Upset about absence letter from primary sch

[cultkid]

Hi can anyone please tell me what the trigger point is to get an absence and close monitoring letter from school? Is it the norm to not have a chat or a phone call first?

I'm trying not to get very upset but I am blown away

There's a 0.8% difference in sickness v "unauthorised" both not recorded accurately
And a 2.03% on the other child

Is it the norm to send out these letters without talking? Thanks

Because procedure is an official letter not a chat. I got one when DD’s attendance fell under 70%. She was sick not on holiday. I ignored it, she’s predicted top grades and she can’t help having an illness.

Normal. Ours just go in the recycling bin.

You are taking this far too personally and expecting far too much of a busy Headteacher.

Also, you don't come across as approachable or gentle from your posts!

You've seen the stuff in the news lately about school absence right? And all the pushing on this the government is doing? https://www.gov.uk/government/news/major-national-drive-to-improve-school-attendance

Schools have to try to get kids in as much as they can. They have to show they're proactively trying to do that. So having systems in that autogenerate nagging letters when absence levels reach a set level is the most basic baby step thing they would be expected to do.

Don't fret. It's just admin. Blimey imagine how you're going to feel the first time you get a note from the school telling you to check your child's hair for nits, or a "gentle reminder" about not to send sugary snacks in lunchboxes...

It's a standard mail merged letter. If hand signed by the Principal is likely they just had a stack and signed them without looking at the names.They will be aware of the serious cases of persistent absenteeism but a letter for 10 sessions off is just a tick box exercise.

Hopefully your child is an individual in the pastoral care they receive and the work they are given but don't be in any doubt, where attendance comes they are very much just a statistic, a percentage the government have set

You took your kids out of a school for a holiday. What did you expect? What on earth does being 'gentle' have to do with it?

It's an automated letter. You don't get special treatment because you help out at the school.

If you don’t want a letter then don’t take them out of school on holiday.
No they don’t have to be enrolled in school at the age of four but if they are then you have to follow the rules.
It is bloody offensive to every teacher when you claim that the children have done no learning in the last week. That is utter bollocks and is you trying to justify what you did.
Schools have no say in sending those letters as nearly every single reply has said.
You don’t come across as meek and mild.

You took your child on holiday in term time. That will bring your child's percentage down and has hit the point where a certain letter is sent. It is irrelevant how lovely you are. The school cannot authorise your dds absence due to a holiday regardless of how nice you are or how many gloves you donated. Many kids gets ill and sick days should be for these days not holidays.

You are massively over-reacting.

Don't take your child out of school in term time.

No school has time to chat to parents to pre-warn them that a standard attendance letter is being sent out.

You need to grow a MUCH thicker skin!

It’s what the computer says.
The computer is always right.
The Post Office could have told you this.
😉😁😁

Schools don't have any say in this, they have to send the letters

My sister in law got sent one of these letters saying her child had missed too much school.

Her child was in hospital getting terminal cancer treatment. The letter arrived 3 weeks before she died. The school knew why the child was not at school - and still sent it.

That's awful - did they apologise?

If he's not of legal age, why are they fining you?

School have sent you 8 letters over the last two weeks threatening court action?

Surely if the child is 4 they shouldn't be sending out this sort of letter or threatening you with court? And taking a 4 year old out of school just before Christmas is hardly the biggest crime against education!

Gloves! Gloves are the nemesis of EYFS staff.

If you don’t want to receive snarky letters about absence, don’t take your kids out for a week’s holiday. It’s not hard.

You made a conscious choice to take your child out of school in an unauthorised absence. This is the consequence. You have triggered the system to receive a warning letter and a fine. You must have known This was likely.
This has nothing to do with your relationship with the deputy head. It’s doubtful she even remembered that your name was on the letter? Is it a largish primary school? If so, she’s not going to remember all the kids attendance figures is she? She’s got many, many more important things to put in her brain.
Being a ‘nice’ parent doesn’t mean you get to side step the nationwide school attendance laws.

My child had a year of absolute illness last year (under paediatrician,hospital admissions and follow up appointments)
Absolutely no holidays!
I got letters
Phone calls and told I must improve her attendance!
Believe me I'd rather her be in school than hospital!
All other years have been 100% yet I still have to be called termly to be reminded that attendance matters 🤷‍♀️

You can’t be surprised at this surely? You took two children out of school for a holiday. Course you’re going to get a pissy letter. The fact it was Christmas jumper day doesn’t matter a jot.

If you take children out of school for holidays you need to be prepared for the backlash from the school / LEA.

The LEA won’t think ‘oh she’s a lovely woman and brought in 20 pairs of gloves. Bless her!’ They just know 2 kids didn’t turn up for school for a week.

Her OP talks about two children.

I've got to walk past her now and I have been trying to get hold of her all day

Why not have a chat when you walk past her? It's no big deal- they have to send these letters, the LEA makes them.

If you take your kids out unauthorised you can't moan when the school tell you their attendance is shit!!

From what I've seen, the tone of these letters vary by borough. I've seen some heavy-handed ones that threaten fines right off the bat. I'm fortunate my kids go to schools who take a lighter tone and offer to work with you rather than fines, court, blah blah blah.

If your kid is 4 they're not of compulsory school age and absences should be marked Code X anyway, not as unauthorised.

But I'm only referring to the 4 year old.

OP you are over reacting. They are automatic letters sent out when attendance drops below a certain percentage. A 5 day holiday will trigger the fine, then plus any sickness days i'm not suprised you have had one, that sounds like a lot of days off school in 1 term since september.

Its not a personal attack, you muat have know you would get the letter after taking them out for 5 days?