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 sent a pic in once of one of my DC throwing up when they asked for proof.

Aware that looked like I was being a twat but genuinely was the only evidence I could think of!

Could you take a pic of them clearly unwell in case you're asked to give proof?

But why should I have the stress and worry that I could be fined.

I know lots of parents planning to send their unwell children in now and let school make the decision to send them home. Its an inevitable response to increased threats of fines

Our school has said 10 unauthorised sessions in a 10 week school period under the new rules before you get fined.
Being ill is classed as authorised not unauthorised and we don't have to provide a doctors note unless it is for a long period of time in one go. I'm sure if there was a pattern to the sickness and they suspected someone not to be ill, it would be raised as an issue.
Its not feasible to get a doctors note for each single day off - our doctor wouldn't do it anyway.

For goodness sake. How ridiculous.

I’d ignore it let them fine me then offer to battle it in court to be honest.

I'm a TA, currently bed bound with a horrendous bug because parents put their sick kids into school. I've given it to my DD, who has now missed a week of school and she's in 6th year (scotland).

Please, don't put sick kids in as you have no idea of the effect it has on staff and their families, let alone the other pupils.

But why should I have the stress and worry that I could be fined

Because they are trying to stop children falling through the cracks who have parents who call them in sick because they cba getting them to school on time.

This isn't personally pointed to you, last I read there was something like 300k children who are "missing" from school every year. This is to try and encourage the parents of those children.

I bet they regretted asking for proof!

I don’t know the new guidelines but it seems ridiculous to send them in. Ask the school To clarify, surely no sensible human being would send them in. It’s a ridiculous thought to send them!

My ds had a virus and needed a few days off school...I got a letter saying every absence for sickness would need a doctor's note.... utterly ridiculous. I'm sure the NHS couldn't cope with every child with a cold/flu/virus needing an appointment

I think she has legitimate cause to feel stressed by the new guidance.

A cough really isn’t a big deal. Kids get colds and coughs constantly, if they stayed off school each time they’d barely ever be in.

I am worried about this too OP. My DD is in Y8. A few years ago she had a nasty bug (possibly COVID, possibly not) and after this she had post-viral fatigue. She's a lot better now, but every time she gets a cold she is off for 3-4 days. So her attendance was not great last year (around 90%). Conversely my DD2 is more robust and had 100% attendance despite colds as she only had them mildly.

Anyway, for DD1 I phoned school and left a message for every absence day. However by the end of the year, 10 sessions (5 days) had been marked as unauthorised on the app. I didn't query this because I feel like school have enough to do, and I didn't want to make a fuss.

But I am worried in the future that we could get a fine for this.

I also agree with OP that different schools are interpreting it differently in terms of needing doctors notes etc (which is an absolutely ridiculous idea given how stretched GP services are, plus the fact you don't want to take an infectious child into a GP practice unless you really need to).

Exactly.

It's not 5 consecutive days but it's also not 5 days over a year. It's 5 days unauthorised over a 10 week period, provided it's not due to a holiday, you would the get a notice to improve letter, your LA determines over how many weeks this is for eg if further unauthorised absence within a 6 werk period (you need to check what your LA has set this at) then at the latest point you may get a fine if no medical evidence had been provided. In some instances, schools accept care of chemist.

Yea I did get an email back saying they were thinking more along the lines of a Dr appointment or a pic of meds I'd given him rather than an action shot 🤣 but when I pointed out it wasn't a GP situation and i thought a pic of milk of magnesia i had at home only proved i had a bottle in so I didn't know what to do they said fair enough.

The next sickness was diahorreah a few months later and they made a point of saying no need to send proof thank you 😂

Wow that's mad. I'm not in the UK and while I hate sick kids going into school I can really see your point sending them in. How much is the fine ? What if a someone can't pay it ?

I'm in Ireland, We're 'allowed' 20 days, it's great for mainstream but my youngest who goes to a special needs school for the severely disabled has much more than this, it's up to the school to report it but they don't usually as they know these children are very, very ill but they seem to enjoy calling you in and asking a million questions and making you feel like rubbish.

If they doubt it, which they would only do after a number of days in which case you can get a doctors note. Please don’t be ridiculous and keep them at home. if you run out of days later in the year, deal with it then.

Not at all - if her child is genuinely sick and she is keeping them home for good reason, she will not be fined. She may get tedious letters, but it won't go further than that

Ops children have inhalers , so I'd presume they are asthmatics. A cough from a cold is a different thing with small asmathic children

What kind of mother knows her kids are sick and need a rest but sends them in anyway? Because of 'guidance', FFS.

It’s unrealistic for parents to get a doctors note every time they get sick. The new rules are ridiculous.

keep them home op, if they go they will spread it to others who will need time off too.

schools are quick to say if it just a cold to come in but some children like your children by the sounds of it really suffer with any kind of respiratory illness - my own son is the same so I can sympathise.

my sons attendance went down to 80 % last year just from getting ill and hospital apps. All the attendances were authorised and I received no letters or anything, school didn’t even care but I don’t know what will happen this year…

Of course, what every GP surgery needs is an actively vomiting child! For goodness sake, where is the common sense!

My son was very ill in year 11 this waa 18 months ago ,he was in critical care for four weeks ,obviously I had a letter from the hospital, but when he was discharged home I didn't send him straight back to school as he was still recuperating, I didn't need to send any extra Drs notes in or anything ,school agreed he would have the next two weeks off an return after the Easter.

GPs have no duty to provide sick notes for school children. Phone them in sick. I would be very surprised if the school wants them in or would demand evidence.

Depends on whether you can afford to pay the inevitable fine or not.