To send my children to school today even though they are unwell and clearly contagious

[sicknotez]

They both have nasty coughs/colds. I know that the best thing for them would be rest (and their inhalers). I know they are clearly contagious.

But under the new rules as I understand I would need a doctor's note or it would be unauthorised absence? And it doesn't seem right to waste a stretched doctors time with this when they don't need anything prescribing.

So I guess I send them into school and wait for school to send them home and in the meantime they will infect their teachers and classmates?

It seems like a stupid new system to me.

They both have chronic conditions so it's likely they will need quite a number of days off in the year. Despite this they are both steaming along in top sets. They love learning and hate missing school and would happily do work at home when ill if teachers sent them some

You may wish to ask them why they are deviating from the DfE's statutory guidance?

Am sure a Mumsnetter will come along soon to cheerily tell you that you are just misunderstanding what the school have said

This has always happened though, long before these new guidelines. Some working parents send quite sick children to school. I'm beginning to think that school is just a free baby sitter and if you're lucky your child learns something along the way.

I'll make sure to mention that. He does seem on the ball so far as he only recently took over the role and I think he wants to make his mark, unlike his couldn't care less predecessor.

I thought that when my son was off and school rang and I asked if they could send him some work (he couldn't physically go to school but could have done work and he enjoys learning ) and school seemed astounded that I assumed their concern was about him missing education. We paid for some tutor sessions instead.

Well, yes, I'm sure some parents have always sent inappropriately ill children to school. But here you have a thread started by a parent who would rather not do this and is being told that it's expected by the school.

Exactly

I'd be quite happy for school to set work online though. But it doesn't seem to be the "missing education" but they are worried about, just their statistics

Well yes. It's literally about bums on seats. Whether the children attached to those bums are capable of learning or not. It's an Ofsted tick box and attendance is all. My son missed a few sessions last year from Thursday/Friday infections, but still managed a 97.5 % attendance. If school don't like that, tough.

Yabu. Keep your sick children off so they can recover quickly and not spread it to others. To send them in is selfish!

Have you actually gone in and had a face to face conversation specifically about the schools sickness policy and LEA requirements in relation to your dc’s health conditions?

it’s not entirely clear if you have, given your keeness to employ tutors I’d find it very strange if you hadn’t as you’re clearly engaged with your dc’s education.

But it doesn't. So you need to write to them.

GPs don't authorise school sickness.

How on earth are you supposed to get an appt for a start?

How is a GP supposed to know a child has a sore throat or D&V ?
Only if their parent says so.
So it's not a secure system anyway is it?

No, she hasn't. She just wants to complain on a forum rather than behaving responsibly and talk face to face with the headteacher.

'But plenty of parents sent their children in when full of cold purely to ensure they got one of the stupid 100% attendance certificates'

@sicknotez

You are no better than those ones wanting the attendance certificates. Stop performance parenting. If they ask for evidence, tell them you're not wasting GPs time. If your children have chronic health conditions as you say, send in a letter confirming this. And then say they need to stay off when ill.

JFC I despair at the selfish attitude of some parents.

My DS is in a specialist school and despite their many other failings, they issue attendance certificates which don't include sickness days (and we send him every day he's well, so he gets a certificate every term).

In contrast to what PPs have said, a face to face meeting or a phone conversation is useless, you need things in writing.

Please point me to your policy on your website where it says I need a GP note for fewer than 5 days consecutive illness.
Please send me your school policy on D&V.
etc. etc.
Then complaint via governors and beyond that LEA.

Schools don't offer remote learning anymore.

You should contact the Headteacher who is responsible for the veracity of the register (as a legal document) and request that he corrects inaccurate codings. They can still do that for last year's entries.

”In contrast to what PPs have said, a face to face meeting or a phone conversation is useless, you need things in writing”

dunno why I thought it went without saying, but yes, either ask for an email confirming what has been discussed or send one yourself.

Have you sent them in? I only read OP responses and I don't think you've said.

These new rules are ludicrous!!!

My nearly-8 DS missed 3 days last week because he's got covid! How uncool to have covid these days! He had a grotty cold and was a bit chesty, which is what made me test him. He's gone back today though and is much brighter.

How about bothering to read the OP then..

Oh it's genuine but understandable how it seems unbelievable that they have that stance.
The GP we saw last year was gobsmacked when I said they wanted medical evidence - it was day 2 of being off (he did need antibiotics due to being bacterial)

Guidelines are to keep child off with covid, which makes the five days absence target even more ludicrous, given how much just that one virus is around.

Thanks for testing. I think there'd be alot less overall absence, not to mention health, if more people did.

It doesn't matter what sets they are in how good their grades are or how smart they are. A sick child should not be in school.

Your attitude about them being smart is awful so a child that doesn't get good marks has to struggle through school when they are sick? WTAF

I don't think it's fair to say that schools aren't interested in education because they can't/won't offer an individual tutoring provision. I know you're going to say that it would have taken 5 minutes for them to set work for your child... Do you know what the workload implications would look like if it was policy to set work for absent children, though?