Am I going to be fined for this? (school related)

[OrangeSquashPlease]

DD is 6, year 2.

Her attendance this term is 78%. She had 4 days off for isolation due to symptoms and awaiting test results in September, then had an operation a few weeks ago so has missed 12 days due to that. She has also missed a couple of half days due to medical treatment for other conditions.

I have evidence of all of this that DD has basically been off more than she’s been in this term.

The letter says we’re being referred to Education Welfare. The lady in the office at school says she’s sent all of the evidence along with the referral so I might just get a phone call to warn me to keep her attendance up above 90% next term (sometimes it’s impossible). But I’m worrying I’m going to get fined and worse still my ExH who I left due to violence and his control will also get a fine as he has PR and then I’ll lose DD because of it.

Am I likely to get fined?

YABU - likely to get fined
YANBU - Unlikely to be fined

They're all evidenced medical absences. It won't get anywhere beyond a phone call if that.

Don’t panic I have had those letters when DS1 was in school as he had a chronic illness couldn’t be helped we got the occasional phone call from welfare officer but it was all very informal and friendly

offs. what do they expect? Her to come in on her hospital bed?

are any of those other condittions disabilite? Can they make her not disabled for you? twats.

One of my dc once had around 80% due to time in hospital at the start of the school year once. They just called me & asked how much more time he was likely to have off & if there was anything they could do help support us. At no point were fines mentioned.

@BlackeyedSusan

offs. what do they expect? Her to come in on her hospital bed?

are any of those other condittions disabilite? Can they make her not disabled for you? twats.

She's on the school SN register due to her medical issues but doesn't require extra help or support in school, although she does have open access to the toilets. School are usually really good about the time off so I assume they'll include this.

Try not to worry , you had valid reasons not to send her in . You had no other options

You won’t be fined. That’s only for inexcusable absences. Your DD has medical conditions and you have the evidence. The welfare referral happens as a standard thing because In some cases, it’s home life causing children to miss school and they are required to see if you need social worker help if for example, you are a single drug/alcohol dependent mother and struggle to get up, feed, dress and get your child to school. They will talk to you, look at all the evidence, brow beat you and lecture you on how important school attendance is to make sure you value education and close the books.
My DB and SIL in U.K. went through exact same thing every few years because my niece has severe asthma so never once does she get to school at 90% for any term, in any year! She’s always below 80%. Worst case your consultant doctor will send a letter to school outlining why your DD will miss school.

So don’t worry.

How can any school say anything ever again after just shutting them for months and sending kids home for 14 days at a time! And this is likely to continue long term.

I would be furious if I received that letter especially in your circumstances.

Id be furious at this.
Why have the school referred you to education welfare if the abscences are all health related.
Have they been marked as unauthorised abscences a rather than authorised?

I

Meh, in this day and age the letters are probably computer generated and automatically printed for all children whose attendance falls below 90%. I wouldn’t be furious as I’m sure sending a written letter is some OFSTED or government regulation they have to meet.

Covid isolating absences don’t count against absence figures. There’s a special code for the register (in my school it’s X). For example a child at my school’s attendance figure is 97.7% despite having 16 days isolating (was initially a close contact of a positive family member and then tested positive himself).

Thanks everyone, I was worried we'd get fined, I'm not bothered by a phonecall telling me to make sure she's in more, I just don't want to risk her going to ExH full time.

Op do you know how they are registering your daughter when she is off for medical appointments? You can ask for a copy: I’d make sure they are marking it as authorised abscences.

@AIMD

Op do you know how they are registering your daughter when she is off for medical appointments? You can ask for a copy: I’d make sure they are marking it as authorised abscences.

The lady in the office said they're all authorised but local policy is to refer to EW anyway.

Meh, in this day and age the letters are probably computer generated and automatically printed for all children whose attendance falls below 90%.

Not necessarily so, we have had letters written specifically about ds, acknowledging the reason for his low attendance - but still (helpfully) pointing out that this will negatively impact his education (No shit Sherlock) and saying we must do everything in our power to improve attendance, and the welfare officer will be notified....it is awful, and I was really upset after the first one. I have since become bitter, worn down and cynical so now just grind my teeth.

Unfortunately they all stick to a set of rules about when the letters must be sent out. At least Hazey's school bothered to add a little bit of personalisation at the start, but even they don't seem to have gone very far about saying "we have to send this letter, but please don't worry".

The one that really got my goat was when a friend got one and some of the absence was because the school had given her dairy-allergic child something with dairy in it. You'd think they could have acknowledged that, even if they still had to send the letter.

We got a letter when DD slipped very slightly below 95%. Statistically, it is relatively unlikely that a child will get all the way through school without this happening at some point!

At least Hazey's school bothered to add a little bit of personalisation at the start, but even they don't seem to have gone very far about saying "we have to send this letter, but please don't worry".
Unfortunately @lanthanum, the letters have been very much used as a stick to beat us with (hence my rather embittered cynicism) - I've seen the generic letters, and they don't look like ours.

I actually think it’s a bit of a equalities issues to referring children to educational welfare or threatening fines if the vast majority of absence is authorised and related to a medical condition.

It also shows a huge lack of consideration for the fact that some things are more important than schooling....such as getting proper treatment for a serious medical condition.

@AIMD

I actually think it’s a bit of a equalities issues to referring children to educational welfare or threatening fines if the vast majority of absence is authorised and related to a medical condition.

It also shows a huge lack of consideration for the fact that some things are more important than schooling....such as getting proper treatment for a serious medical condition.

Also the fact I’ve been doing handwriting practice, spellings, reading and maths work with her once she’s felt up to it while she’s been off so when she goes back she will be a bit behind but not massively

@Ugzbugz

How can any school say anything ever again after just shutting them for months and sending kids home for 14 days at a time! And this is likely to continue long term.

I would be furious if I received that letter especially in your circumstances.

Erm, it wasn't the schools that decided to shut up shop? Government made them do so.

My children rarely have above 87% attendance due to health issues. We get the standard letters but I’ve never been fine.

We've had kids at 68% where their parent is taking the absolute piss and they haven't been fined - and kids literally at 0% and nothing has happened other than a referral to the EWO - as part of ensuring their needs are documented and evidenced to substantiate getting extra support.

In short, don't worry, yours is all evidenced and won't be treated the same as somebody who just fancies having their kid at home all the time or won't get out of bed in the morning to bring them in.

@MitziK

We've had kids at 68% where their parent is taking the absolute piss and they haven't been fined - and kids literally at 0% and nothing has happened other than a referral to the EWO - as part of ensuring their needs are documented and evidenced to substantiate getting extra support.

In short, don't worry, yours is all evidenced and won't be treated the same as somebody who just fancies having their kid at home all the time or won't get out of bed in the morning to bring them in.

Thank you, she's been desperate to go back to school after her operation she even told the headteacher that on the phone when she called last week and up until now her attendance has been between 92 and 97% per term so hoping this is just a one off.

If she is required to isolate it should be coded X and not counted as part of her attendance. A child can have had for example, 2 periods of 2 weeks required isolation and no other absence, and they will have 100% attendance.
You won't get fined if you are following the rules. You might be asked to provide medical evidence in order to for absences to be authorised but obviously lots of children need time off for medical reasons and they also need to be supported in their education. For example the hospital tuition service. People don't do become EWOs to villify parents, they want to support children.

The school would not have referred. The EWO would regularly receive the register data and certain percentages are flags which involve sending out of a letter to check why.

DS had a couple and it’s all fine just simply explain a note will be on the file and job done