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

I know plenty of parents who sent children in when contagious just because they wanted them to get a stupid "attendance award".

If your child is off sick for more than 5 days a check with a doctor wouldn't be amiss

I don't get it. Your kids have chronic conditions so if asked for a docs note, youd be able to get wouldnt you?

@sicknotez it’s 5 consecutive days not 5 days over a year.

As for evidence, if your children have asthma you have inhalers with their names on and you will have included any medical issues they have on their school records plus you have a conversation with the school.

My DD missed ALOT of school last year, I was never asked for a Drs note, the school knew she was unwell, we sent hospital appointment let’s in when we knew she had an appointment but just a phone call was needed when she was too sick to attend school.

But if the days aren't consecutive? I can't see anything about the days needing to be consecutive to be fined?

Can you link to the rules you are talking about ?

Our school say to send the children in with coughs colds sore throats and runny noses they’ll only authorise days off with a fever as well. So I just say they have a temperature as well .

It's not five consecutive days it's five total days https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2024/08/19/fines-for-parents-for-taking-children-out-of-school-what-you-need-to-know/

As a parent of a vulnerable child that relies on the good will and compassion of others not to send their child in when they are clearly unwell, please don't send them in. A simple cold for most, turns into pneumonia and a hospital stay for my child. We have literally just last week finished a 2 week stay for IV antibiotics after a 'common cold' caused pneumonia.

The system is not designed to catch parents out for things that are genuine illness, it's to deter parents who regularly keep their children off claiming they are unwell but in reality are using the day off to do something else like a holiday. If your child is still ill after 5 days, most parents would be getting them seen by a doctor at that point and you would therefore have the evidence you need. It's the exact same as adults needing a sick note after self certifying for 5 working days. I get that it's a crappy system, but they needed to be seen as doing something to tackle the rising absence rates.

It's 5 unauthorised days. Illness is an authorised absence. Schools won't be requiring doctors notes for a cold. If there is a really high level of sickness, then the school may start asking for proof for future ones, but not every absence needs the note.

Nothing in the rules means you are expected to, or makes it right to, send very unwell and contagious children to school.

Nowhere in the guidelines does it say that you send children to school if they're sick. In fact the very first bullet point states they don't need to attend if they're sick:

What if my child needs to miss school?
Your child must attend every day that the school is open, unless:
• Your child is too ill to attend that day.

Like many, I don't agree with the fines, but knowingly sending sick children into school as a protest is not a good way to go.

That’s ridiculous. If they’re ill then You are doing them a huge misservice. You’re their mother. Advocate for them yourself. So what if they have a “policy”. Doesn’t make it right or a good policy. Do what’s right for your children and keep them home. If you need to later in the year I’m sure you can fight any fine nonsense. And it is nonsense.

Keep all their snotty tissues and if the school asks, give them a bag of them and tell them that they can find the evidence in the form of snot in every tissue if they really care that much.

It doesn’t say anywhere in the guidance that you must send them if they are sick?? ‘Your child is too ill to attend’ is one of the reasons you can keep them off, authorized. Just keep them off and tell the school why, it’s not a big deal.

This often happened to my children too when they were younger.

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

‘There are only a few occasions where a child is allowed to miss school, such as illness or where the school has given permission because of an exceptional circumstance.’

It literally says they can miss school for illness here. What am I missing?

My children's school have made it clear that more than 5 days off sick in total (not consecutively ) without a doctors note would be seen as a problem

Attendance certificates are ridiculous, and I wouldn't be thinking of making my child or anyone else's suffer to get one, or considering them in any way tbh

I think the new policy sound evidence is aimed at those parents who don't value school and let their children stay off for any old reaosn. As your children have chronic conditions which presumably the school are aware of I doubt they'll be asking you to provide evidence because you're not sending them in today.
To send your children in today would be very unfair on them and everyone else in their classroom.

My children's school have said they want doctors notes. That's on the county council (LEA) guidance too

The school day is split into two sessions – one session counts as a morning or afternoon spent in school. There are only a few occasions where a child is allowed to miss school, such as illness or where the school has given permission because of an exceptional circumstance.

Taken from the link you provided.illness is authorised absence. Unauthorized would be going on holiday. Just not going cos it's raining, attending a family occasion you were denied permission for etc. you are worrying about nothing.

Nor would I but I know plenty of parents who do.

I am certain that attendance awards are discriminatory

Email some photos of your children tucked up in bed drinking lemsip and using their inhalers.
Do extreme close ups of their snotty noses.

Am I? I got a letter from school at the end of last year implying that if my children's attendance was similar this year they would be considering fines. All their days missed were due to illness. All probably caught at school in the first instance.