How the fuck do you improve attendance

[Merryoldgoat]

I’ve had the delightful LA attendance officer letting me know my son’s attendance is 85%.

I KNOW. I’m the one looking after him.

How am I supposed to stop him getting ill? I’d love to know.

I’m just sick of it. We’re juggling two autistic children, a full time job and I get this officious letter implying I’m keeping him off under false pretences.

It’s such a stupid blunt instrument.

I’m angry and tired and just sick of it.

I have no AIBU. It’s just the rant of an exhausted parent. DH is also exhausted in case anyone is wondering.

DfE Working together to improve school attendance (May 2022)
Code I: Illness (not medical or dental appointment)
219. Schools should advise parents to notify them on the first day the child is unable to attend due to illness. Schools must record absences as authorised where pupils cannot attend due to illness (both physical and mental health related).
220. In the majority of cases a parent’s notification that their child is ill can be
accepted without question or concern. Schools should not routinely request that parents provide medical evidence to support illness. Schools are advised not to request medical evidence unnecessarily as it places additional pressure on health professionals, their staff and their appointments system particularly if the illness is one that does not require treatment by a health professional. Only where the school has a genuine and reasonable doubt about the authenticity of the illness should medical evidence be requested to support the absence.

It’s all about the welfare of your child.

See it as an attack, or see it as a prompt that you should actually be seeking the support that you need and should be provided with.

And if you have already sought support and your child is still sick because, you know, nothing can or is being done? Then how does the LA sending a letter help?

Yes, @Abba123, I think you may be missing the point of thread? Our children have diagnoses and Clinicians advising school of necessary adjustments etc.

Because we don't live in a kingdom with magic wands etc children with long term health conditions as disabilities can't always meet the same attendance standards as other children.

This is reality - understanding and adjustments are needed to maximise participation.

I had to step away from this but @Abba123 posted and reminded me that there really isn’t anything you can do when people are so wilfully ignorant to the facts of a situation.

Thank you again to all of the posters who understand my frustration.

I’m still very annoyed about it but if my son is too unwell for school then I’ll keep him home and that is all there is to it. No letters are going to change that - his health and well-being is my priority - not attendance targets.

Well done OP. How I feel too :)

I think you have totally misunderstood what everyone said.
absolutely nobody said you shouldn’t keep them home if children are sick , but safeguarding means these letters have to go out . You were told if you phoned the school to explain they would then put your mind at ease and you wouldn’t be so annoyed . People were helping :-)

Several posters implied I keep him home unnecessarily.

And I don’t have an issue with the school. It’s the Local Authority and the lack of any kind of understanding of individual situations.

Why are they sending her home? Does she really need to come home (e.g. vomiting)? Or if she rested at school would she be better and be able to go back to school? If the latter, then school should be allowing this.

Why are they sending her home? Does she really need to come home (e.g. vomiting)? Or if she rested at school would she be better and be able to go back to school? If the latter, then school should be allowing this.

Ever had a migraine?!

@Waitresstime sending me a letter about my son's attendance when he's in hospital is not safeguarding - which is probably why our school dont do it.

Do you even understand what safeguarding is? Its a system for reporting suspicions of child neglect or abuse.

Yes unfortunately her migraines are debilitating and she knows full well when the drugs don't work she will have to come home. So, school are more than aware, trouble is she is still waiting to be seen by neurology, GP kept on giving drugs that were not helping including some she should not have been prescribed, without specialist support due to age. Three years ago she started with migraines and seen a GP once all telephone reviews despite my requests. only now have they referred to neurology.

It's a nightmare, I understand from the schools perspective and she does not want to be off either. I think we are improving attendance but, it could all change again. I am paying for private assessment to see what else can be done to help while we wait for NHS.

Your poor daughter, it’s miserable. I suffered migraines from a very young age. When they first started the doctor would come out to our house as they thought it was meningitis due to the aversion to the light and sickness.

It happened quite a few times at school. I remember being so unwell at secondary school, the nurse drove me home one day when she couldn’t get hold of my mum and she understood by that stage that I needed to just sleep them off!

When I went on the pill at 18 they stopped. I was on cerazette for 9 years and it worked so well. It stopped my periods which I think must have been a factor in adolescence although god knows what caused them when I was a young child. Not sure how old your daughter is sorry if I missed that, but could a contraceptive pill maybe be an option if it’s hormone related?

I am now on daily beta blockers. I get breakthrough ones but it’s definitely better than it was.

I hope your daughter finds something that works, there are so many different treatments out there but it’s just finding the right one for the individual!

I am
Wondering how strike days are recorded

Last 2 my dd5 has been off tho her teacher went to teach another class so some children would have had a tick for attending school but not her class

Next week school is shut wed and thur

So that's 4 days this term dd has had off tho assume this weeks 2 won't be counted as whole school is shut

She had 2 off for severe earache

2 for s&d due to 48hr rule

So that's 4/8 depending how they record it

We have had this recently bought into our school. They have stated its government's pushing for more attendance, particularly since covid absences remain high. My DD has 93% with 7 days since off since last September. It's marked by morning and afternoon registration.

She came back with covid from a school residential and wasn't allowed back to school without a negative PCR in October last year. DespiteI her being well enough after 4 days including 2 of those on a weekend - penalised

She had strep a in December and antibiotics, school advising children to keep off if anyone presents with symptoms. Off 3 days. 1/2 a day for her nans funeral.

Last week she had 2 days off with vomiting and acid reflux. Then went in and won her spelling bee for her year - 60 kids. Both my children are higher academically. So when they are genuinely ill if need be they are off.

School now started attendance awards and warning letters. Every week the highest attendance class gets and award and pupil. Terrible decisive idea

It serves nothing but forcing children who genuinely should be at home into school-spreading germs because their parents are terrified of a visit from a local authority.

I am taking them out of school for a holiday in June we have had a terrible few months losing MIL and my DH is struggling. DD is starting secondary in September so less room for manoeuvre.

I don't entirely blame the school shit show of a government too. Messed about with kids schooling for so long and missed kids during this time and now playing catch up.