100% attendance rewards at school.

[TravellingSpoon]

Dd's secondary school has decided to boost attendance they are running a competition that started on 1st December so that anyone that gets 100% attendance between then and 1st July will be rewarded with a trip to Aston Towers.

AIBU to think that in the current times its absolutely ridiculous? With Covid, the terrible cold we have going round and a norovirus outbreak it's hard enough. But you will have children going to school sick because they want this trip.

Dd is already out as she had a reaction to her covid vaccine ☹

@Notwithittoday

It encourages the kids that would stay off or truant for non legitimate reasons to come to school and behave themselves. That’s quite a large proportion and attendance figures are a numbers game.

Do you really think that kids who are skipping school are going to be that fussed about a poxy certificate or a day trip to alton towers?

Certificates no but theme park trips yes

Utterly utterly pointless and useless. Why bother to instill this sense of attendance in kids?

I've worked 15 years with no sick days and never got any attendance bonus at work, where as there's people who go sick weekly, never had a back to work interview or had the bradford index used and nothing gets said. It teaches the kids that they'll have to carry people in the workplace. Cynical I know but true.

@Notwithittoday ours is primary rather than secondary so it’s a summer term treat lunch rather than a big trip. But there isn’t any wiggle room. And to be honest I see their point because so many kids have a valid reason to not be at school when they aren’t getting 100% attendance - my kid shouldn’t miss out but nor should the one who’s been to a much loved grandparent’s funeral. And how do you pick which chronic illnesses are significant enough to not count - most people would agree about cancer but then what about the kid who has CAMHS appointments, or follow up for severe asthma ? And then, if you do allow them to come anyway, do they want to tell their friends the details of why their absence was ok?

Honestly I just think they are an unfair idea.

I would, however, be convinced if someone showed me some evidence that they improve attendance AND outcomes for kids who are struggling. Then I’d happily tell my child that it’s not fair, but actually it works to help other kids who are also having a tough time so we’ll just suck it up.

My Ds hasn't been off sick for literally 6 years yet this term has had 3 days off already!

I can't imagine many kids will be on the trip and fuck it, take the kids out of school and do a fun family trip.

Totally rubbish if you have one single day of sickness then there is zero incentive to turn up again till end of July. Just don’t fancy it? Might as well bunk off and go to town for day there is no way earn prize whats the point. That’s what a teenage brain will be thinking.

Not appropriate anytime and even more so now just encourages people to go in when ill or with symptoms

@Winniemarysarah if you don't have current online access then your school l should be providing some paper alternatives , you know like a book .
Its not just a case of life being unfair , we are in a middle of a pandemic

@AdmiralCain not true of most work places though and kids don't carry others when there mate is off sick
You have an issue with your work so take up with them
Most work places do have sickness things in place though some of which can be harsh Also
People are sick from time to time and some have ongoing conditions , shall we just only employ those that are always healthy
You never know what illness you may get and you may then feel differently

@Notwithittoday does it though ? Those that truant are not going to generally be swayed by a day to alton towers , parents that keep them off as they can't be arsed again won't care
Its the competitive ones and the ones who want to gloat who will put in more effort and then the lucky ones who just happen to not be ill
Schools / ofsteaf need to focus on those missing for no real reasons rather than the kids who are ill
Kids are building immune systems they will be ill

Absolute rubbish. I have two kids, one with the immune system of an ox, one who is permanently Ill. So not only would he have to be permanently ill he would be penalised for it as well.

Even when a child is “just” playing truant 99% of the time their is going to be an underlying cause for it. Sometimes something small like not being engaged, sometimes something much more sinister. They are rarely going to play truant for no reason so again to tackle things work needs to be done to look at the cause not just offer the reward.

Sometimes a reward of some sort may help as part of an overall package for an individual but that should be individualised.

@worriedatthemoment - Please don't worry, I'm retraining and leaving next year! I'm not spending anymore time being bitter about this nepotism based work place.
I like harsh workplace sickness policies to stop everyone going sick on a Monday. My work place is full of 100% lying toads with NO ongoing medical conditions. I'm regularly left by myself whilst two other colleagues are off with Liegraines (Sorry Migraines)
I wish I could work in a workplace like you describe

Our secondary school stopped linking eligibility to attend fun trips with attendance when a pupil repeatedly turned up for school with a vomiting bug lived very close to the school after almost making the entire year without absence because they didn't want to miss the trip.

The link to the behaviour system is still in place though so only pupils who aren't on one of the escalation steps are eligible so this loops in the sort of children who claim to be going to school and bunk off so can act as an incentive from that perspective.

The problem is two fold. One schools are marked by the government on their attendance. Therefore they have to do something.
Secondly this isn't aimed at improving attendance of people who are genuinely Ill. It's about the kids who don't come to school because it's raining (primary) can't be bothered(secondary). I would guarantee having 3 or 4 kids off when it was bad weather as parents couldn't be bothered to bring them. And secondary kids who bunk off might be encouraged not to if they know they will win a trip.
It's shit for kids that get ill and I don't agree with tactics like this but schools have to do something. I've no idea what a fair answer would be.

I think most awards in school are bullshit. You get awarded for luck, your parents money, your parents being decent parents, whether and where they work.

DH has spoken a few times about when he got detention and banned from a fun school activity because he didn't get enough sponsors, because his parents wouldn't ask their colleagues and didn't speak to their families, wouldn't sponsor him and he wasn't allowed to ask the neighbours. What the fuck is a kid supposed to do about that?

@whosaidtha
I would guarantee having 3 or 4 kids off when it was bad weather as parents couldn't be bothered to bring them.

But punishing or rewarding the kids is unfair, that's their parents failings.

Covid doesn’t affect attendance at my DS’s secondary school so if you’re isolating awaiting test results or self isolating, you still maintain 100% attendance which is the right thing to do.

I’ve never personally understood attendance awards though, they’re rewarding children for not getting sick.

I used to live in one of the (sadly now-destroyed) Aston Towers.

Covid related sickness doesn't usually count against attendance, but I don't think attendance rewards are a good thing. Sending children in where they're ill benefits no-one.

@AdmiralCain careful what you wish for
I think in the middle is better
I worked in a place not of sick at all then i became really unwell and had time off , suspected ovarian cancer - luckily it wasn't but it still meant i had to have a hysterectomy and have time off and i got a lot of grief from work but it was something i couldn't help
I agree people off all the time esp mondays and no real reasons is unfair but work place policies should always reflect the individual too

@whosaidtha do you really think a teenager bunking off will come in as they may get to go to alton towers ?
I would say for the vast majority that would not help in the slightest

@worriedatthemoment I'm sorry to hear about your medical woes.

Attendance awards /rewards are pointless, so pleased our schools didn't do this (despite DD1 never having a single day off from age 5 to 18).

And with Omicron expected to peak in January, how on earth will that work?

Omg all these pp's claiming "unfairness". You'd be those people that want all kids invited to a birthday party and everyone receiving a ribbon at sportsday (even if your kid hasn't won anything)

It is just a "yay,you've been there a100% of the time" . Cool for the kids that actually have done it. "Unfair" for the sickly ones?? Really? How about just trying to be happy for someone else instead of just going Boohoo poor me.

You know these constructs exists in work places as well right? Who cares.
It will encourage some to show up more. And for the proper sickly ones you just organise your own fun day at the end of the year.

Stop being so selfish and grinch like. Let other people have some fun.