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

Pretty sure Mumsnet wouldn't exist if everyone took that approach. Chatting about it on here has given me some helpful ideas (getting asthma clinic to send a letter) which I shall be putting in place.

Please just exercise common sense as their parent. When lots of nonsensical people do this teachers are exposed to a heavy viral / infection load. If you are happy to spread germs and have your child's teacher off sick come November then crack on.

You risked immuncompromised children becoming ill by listening to rumours rather than reading the law! Why would you do that?

This. What new rules? Don't even need one for work for the first 3 days

you cant even get a note for a week so i dont know how you prove someone is ill

I mean, there are parents who send their children in just because they don't want to miss out on an attendance award. Yet people still don't seem to be annoyed at schools for having these.

This is for taking time out of term for holidays. It's not relevant to your child being ill.

can you get something added to their asthma action plan to share with the school about how respiratory illnesses need to be handled? might keep them off your back?

It's 5 consecutive days unauthorized. So not a total of 5 days a year! Also being ill is seen as authorised. Taking the child out of school to go to the beach (as I did) is not authorised 🤣.

Quite. but school are saying we need Dr notes

AquaLeader
@sicknotez enjoys being a drama llama.

It's so much more entertaining than actually addressing the underlying reasons for her children's chronic conditions that cause them to miss so much school.

We are working closely with the asthma clinic. How exactly do you think their illnesses are my fault ?

The biggest issue is other people being encouraged by attendance awards /fines etc to send their children in when ill, which then means my children get very ill.

☝️☝️☝️
But you are doing exactly the same by sending in your sick kids!!!! Therefore my kids end up being ill and are unable to win awards for attendance and I have to take time off work!!!

Can you link to the evidence from the school? Take a photo of the letter or a link to their website please.

Drs don't give sick notes for children off school. Even employees are allowed a number of self-certification days.
I'd love to see the evidence they have and the discussions they have had with GPs in the area.

If you're really upset, write to the governing body.

Unauthorised absence is truanting or holidays. They are trying to crack down on that so their place in local league tables is better.

I think they need a more effective way of stopping these children 'falling through the cracks'. If they actually gave a shit about children's education, they'd invest more in it, not create even more of a totalitarian state than they already have.

There are a lot of people on here assuming schools exercise an ounce of common sense/compassion as well as actually know and apply relevant legislation. Some schools may, but many don't. My child's school wrongly (more than once) wrote him up for 'unauthorised absence' when they knew he was in hospital for cancer treatment. Earlier this year I was wrapped over the knuckles for his 'poor attendance' when he spent a whole month in hospital with ensephalitis caused by the chicken pox he caught off a kid at school.

As to some who have suggested they would just fight a fine in court...that's great if you've got the knowledge, time, money and strength to do so. I certainly wouldn't.

Well then your child’s school SMT cannot understand the advice. I’ve just read it and it clearly states that the 5 days issue is for unauthorised absence. I would expect my DS’s school to authorise his absence if I ring up every morning and give an update on his illness, particularly if it’s contagious. Both of mine have had viral flu and needed over a week in the past - always recorded as authorised.

Would you go into work with those symptoms? I wouldn’t want my kids miserable at school when they could be tucked up under a blanket on the sofa.

There are a lot of people on here assuming schools exercise an ounce of common sense/compassion as well as actually know and apply relevant legislation. Some schools may, but many don't.

Exactly this.

You need to be talking to the school not the asthma nurse. There’s enough information kindly shared in this thread to quote at them regarding what statutory requirements are and it’s clear either the school have gotten carried away with themselves or you’re misunderstanding. Possibly both.

if your dc are likely to cross the threshold of ‘acceptable’ attendance then go and talk to them and don’t leave until you’re all on the same page. Also take the opportunity to formally note your objections to any attendance awards (genuinely had no idea any schools below secondary still did these).

otherwise this thread is a useless mass of outraged clucking that doesn’t reflect reality in the slightest.

It's not performance parenting

Many schools expect you to run past them what the illness is and THEY decide if the child is well enough because Attendance.

It's absolutely barmy

That's great.

It’s for unauthorised absence. Being sick is authorised absence.

it’s fine to keep your children at home when they are ill.

Quote the statutory guidance then!

365. 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.

I haven't seen attendance awards for 15 years. Thank God. As bad as 'best Halloween costume' (made by parents), best homework effort (parents) and 'friendship awards'.

@sicknotez If they have chronic conditions that make them more vulnerable then provide details of that with supporting medical info (e.g. letter from asthma clinic) and make a specific agreement (reasonable adjustments) with the school for your kids? Hopefully you can fo that just once and they will retain the information. I wouldn’t waste energy being cross about this until you have tried this approach and found out if you still have a problem?

Well then they aren't using the Government guidance and if they start any further proceedings you can refer them (and the LEA) to the guidance.

How many days did they have off last year?