About school attendance?

[AutieNOT0tie]

My dd school reward high attendance (98%)
This year they hired a Ice-cream van and all the children who got 98 or higher got to leave the classroom 30 min before end of lesson and have a Ice cream in full view of the other kids who had to continue with their work. (But could see the playground) this is primary age. Is it just me or is this mean?
Baring in mind some kids are disabled and have time off for hospital appointments/treatments. My child had a sickness bug and covid - we followed school policy.

My sons primary used to have an ice cream reward van, they were particularly bad at Sen and tried to get rid of kids that needed high levels of support as they preferred money to be spent on many children rather than just a few so I’m guessing the money came out of the Sen budget as it’s not ring fenced

I used to work in a school that did this, and trust me, the staff hate it too! I think absences for medical reasons shouldn’t be counted.

that being said, some kids have terrible attendance - I used to work with one kid who attended about 65% of the time - because his mum couldn’t be bothered to bring him and his siblings in, apparently it was all too much effort. He was so, so behind his peers, the poor kid. His mum basically didn’t care (Dad not in the picture) but punishing the kid by not giving treats did nothing to change mums actions, just made a nice kid feel even worst about himself.

YADNBU my kids school put the attendance of each class in a letter and celebrated the highest attendance. My DDs class was lowest - never mind that scarlet fever ran through the class just before Christmas. School is where they are catching these illnesses and then having to be off. The irony!

YANBU. Blame the government. Whereas there are some dc who aren't in school because they (or sadly their parents) see no point, some cannot ever hope to achieve "good" attendance for reasons completely out of their control.

Dd2 has had the "required" attendance this year. She's 12. Her best friend, top of every class and winning umpteen academic awards, has a chronic, at times serious, illness. Sometimes her attendance is great. When her illness flares up, it isn't. It's life. Her parents are both doctors. They do everything they can to keep her at school but when she's unwell she's really unwell.

Anyway, dd got invited on an of term reward trip for attendance. Friend didn't because she'd had particularly rough term. Dd refused to go (and told her teachers why. They agreed with her, btw). I've never been so proud of her.

This! whether lucky or not My LO had covid over easter holidays and chicken pox over half term. So didnt miss any time of school for it but really what are you supposed to do when its out of your control. Madness! Actually backfires for me as if they cant be level headed then I wont give a shit either

I'd put in an official complaint to the primary. I'm not one to complain to schools but this is just nasty. Yes fine have attendance awards but bloody icecream truck. I'd also raise disability discrimination