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?

We used to get these regarding our son's attendance.
He has a blood condition which impaired his immune system and even a cold would knock him out for a week. School were aware of this, I noted it down for them every time he was absent and had also supplied a letter from his consultant (which they'd lost) but was told that they had no choice in sending these letters out and threatening an intervention from education welfare.

@Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g A very justified rant!

Medical absences (unless suspect in some way) should not be counted. A school near me makes attendance a competition with prizes and extra privileges for the class with the best attendance. But what happens when a class realises their lower score and the fact they never win is due to Mary with the medical condition or Johnny who keeps getting tonsillitis? They’re going to feel a bit resentful of those children.

Peer pressure is probably the reason they have this competition - “Don’t let the class down!” - but it could lead to bullying, and does nothing to encourage empathy or compassion. Children can’t help being ill or having a medical condition. Illness isn’t a sign of weakness or laziness or a lack of team spirit, and schools shouldn’t send the message that it is.

We've received them for DS too. He seems to get ill at the same time each year. We've no idea why and neither does his consultant. However, it means twice during the year his attendance dips and we get a letter. It balances out by the end of the year.

Depending on which member of the SMT is responsible for absences we either get a cheeky phone call or a nice letter following up the standard one saying 'we know he's ill and that you try your hardest to make sure he's in school.'

Just to say that while I normally think these things are automated and worth ignoring, I wouldn't in this case. I think they've marked her absent more than you have here so therefore you are getting the letter. You need to ask to see her absence record (Our school gives them out every half term as standard).

Having said that, I do think the automatically generated letters are a bit harsh generally. At our school, doctors appointments and most illness are marked down as authorised absence. So DD on a percentage level might be a bit high this half term as she missed 2 days due to illness and 2 half day sessions due to appointments. But they're all marked as authorised so I suspect our school's automated process doesn't kick in until even authorised absence are much higher.

They can only involve ed. Welfare service is there is a level of unauthorised absence which makes attendance fall below 70% i think it is.

Medical appointments should be authorised, so do not count towards any absence that can be reported. Persistent lateness after the close of registers is recorded as unauthorised absence though, so any late marks may have caused the letter to be sent.

On the whole, don't worry about it. If you do get one from LEA or Ed Welfare Service, just engage with them and say what you have said here.

It’s Ofsted, not ‘schools’ - poor attendance will hit a school’s rating and it has to be shown that the school is proactive about attendance. The annoyance/anger/irritation should be directed at those who force schools and LEAs to take these measures

I think it should be directed at both. Of course it's unfair to the school if they get penalised because a child with a medical condition is bringing down their attendance averages. But that doesn't mean they should send aggressive letters to the parents of children with medical conditions. What will that achieve? Do they think they can bully the child into getting better by herself?

It's the absence mointoring person or system trying to take early action by projecting end of year level of attendance based on the current pattern of absence. The person or system should really have a letter to show that but perhaps doesn't understand the info enough or have a letter to say "this isn't going well" or something. Of course if the schools actually understood how to encourage attendance rather than just blindly threatening parents then this wouldnt come up at all

I've just read that your DD turned 4 in August. School should not be sending you these letters at all - school is not compulsory until the term following their 5th birthday, which is September 2020 going on what you have said.

Education Welfare will laugh at the school if they try to refer it through, I know this for a fact!😂😂

These tend to be generic letters automatically formulated when attendance drops below desired percentage unfortunately it does not differentiate between those that are genuinely sick or seeking medical treatment and those that just can't be bothered.
Speak to the schools attendance officer I managed to prevent any further letters - my sons attendance was 80% which was amazing considering his chronic illness and multiple hospital appointments - I agreed to provide written documentation of all appointments - letter for said appointment and then hospital stamped appointment card to prove we turned up in return for no further action. Since this agreement three years ago I have had no more threatening letters.

I havent read the thread. Do ask (politely) how the absences and appointments have been recorded. There are set codes used in schools for absence reporting. My son's school one year reported him as having a high absence rate. I knew it wasnt the case - turned out every time there was a SCHOOL event eg sports day, sport event, fun run etc the school didnt bother to take registers. They werent even shame faced about it when I politely asked for my son's record to be corrected. The whole school must have been wrong.

Not RTFT but it will be a standard letter because your daughter's attendance has dropped below the acceptable 96%. I'm guessing you've got the letter rather than an attendance meeting invite because the absences have been authorised. I really wouldn't worry. Just make sure you send your DD in as much as possible around appointments and keep the office updated with appointment letters. If you get an invite to an attendance meeting later on go and explain about the appointments and that will be that. You will probably be the only parent who turns up that day!

These sorts of letter really annoy me and lead to parents sending their children in sick (who then make the children ill and then me!).

I would absolutely write back to the head teacher and say that you don't appreciate the tone of the letter, that they are aware of your daughter's health condition and that she will continue to have time off for necessary medical appointments.

