To be furious with school

[Margot78]

My child was very poorly this morning- sore throat, temperature and had been up most of last night. She had her SATs test due this morning but was zonked out so I explained to school that she was just too poorly to sit a test today. I was then bombarded with unpleasant calls from both her teacher and the headteacher demanding that I force her to come in. They implied that I didn’t care about her education and they said she would not be able to resit it and would get a zero. They just wouldn’t leave me alone. So I ended up dragging a sobbing child out of bed, forcing her to get dressed and get in the car. She took the test and then I picked her up. I know schools are under a lot of pressure but does that really excuse this kind of behaviour? Surely something is wrong with the system if this is acceptable, putting this amount of pressure on parents and children?

In that case, I’m struggling to understand why you didn’t assert yourself

You’re right I should have been stronger. They even demanded to speak to her but I refused that.

If you are really concerned put the whole incident in writing directly to the head copying in the governors. Then it goes on record and they won’t dare to pull anything like this on another child.

Ok so yes Op

good you recognise.

Learn from this, root out those big girl pants and move on

If she is still poorly tomorrow don't be pressured in to taking her in.
SATS scores do not affect your child one iota.
The scores are for the school.
Secondary / High school will do their own assessments to place her into sets which just goes to show how little they value SATS as a measurement.

Why turn off your phone??

instead just a “no, I will not be bringing my sick daughter in today and I am concerned that you are pushing this to be honestly”

Is there more to this story? Is your child ill a lot?

No not particularly!

Sorry but if she was really too unwell to go in you wouldn't have forced her in

I'm sorry you cracked and took her in, because it's absolutely outrageous of them to bully you like that. SATs only benefit the school, they have bugger all impact on kids. Is she a top performer – do they need her high score to keep their average up? Don't send her in tmw. Report her sick then turn your phone off.

I can’t imagine having a great relationship with my children’s school is I “don’t agree with how they go about a lot of things”

This. You should have not taken her in.

Don't be furious with school
They did as expected during sats.
Be furious with yourself for dragging your Ill child to school, to sit an exam that will have no baring on her life.

But I was made to feel like they didn’t quite believe me and I was just being very awkward. It’s silly really, why would I deliberately keep her off during an important week? I’m like any other working parent, I get no benefit from keeping her at home, I’m doing it for her wellbeing.

In that case - that needs to be addressed too

I would be asking for a meeting to discuss this very concerning incident

Honestly, I would put a complaint in writing to the head and cc in the head of governors. If your DD doesn't have a history of persistent absence then she was bang out of order demanding you bring her in while she was sick. What if she infects her classmates and they need to be off as well? Is she going go force everyone in with raging temps and sore throats?

my daughter had chicken pox last year for the SATs they literally scabbed over in time but my beautiful girl felt so self conscious and still itchy, I had the deputy head deciding if she could come in and just do the test and leave. In the end I said, she comes in and does just the test or she doesn’t come in at all.
Primary Schools are weirdly desperate about SATS not sure why. The average % should be across kids who took the tests?!

I wouldn't have forced her to go in. School re out of order

I think it’s shocking behaviour from the school. It sounds like you were put in a difficult position but I’d have said no . I absolutely will not be told how to deal with my child’s health by the school

I don’t get the desperation either. She kept saying “you must being her in!” but I’ve since looked into the government guidance and they can apply to sit it a few days later. So no idea why they behaved like that. Regardless of how assertive I felt or how often my child has been ill, surely it’s still not acceptable behaviour to talk to a parent like that?!

I'm guessing that she's not one of the lower achievers.
SATS mean nothing. It she is still unwell tomorrow, keep her home.
Tell them once and then ignore the calls

I know. I’m not an assertive person generally and I suppose they know who they can do it to. I regret it immensely but I’m fairly fragile at the moment generally and just not able to stand up to harassment as well as others no doubt can.

I think it is awful the school put the pressure on you. I am a teacher and could never do that. But I think you are worse for actually dragging your daughter there.

YANBU! Absolutely reprehensible, bullying behaviour from school. Stand up to them next time, OP! They should never have put you in that position. I’d be writing to the governors and putting my foot down if she’s still too unwell tomorrow. What a disgraceful way for them to treat a child.

Also, likening SATs to GCSEs is ridiculous: one is a qualification for the pupil, the other is an indicator for the school that gives the pupil no benefit whatsoever.

So they count for the school. The school is judged on these results. The league tables even affect the house prices in the area. Even a tiny drop in the pass rates can have significant consequences for the school. You’ve had seven years of education from the place, you should be able to see their point of view.