To think that a temperature isn’t always the deciding factor ??

[Unrealisticideals]

For school absence ?

Our school is SO strict and say absence for Illness can only be d+v, c pox (and illness listed on nhs website) or an Illness WITH a temperature.
They want them in with sore throats , coughs , colds (which yes sometimes it’s fine to go in with a cold) .

The thing is I’ve had my ds actually fine in himself with a fever and at other times extremely unwell with nasty viruses with no fever (very sore throat , exhausted, sinuses totally blocked, headache) and school say they can’t authorise for that as he should be in with those symptoms !!!

I know myself I can feel really unwell and not have a temperature?!

This is primary school and so much pressure!

If you think he is genuinely ill enough to be at home, can you just tell them he also has s temperature?

Schools are under huge pressure to raise attendance and the pressure always filters down.

Schools are ridiculous these days with their zero % absence

The deciding factor is what I say it is. If the DC are feeling awful and don't have a temp they wouldn't go in. I'd probably tell the school they had a temp if they asked but wouldn't give it a second thought really.

Although interestingly, our DC primary have dropped the automatic 48 hours off with d+v rule. They're now saying to send them in if they're well enough.

OFGS you are the parent you decide

It's not the fault of schools. They know children get ill

It's because schools have to show they are being tough on attendance/absences.

In reality, they can't force you to take your child in and they're not going to record lots of unauthorised absences because that looks bad too. They don't want you to send your genuinely ill child in but some parents will keep their child off as soon as their child says "I've got a headache" whether they do or not so, by saying "only if they have a temperature," it gives some parameters to those parents.

They have to apply it consistently but, really, if your child is actually ill, don't send them in.

They say that they can now do home visits - if I lie and they do that they may ask to see me take his temperature?

Feels like he’s ill every other week and even between that there are days when I’m having to give him paracetamol and send him in with mild illnesses it’s ridiculous!! I knew it would be bad after covid with everyone mixing again but when will that effect calm down ??!!

Does anyone know does elderberry syrup or echinacea actually work to prevent illness? I’ve got kids multivits but we haven’t had any less illness so they don’t seem to be boosting his immune system

I just do what I want. If he's too ill to be at school, he stays home, if he's well enough to go in, he goes in. If they come round to check, so be it.

Honestly in the grand scheme of things absence from school means bugger all - if your child feels rough enough they need to stay home then keep them home.

schools are under a lot of pressure re absence rates - let them crack on with their letters etc , it really doesn’t matter.

They may do a home visit to check but I'd bet that they only do that for those who are persistently absent. I also bet they are mainly checking that you are actually home.
If you are home and your child is tucked up in the sofa looking suitably unwell that will be enough evidence.

They absolutely do not have the authority to insist you take their temperature and I would refuse any such request. I really don't think they would ask though.

I just feel like if he’s so unwell he wouldn’t learn anything as will feel too rough to focus

I’d just lie and say they had a temperature 🤷‍♀️

if someone from the school turned up and insisted on checking for themselves I’d probably point out the existence of paracetamol and ibuprofen - both of which are used to lower temperatures - let them crack on but bend their ear about overstepping the mark and then make a complaint to the LA and senior school team. They’re not medical professionals and if they did turn up that’s basically harassment/bullying.

I don’t think they would though.

Stand your ground.

Have they said that to you personally because your child has a high absence rate? Or is it just a blanket rule?

Because they won't even making home visits to every child who is off! They just don't have the resources.

If your child is genuinely ill enough to be off school a lot, it might be worth investigating that further but schools are really interested in children without specific health needs whose attendance is trailing down in the 80% or below.

Also be aware that some children are kept off school to allow the physical signs of (physical/sexual) abuse to subside or due to neglect (no one can be arsed getting them there) so it its a general safeguarding rule of thumb. But they're not going to be interested really unless your child is off school for a couple of days every week with a minor illness that doesn't require them to be off school.

We only look at the circumstances of our own children when we are told of these policies but the school will be considering the circumstances of every child in the school and be aware of potential risk factors.

Which is why it feels so heavy handed to the majority of parents!

It’s a blanket rule , but we are at 90% attendance and that makes ds a persistent absentee’

My DD had good attendance and then one year she had a term of catching everything!

School were a nightmare. Letters "reminding" me of the need for good attendance. Her head of year phoned me and said they would ask for a doctors note next time.......I politely told him that dd would be in school when she was well and that if she wasn't I would be keeping her home and not wasting a GPs time asking for appointments and sick notes (that they are not obliged to supply).

By trying to force kids in who are unwell all they're going to do is end up with more kids getting ill and needing time off
It's your child and your decision. I absolutely would not send my child in feeling unwell, temperature or not.

This is what’s happening, the stricter they get the more ds is catching as they want kids in with illnesses regardless

I would ignore any rules about that and keep my child home if I felt they were too unwell to go. DD1 has just started primary and was hardly ever off sick from nursery so I don't keep her home at the drop of a hat. But it's my (and DH's) decision if she's too ill. The school's opinion is irrelevant here.

(Obviously I follow rules that require them to be off, eg 48 hours after d&v. I'm talking about the rules requiring them to be in)

This pressure on young children to be in school no matter what is ridiculous. Anyone that’s sick knows that rest helps you recover. I’m not talking about a bit of a cold/cough. But their immune systems are still developing and some kids catch everything ( I was one!) or ones that have existing conditions that hospitalise them for minor illness. Plenty of them around in school.

Insisting sick children are in school, even with post contagious d&v to spread illnesses further won’t help the issue either. They will be knackered and too tired to learn effectively: the teachers won’t won’t them in either as they are front line in catching the lovely germs plus the difficulties with sick kids in class.

It’s all about targets and numbers. Nothing about the welfare of kids and their families who will then also become sick. Parents should decide if their child is well enough for school. I’m not taking those with worrying absence/safeguarding concerns btw.

They say that they can now do home visits - if I lie and they do that they may ask to see me take his temperature?

Well that would be ridiculous of them. And pointless, because even if a child had a temp, it could easily come down with calpol but they're still too ill to go to school.

Only 90% attendance would be very low if that was the level for the whole year. What was his attendance last year?

It was 90% for the last term before summer and so far this school year he’s had 4 days off so I think it’ll be the same at the moment? We just get a termly report

School attendance policies are ridiculous. I am a teacher before anyone starts presuming I don't get the pressures of working in a school.

They have blanket policies because they get slated for poor attendance. There are obviously some families where attendance is poor and could be better. Sometimes a tough approach is probably needed, but sometimes support might be the best approach. If your kid goes to school whenever they are well enough I would say just ignore any grumblings from the school.

My son's school sent a very condescending letter about his unacceptable attendance. This was during COVID when we were following their policy and I had actually spoken to them to seek advice on whether he should attend.

At the other end of the scale my daughter had worse attendance than my son last year (she had COVId, then tonsillitis then a sickness bug one after the other) and her school has never raised an issue. I think it's because they know us a as a family and know we wouldn't be taking the mick
It's a small primary school where they know all the families, and my husband was chair of governors in the last. Vs my sins school which is a secondary MAT school and much more corporate.

We had issues with my son's secondary because he had 'too many' days off. He had had COVID and a couple of other very heavy colds. They did actually send an attendance officer round, but on a day we were all at work and he was at school!

Sick kids should not be in school. Schools insisting on infectious children being in are part of the reason they all get ill so often.