were supportive but not much they could do. A nasty bout this time last year that took 3 antibiotics and a swab check to clear put him on a system where any absence not doctor noted would be unauthorised. This was caused partly by it being in the first term so it’s done as a year percentage
He has grown out of it and in 2019 had 3 days off (1 viral wheeze they took his repeat prescription as proof and 2 days for a sick bug that went down as unauthorised) and he is still on it. Waiting for the letter now to say he isn’t given his 100% attendance this school year but not come yet
Have you given the school proof of her medical condition

Just doing the maths:

1.5 days off (=3 sessions) in

• 6 weeks (60 sessions) = 95%
• 7 weeks (70 sessions) = 95.7%
• 8 weeks (80 sessions) = 96.3%
• 9 weeks (90 sessions) = 96.7%

So the % is right but really don't fret at the % will improve as long as she doesn't have more time off.

Wow DS1 has anxiety and panic attacks. He gets migraines so bad he screams and projectile vomits - school orders him home every time.

DS2 has had surgery (long recovery) and needs more next year and at least a month off after.

I'd go mad if I got a letter like this! They should have some sort of admin control over them.

The schools must have a choice though?

D's has had lots of time off due to his disabilities, and we have never had any contact about attendance.

Dd1 (secondary) has had difficulties with anxiety causing vomiting, when I spoke to the school about it they said they would pass on information to the attendance officer so it would be taken into account.

I mean what if your child was throwing up/fever and the school rang you to come and get them and you said "Sorry I can't I'll be in trouble over their attendance if I do that"

I absolutely loathe schools that punish kids for being ill/reward the ones that are lucky enough not to catch/break anything or have another long term illness requiring paediatric surgery (sorry that's why you don't get the prize kid)... ugh!

My DS had a similar letter in his first term as he had two days off. It strangely never made it to the attendance officer when I pointed out it was due to an injury he'd sustained in school.

My DD have never had 100% attendance due to needing to see specialists and these often meaning she misses one set of the register. She's rarely off school ill though, but they've never triggered a letter for her.

I wonder if it's something to so with how they're recording absences at your school. You can ask to record and see if it matches with what you know has happened.

I would ask what appointments are marked as . My Ds has regular appointments at one point was under 3 different departments so lots of appointments . They have had copies of hospital appointments .Do check what they are marking them as . On my Ds’s portal appointments do not increase his absence

I do sometimes send my Ds is for registration at secondary . I drop off at primary next door then collect him for appointment. I play there game .

Sometimes I had to collect my Ds from school . Injury at school. I didn’t collect till after bell went not planned but how it worked out so he was not in a minutes lessson all afternoon but wasn’t absent.

Bin it OP ...don;t worry and carry on as you are...Our school love these letters.My dd had D and V bug and we got one as she has missed 2 days equalling 4 sessions.I was totally aware she was off school as I was looking after her,school were aware as a bug was doing the rounds and I had notified them but still got a letter.It is a ridiculous form ticking waste of time.

If it is documented at the school they would be aware so no need for a letter as it would be if it occurred at school

If he throws up at school they document that as proof

She's not even of compulsory school age yet! You could legitimately take her out a day a week and they still wouldn't have a leg to stand on re attendance officer!

I don't think it's good enough to say it's a generic letter.

Even if it is, why couldn't there be a covering letter to explain, so that it would seem that they actually know/care about the pupil in question?

The letter is rubbish, your daughter hasn't had loads of absences.

Write it all down as you have here in your opening post and send to the school. They've made a mistake which is obvious as she has only had one day out of school in the period mentioned and a couple of early-ish pick ups for appointments.

These bloody attendance letters wind me up so much! A generic document, generated by statistics which have no bearing on the individual child/circumstance. The school knows about your DD’s medical condition - just bin the ridiculous letter.

I was just about to say the same as @Ribbityrib

If she is August born and in reception then she does not legally have to attend school until September next year. Parents of children in these circumstances at my school (teacher) still take their children out for term time holidays left right and centre. They can't do anything about it.

Not sure if it has a detrimental effect on the child missing learning/structure though.....probably not.

I've heard it's only in extreme situations they ask for doctors notes and the likes..

The letters may be generic or required after certain percentages of absence, but I think the Head's ethos, character, and management style also comes into play. My DD also had numerous absences in R/YR 1 due to illness. Even after I'd gone to speak with the Head and her teacher to explain about her chronic illness and provide initial medical documents, not only did I get the letter and a visit from the EWO, but was also informed that I'd have to provide a medical note for every single day that DD was off ill henceforth. This Head was absolutely brilliant at pushing manipulating families who jeopardised her perfect records (lunch attendance, attendance, SAT's etc) out of the school. Needless to say we were one of them.

Because she's only 4, is it even compulsory that she's at school? I think this makes it seem even more of a 'the computer told me to do it' type thing

Schools don't need appointment cards etc as evidence for ofsted. I think it is unreasonable to send letters home when absences are due to medical conditions or disability.

She's not even of compulsory school age yet!

Sadly that doesn’t stop some schools sending these letters out. I think it depends on the LEA’s rules.

OP, , I’d speak to the School and make sure they have the correct info. Don’t worry about the letter. You’ve done nothing wrong.

Like the PP, I really hate these letters penalising ill children. It’s unfair and - in the case of children with medical conditions - almost a kind of discrimination. These letters are a badly thought out response to the problem of truancy and, IMO, should only be generated in specific circumstances where absences are unexplained.