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Original poster

To think it's time to scrap 100% attendance awards

211 replies

ParadiseLaundry · 18/12/2020 16:31

DS came home from school today with a certificate for 100% attendance this term.

This surprised me as his school is not one that uses reward/punishment charts or has 'star of the week' etc.

What does it actually achieve? You can't help it if you are ill, and if you are you should make sure you stay away from others. It isn't really an 'achievement' to not get ill and it's definitely not an achievement to get ill and then go into work/school and spread it around. Surely COVID has highlighted this?

Aibu to think it's time they scrapped this, particularly in schools.

OP posts:
LaLaLandIsNoFun · 19/12/2020 07:53

I agree. It’s also discriminatory - a child with a condition which means sometimes they miss school can never win it.

KnowingMeKnowingYule · 19/12/2020 07:54

@Londonnight

I completely agree!! My son has an ongoing illness which required many hospital appointments and blood test appointments. Due to this he could never achieve 100% attendance. It was very high seeing children getting these certificates when you knew they would never be any chance of your child getting one.

We often got letters from school and college saying his attendance was too low, even though they knew his medical history.

Sadly it's down to the 'computer says no' culture that is in all hard pressed public services. Everything has to be forced to fit into some sort of data entry point. Schools really are sadly just data factories despite the best efforts of many teachers to fight against it. Sad really...
Anycrispsleft · 19/12/2020 07:55

If the awarding of attendance certificates is being driven by Ofsted attendance targets then it's the targets that need to change (and I would love to get involved in a Mumsnet campaign that tried to do that). It's a really blunt instrument they are using anyway - presumably they're trying to discourage truanting with or without parental permission, like there were friends of mine that were kept off school with fictitious illnesses if their younger siblings needed looking after, for example - but looking at the overall attendance would be pointless. Hauling me back in halfway through one of my many chest infections wouldn't have improved my best mate's mum's childcare situation, even if it made the numbers look less bad.

SarahMused · 19/12/2020 07:55

If you want to get rid of attendance awards you should also get rid of any awards for things that are outside the child’s control. I would include academic, sporting and creative awards in this category because they include a massive genetic element. I wouldn’t be against that personally but just remember that the attendance award might be the only one that particular child has a chance of getting. This blog by Disidealist explains it beautifully, far better than I could disidealist.wordpress.com/2020/12/06/100-attendance-certificates-why-im-100-in-favour/

Sexnotgender · 19/12/2020 08:01

It’s horribly discriminatory.

My daughter missed a lot of school due to several serious congenital conditions requiring multiple surgeries.

How the fuck should that count against her?

AIMD · 19/12/2020 08:04

Yes they should be scrapped.
Focus should be on teaching children to look after their well-being rather than encouraging them to go into school even when they’re not well.

Also I expect it does very little (if anything) to address issues where childre. Have very low attendance without a valid reason.

As others have said it is also extremely unfair on children who have underlying condition or health needs that mean they miss school.

The who attendance thing at schools is ridiculous. The fines ....everything. I don’t actually think the way attendance is being manage now helps those children who need support most.

Sirzy · 19/12/2020 08:04

Academic and sporting awards people can (and should be) rewarded for effort, for improvement, for attitude. People can make changes.
Attendance awards just reward being lucky enough to be in a situation where you don’t need to be off

SarahMused · 19/12/2020 08:06

It shouldn’t, but we reward pupils for all kinds of things, not just attendance, that many pupils stand no chance of getting. Either we get rid of all awards or we accept that as a fact. On balance, I would prefer to be able to award pupils for their many different qualities and achievements and celebrate that.

pophop · 19/12/2020 08:06

My kids school don't do attendance certificates instead they do behaviour type certificates so if you have stayed on green all term then you get one which I think is a better idea.

AIMD · 19/12/2020 08:08

@SarahMused I actually agree with getting rid of pointless awards, especially in primary. My pretty hair is seeing kids mentioned as start of the week holding a home made rocket ( or something similar) that they’ve clearly had lots and lots of help from their parents with.

I’d like to see more recognition of effort and kindness.

AIMD · 19/12/2020 08:09

Pet hate not pretty hair 😂

SarahMused · 19/12/2020 08:14

Sirzy This is where I think you are wrong. Academic and sporting awards are awarded for being good at a particular subject or sport. These are just as dependent on genetics and luck as being healthy is. Some schools also have rewards for effort, attitude or progress which you may consider is more under the pupils control perhaps. Why shouldn’t a pupil who has 100% attendance get an award when someone who is lucky enough to be good at maths should?

lyralalala · 19/12/2020 08:17

@SarahMused

It shouldn’t, but we reward pupils for all kinds of things, not just attendance, that many pupils stand no chance of getting. Either we get rid of all awards or we accept that as a fact. On balance, I would prefer to be able to award pupils for their many different qualities and achievements and celebrate that.
There’s no need for a straight choice between accepting attendance awards or scrapping awards completely.

