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

If they are fine in themselves, I would send them to school. If they are lethargic and clearly unwell, keep them home. The new school system is not going to work anyway as the docs in the area are not going to take kindly for having to write sick notes for every cough and cold. This happened near where I used to live and a doc contacted the school and basically told them not to be ridiculous. Just say the children are ill if necessary. There'll be many parents not following the new procedure.

O don’t talk rubbish.

This is not the 'new system'.

I know sounds stupid right ? ??

Teachers get warnings and in trouble if they have more than three absences a year (even if they are three single days) or at least in the several schools I have experienced.
Please keep your kids at home if they are ill so the others can have a teacher!

https://notfineinschool.co.uk/home/f/is-medical-evidence-required-to-authorise-every-school-absence

This sets out quite well with the guidance that the school should be following (unless it’s been superseded) about not routinely asking for evidence unless they have a genuinely reason to think you’re not telling the truth.

Our school give us a couple of days at a time for self limiting things like fevers, stomach upsets but we still got quite a severe talk from the attendance officer first on the bill at the reception new parents evening!

I’m rather touchy on this subject and this is no way aimed at Op but someone sent their child to school with Covid infected the whole class and teaching team one of them was my daughter who not knowing that said child had Covid came home and gave it us all and my 7 year old son died from it. I cannot look at the school now at all as for the headmistress and said mom I just have no words.

Surely if your children have chronic conditions both the school and your GP are aware of it

This is from 2022. This is not up to date. The new guidance is more supportive of parents. Schools should not routinely be asking for medical evidence! You can read it here on page 86/87
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66bf300da44f1c4c23e5bd1b/Working_together_to_improve_school_attendance_-_August_2024.pdf

Code I: Illness (not medical or dental appointment)
364. The pupil is unable to attend due to illness (both physical and mental health related). Schools should advise parents to notify them on the first day the child is unable to attend due to illness.
86

1. Schools are not expected to routinely request that parents provide medical evidence to support illness absences. Schools should only request reasonable medical evidence in cases where they need clarification to accurately record absence in the attendance register - i.e. making a decision that code I is the absence code that accurately describes the reason the pupil is not in school for the session in question. In the majority of cases a parent's notification that their child is too ill to attend school will be that evidence and can be accepted without question or concern. Only where the school has genuine and reasonable doubt about the authenticity of the illness should medical evidence be requested to support the absence.
2. Where medical evidence is deemed necessary, schools should not be rigid about the form of evidence requested and should speak to the family about what evidence is available. Schools should be mindful that requesting additional medical evidence unnecessarily places pressure on health professionals, their staff and their appointment system, particularly if the illness is one that does not require treatment by a health professional. Where a parent cannot provide evidence in the form requested but can provide other evidence, schools should take this into account. Where a parent cannot provide any written evidence the school should have a conversation with the parent and pupil, if appropriate, which may in itself serve as the necessary evidence to record the absence.
3. This code is classified for statistical purposes as authorised absence.

So sorry for your loss. 💐

Ask the policy in writing so you can spam it everywhere that will listed. And quite honestly, I'd inform the school that theyre requesting you to send suck childrne to school. Spa. until they make the policy realistic and show that they care about kids more than the ridiculous bums on seat policy

If regulations mean you have to do something you regard as a waste of someone’s time that’s not your problem it’s on the one who made the rules. OF COURSE you shouldn’t send them in! Poor kids :(

Please put your child first, a sick child should be at home to recover.

It also helps protect all the other children who attend the same school.

If you need a GP note, get one and ask the GP to address any issue they have directly with the school.

I have zero time for the abusive attendance pageant they are forcing on families and demonising parents yet again.

is it 5 consecutive days or 5 over the year?
i am reading its 5 over the year??

Mine are going on holiday next year for a week - i will pay the fine

If it's just a bit of a cold or cough but otherwise they're fine, you need to send them in - with inhalers as required. If it's preventing them from doing much or they have a fever you need to keep them off. Oddly parents seem very binary as a group. You get parents who send their children in with chicken pox or pneumonia (honestly) and then you get parents who keep them off for the tiniest sniffle. It's about judgement so you balance in between. You are allowed to judge how ill your child is and how much it will impact their education. Being properly ill is an authorised absence if you contact the school everyday before 08:30 saying why.

I think there should be a different process or more understanding for the chronically ill. None of my dc have ever had five days off sick in a school year nor I from work so that part on its own doesn’t sound unreasonable to me but it’s obviously going to be different if you have underlying illness or an ongoing condition.

Well, I saw the title, then read the post, and went in about 15 seconds from, "ARE YOU CRAZY?" to "IS THAT SCHOOL CRAZY?" I think I have whiplash. Yes, keep them home, contact the school, tell them why. Also, you might lodge a complaint, citing the danger of sending sick children to school when it is clear that they are contagious with colds.

Don’t be worrying about unauthorised absence. You are the parent. You authorise it! I’d not be concerned with the council setting tick box goals for sick kids.

@C152 I'm so sorry for your experience & lack of understanding & common sense applied by your school (and parents).

The primary my kids went to is now 10+ years into a policy of having a "lovely" reward afternoon tea with the headteacher each term, then a special activity in summer term for all of those with a 100% attendance record. No allowances are made for sickness absence.

I couldn't imagine a more soul destroying experience for a kid with a chronic condition than having to watch others go to a 'congratulations you haven't got cancer/didn't need to go to hospital this year' treat. And yet still they plough on with it.

Not to mention the incentive it provides to send in kids who haven't sat out their isolation period after a bout of D&V etc.

To my knowledge they haven't gone quite as bonkers as to record illness as unauthorised, or to request a GP intervention for days 1-5 of illness. But the reward system is a dysfunctional approach to keeping everyone in the classrooms healthy, that's for sure!

It's very selfish of you to send them in to school poorly, for them, the other kids & their Teachers. Poor things need to be in bed at home resting & being looked after. You're putting them in danger if they have a chronic illness & they're not being cared for properly. If the Dr won't give you a sick note explain that to the School & ask what they suggest you do. If the school are aware of their chronic conditions I'm sure they'll understand your kids may be off more than usual & won't get a sick note ever time they're not able to come into school.

Keep them home

I'm sure they mean 5 consecutive days.

These rules are ridiculous, you know your child and you know if they are well enough for school, it is ridiculous for schools to demand a Dr's note, why would you waste a GPs time, when yiu don't need too. And if they do try and fine you, I would be challenging it.

In my sixth form college someone came up with the ‘plan’ that everyone had to have 100% attendance regardless of sickness… they scrapped it a year later after one teacher was out for six months with a life-threateningly serious bout of one of the maladies we’d all been trading around for months. It was always ridiculous and nearly ended in tragedy. So yeah, don’t let that be your kids.

FYI sickness is NEVER unauthorised so no need to send them in