Unauthorised absences wtf are we supposed to do!

[dreamingbohemian]

Surely everyone knows that it's nearly impossible to get GP appointments these days. And surely everyone understands that sometimes your DC are too unwell to go to school but not unwell enough to get an emergency appointment.

But my DC's school are now saying any absence that doesn't have medical evidence will be unauthorised. They will only accept things you can get from a GP, like an appointment card or prescription.

So what are we meant to do??? We are finishing the year being this close to persistent absence, which doesn't seem fair. We can't help it if DC was ill a lot this year, but with routine bugs that a GP would never see him for or prescribe anything (including norovirus -- are we meant to send him in and spread it then?)

AIBU to think this makes no sense?

(not school bashing here, they say they are just following policy)

Schools seriously cannot expect you to get a GP appointment for a diarrhoea and vomiting bug. You wouldn't get one anyway.

Our school has this policy if you drop below 96% attendance.
I couldn't care less about their government targets, if my child is ill they aren't going to school.

I am beginning to think @JenWillsiam is one of the no-grey-areas pen pushing bullies who writes these ridiculous policies.

But to answer your earlier question Jen - no I don’t think it’s typical for children to be sick 1/10 days but it happens and it is very possible that it happens just because some kids get sick more often than others, rather than it being a safeguarding issue. Demanding that ‘parents 6 should provide evidence’ - they aren’t in trouble with the police FFS and this determination to alienate parents absolutely baffles me.

There was a poster a few months ago whose children were starting a new school but tested positive for COVID at the start of summer term, and had been ill with it so she kept them off and the school were getting really funny with her as the days went on. The OTT posts were mental! Saying she should get them dressed and send them in, it’s a safeguarding issue and even that she will have a social worker knocking on her door! I couldn’t wrap my head around the mentality of people who can’t accept that some people keep their sick children off and don’t care if that means the school have to make a silly phone call or write a stupid letter.

90% equates to half a day a week, one day off every fourtnite - thats a lot tbh

@Thatladdo some kids get ill a lot.

I know, mines one of them. She at 93.4% this year, thankfully just above being complained at, but its a worry each day off knocks them back a little.

There is no point bothering the GP with an obviously viral infection that will clear up on its own. Especially not if the only reason for it is to prove to the school the child was ill. What a waste of NHS resources. And an unnecessary trip out to pass the virus on to others - especially the more vulnerable people who actually need to see their GP.

You may also find he ends up not being invited to the prom or go on reward activities. Definitely talk to the school now about how else you can manage this.

Literally the medical definition. Check out the ICD.

No not a receptionist but well done for that blatant dismissal of underpaid undervalued role.

Condition is different from choric condition.

I haven’t not responded to the suggestion that schools never ask for evidence of chronic conditions such as arthritis. No one has ever claimed that their child has been penalised.

So what if something isn’t defined as ‘chronic’. I agree with a PP that this ‘computer says no’ attitude is very unhelpful and damaging to families. And actually shows regard only for tick boxing rather than the human beings behind the tick boxes

I am not being funny but dd needed physio once a week for weeks

can’t remember how many…

so i took her out once a week for weeks at a time, she got into school at 9.55 which meant she lost approx 5./10 minutes a week from lessons

that worked out to half a day a week…. So one day off every fortnight

if i had taken her off at, lets say 2 pm then she would have missed 1 hour 20 minutes of lessons ….but that would have meant she missed no time at all from school

fuck that

When she got her report that year I tippexed out the ‘attendance poor’ bollocks, and amended it

My DCs attendance improved significantly when I started giving them vitamin D supplements. If you are you not already it might be something to think about next academic year.

It’s relevant because I said you aren’t asked for evidence for chronic conditions. 🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️

Were you asked for evidence?

This thread is really interesting - it literally shows that some people have no understanding that a child can be repeatedly ill and off school in a year (either through an ongoing, documented medical condition) or through sheer bad luck (covid, scarlet fever, d&v bug all in same year).

Depressing and frustrating that there’s no concept that just because it hasn’t happened to your child it doesn’t mean it doesn’t occur.

And schools basically have no answer - it’s just “Don’t be ill” - because if you said my child is vomiting you have the 48 hr exclusion rule. And if it’s scarlet fever there’s a letter already sent out telling you they must be off for a certain time.

They know when they ask for evidence and send threatening letters that they are asking the impossible in some cases. It’s a blunt tool to scare people and in some cases it will force a child back in before they are fully recovered or jolt a parent who isn’t being truthful. But as PP have said, those who are lying about illness simply won’t care.

It undermines parents who should be allowed to say when their child is ill and not have to prove it. And it wastes everyone’s time.

And yes, parents are being asked for “evidence” every day of illness ( not just over a certain threshold).

And yes, @JenWillsiam , parents of child with documented chronic conditions are being routinely asked for daily evidence.

If you read it as being dismissive of all receptionists that’s on you. But your response does speak volumes about your attitude problem and I can imagine you are very much in a career that can lead to some being absolute jobsworths…

I was actually replying to the part where you said ASD wouldn’t be accepted as a reason to miss school. On who’s expertise are you basing that statement @JenWillsiam ?

Example of a condition that’s happened with?

Absence guidance published by the government.

What attitude? That persistent absence is a problem and should be challenged?

That would be the one, with little understanding of conditions that lead to higher than average absence, regardless of how they are medically defined.

There is always a reason for persistent absence, threatening parents or sending SLT over to your house to drag your child to school is not the answer. And punishing parents who’s kids have had an especially ‘sicky’ year, or those who’s children will have immediate or lifelong health issues (chronic or not) is only causing more discontent with the whole school system.