One of the best schools I worked in had an excellent awards system based on effort. So the kid who was excellent at sport and put effort into their training won awards, but the completely unsporty lad who mastered one level of a sporting skill also had his effort recognised.

Sirzy · 19/12/2020 08:17

Because attendance is completely out of control of a child especially at primary level. They can do nothing at all about it in the vast majority of cases. Even children who have a natural aptitude for a subject have to put in effort and work hard to meet their potential.

And let’s not forget that attendance awards encourage people to go to school when ill and spread their germs around those children who the illness could easily mean a hospital stay and needing to miss yet more school.

lyralalala · 19/12/2020 08:20

In the school my DDs used to attend DD1 didn’t win a maths award despite being extremely academic because she got lazy and coasted for a while instead of putting in effort. Her sister, who was considerably behind for her age, won a maths award for busting her arse in effort. That’s how it should be.

Effort on the part of the pupil should be behind awards. Not things they have zero control over. Especially when we’re talking about primary age children.

AIMD · 19/12/2020 08:21

@lyralalala totally agree. Focus should be on effort and kindness in primary school. Not on things beyond children’s control.

We are teaching our kids to be massive people pleasers aren’t we.....or that they only have value when they do well or achieve something. How sad.

Sirzy · 19/12/2020 08:22

Exactly lyralalala

FirstOfficerDouglas · 19/12/2020 08:27

All awards are unfair. The only award my child ever got was an attendance award - and for him it was huge. He went in when there were days he really didn't want to.

He is not clever or sporty, (additional needs), or sociable. He would never have friends, be voted team leader or head boy or start of the day. He will never pass exams. BUT he is loyal and determined and reliable.

Scrap awards/rewards for being good at maths or sport or being "nice" or listening well or having a comfy home to work in and good IT kit and supportive educated parents to help.

Attendance is just one of many unfair awards which are out of the child's control.

FirstOfficerDouglas · 19/12/2020 08:27

star of the day

Rainbowcolours1 · 19/12/2020 08:28

We do 100% attendance awards, children get a wristband meaning they can wear their own clothes on A day after of their choice, they love it. We do them each half term, not for a full term.
If a child is off school for a Covid related reason this does not affect their attendance, DfE guidance. We also don't count hospital medical appointments.

Graciebobcat · 19/12/2020 08:32

It's only a minority of kids who are not attending school regularly for no good reason. How about those familes are helped and they leave everyone else alone, and stop persecuting schools about attendance? This behaviour by Ofsted actually causes illness to spread and makes a pandemic a lot worse.

AIMD · 19/12/2020 08:33

@Rainbowcolours1

We do 100% attendance awards, children get a wristband meaning they can wear their own clothes on A day after of their choice, they love it. We do them each half term, not for a full term. If a child is off school for a Covid related reason this does not affect their attendance, DfE guidance. We also don't count hospital medical appointments.
Out of interest what do school staff think of this generally.

I always assumed it was an attempt for the school to look better by having a high attendance rate.... that’s monitored isn’tit?

MissMaple82 · 19/12/2020 08:35

Its already got rid of in my child's school. Ive always thought they are ridiculous anyway. Children can't help being ill

lyralalala · 19/12/2020 08:36

@FirstOfficerDouglas

All awards are unfair. The only award my child ever got was an attendance award - and for him it was huge. He went in when there were days he really didn't want to.

He is not clever or sporty, (additional needs), or sociable. He would never have friends, be voted team leader or head boy or start of the day. He will never pass exams. BUT he is loyal and determined and reliable.

Scrap awards/rewards for being good at maths or sport or being "nice" or listening well or having a comfy home to work in and good IT kit and supportive educated parents to help.

Attendance is just one of many unfair awards which are out of the child's control.

In a decent school they would have recognised your boy's loyalty, reliability and determination.
lyralalala · 19/12/2020 08:39

[quote AIMD]@lyralalala totally agree. Focus should be on effort and kindness in primary school. Not on things beyond children’s control.

We are teaching our kids to be massive people pleasers aren’t we.....or that they only have value when they do well or achieve something. How sad.[/quote]
I think it's more that we're teaching children that the top outcomes - 100% attendance, winning races, being top at maths - are the most important things in life.

Rather than effort, recognising individual achievements, kindness and the likes.

It's overly simplistic and unhelpful.

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