I had a similar one for one of my children in year 1 (they'd had norovirus - caused by another parent sending a sick child in, which incidentally they then gave to my mum's partner who was hospitalised and then chicken pox). I did say to them if I received one again that I wouldn't be either running the Christmas fair again nor providing any voluntary contribution to the school. Oddly enough, I didn't get one.

The letter is clearly ridiculous given the circumstances you describe. I suggest you request a meeting with HT and very assertively make the points you have made here. State that you do not expect to receive such letters in future. Complain to Govs if HT does not respond appropriately.

my daughter has a medical condition that results in lots of doctors appointments at a hospital an hour away so when they are running late it can almost take 3 hours to go to an apppointment. She sees several consultants and as a result of her condition has lots of injuries. I made it clear to the school that i would be really really unhappy with getting one of their generic letters about attendance when they know what she is going through and actually they have been good and not sent one. Her attendance on paper is awful but she is there when she can be and often when she is too rough really to go.

Phone the school. It’s a generic letter they have to send. Im sure once you have spoken to them you will feel happier.

I'd talk to the school - chances are it's a generic letter and they'll be more understanding in person.

If they're not - I'd start making sure they have the copies of the medical appointments as a matter of course and included an explination with absence letter about how important treatment is and how little flexiblity you have with the appoitments.

I had an attitude off staff for missing last 15 minutes for a dental appointment in area where many of the kids can't get NHS dentists - a more senior staff member was wafting past and sorted it out but it did look like they wouldn't let me take them.

If we can't in future get outside school appointments - and with everything GP, orthodontist for older children and dentist it's getting harder and harder - then I'll do 9 am - and they will be late in rather than take risk of missing appointments.

I know Michael Gove struggled with this one, but half of children will always be below average.

This is for a reception aged child? Really? They are still babies, sometimes they will just want mummy and their home when they have a headache. Is this really what it’s like now?

I would arrange a meeting with school. Firstly absences shouldn't trigger a letter if she's under 5 as not o lived to be in school. Secondly you shouldn't be disadvantaged re her health. Ask to see absence sheet. Maybe they have her records mixed up. Explain that this is really the last thing you need to be worrying about. Maybe they will implement a check before sending out blanket emails in future.

I talked to the school this morning, and like most of you say it was a generic letter. They said they treat authorised and unauthorised absence in the same way, and letters are sent left and right, regardless of medical reasons.. There are children in the school with way more serious conditions than my child, so they must have received even stricter letters..

I still feel very upset. Like I said above, DD really struggles in school. She's younger than the others and also has needs they don't have. I'm honestly thinking of taking her out and have her start again next year. I'm going on maternity leave in December and we could technically do this. I'm just scared it'll make everything worse? Does anyone know?

If she was happy in school I'd ignore the letter, but since she already struggles and cries every day in school, it puts things in perspective. She was fine in nursery, as she could play all day with her best friend, who's now in a different school.. the teacher has even taken me aside several times saying DD is not settling very well. She's just turned 4 and is also young for her age and has always needed more comfort than most kids. She was breastfed for 3.5 years, completely controlled by her, as I tried to stop it when she was 2.. She just needed it, and is very sensitive.

I do feel a lot better reading your replies though!

I always used to send school a copy of the appointment letters and also keep the originals in my sons medical file at home. Hes at college now and his funding could be stopped if he has too many absences - thankfully they dont count medical appointments or sickness, but sometimes get it wrong so I make sure I have the evidence!! .

Honestly this does not need a meeting with the HT or any one else.
1.5 days off at this point in the school year gives the % stated in the letter.
It will be a standard letter, not aimed at the OP.
No one will be bothered unless her DD keeps having time off at the same rate.

You need to save meetings with the HT / getting upset / getting angry for important stuff (e.g. bullying) not a 'send to all' letter.

Amazed by all these people saying "The letter is just an automatic one sent out by the system so it is OK."

People, the school HAS CHOSEN TO HAVE THIS SYSTEM.

It is NOT okay.

I live outside England. When I have mentioned this kind of thing to non-English people from pretty much every country, they are stunned at this. I find it disturbing how this ultra-aggressive approach to attendance has become normalized in England, to the point that even parents (as we see on this thread) appear to have been bludgeoned into thinking it's acceptable.

We've had these letters. Our DD is disabled and has a multitude of appointments. School has always been sympathetic and stressed that the letter is issued as a result of orders from On High (County education department).

We've never had follow up action - but I do keep notes of every appointment so that I can show why she's not be in.
File it, keep a diary and then forget all about it.

I think the whole attendance thing in school is ridiculous. If I compare my DD and DN who are the same age and both with no pre-existing conditions....DN is ill a whole lot more often then my DD. No rhyme nor reason, some kids are just more prone to catching bugs!

I think as long as you are able to provide sufficient evidence of illness (if it is a bit more of a regular occurrence than the norm) then it should be fine. I would flip my lid if I received a letter like this OP - Especially as she DOES have a pre-existing medical condition that is known to the school!

I would be asking for a word with the headteacher regarding the threatening nature of the letter....

I agree with you OP about taking your DD out of school until next year.
I have no idea how the system works though so cannot offer any advice.