School harassing us over attendance...

[1993baby]

A bit of backstory..
This school is obsessed with attendance.
Last year in reception my daughter was hospitalised and really poorly. The school were calling me every day asking when she would be back when they knew she was in the hospital! I remember sat by her hospital bed and getting called from the school.
Then when she was discharged, they were coming to our house every day to “check on her progress” basically harassing us in to sending her back to school.
She was only 4 - under compulsory school age.

This continued any time she was off with illness.

Now...

This year DD had chickenpox and was off school for 2 weeks, she was really poorly with it and ended up in A&E dehydrated from being sick constantly. It took 2 weeks for her all of the scabs to scab over. We followed NHS and GOV guidelines about staying off until the scabs had healed.

Then immediately after, she got tonsillitis.
She couldn’t even drink water and we ended up at the out of hours. He prescribed antibiotics and said she had a really bad case of tonsillitis.
He said to keep her off school to rest until she feels better. She has been off a week as she has been really poorly with it.
I’ve taken her back to the GP two times as she seemed to get worse.

I informed school about all of this.
However when she had chicken pox, they were calling me even on the second day of illness asking for an update on when she would be back?
the GOV advice says AT LEAST 5 days..
so how are they asking for an update on when she would be back when it’s only been 2 days, she’s in the infectious period and it was actually impossible for her to be in school according to the rules.
It was just ridiculous.

Then 2 people from the school came round to our house to give us an attendance warning letter!! She had chicken pox.

They then asked us to send her to school with chickenpox.

Today, the GP told us that school has contacted them about her absence. They have asked the GP for confirmation of illnesses and told them to encourage her back to school?!

Apparently the school have now flagged this up as a safeguarding issue because she has been off a couple of weeks.

We went to 2 doctors this week and both of them said the same thing about school attendance, so it must be permanently on her health record now?!

Are they allowed to do this? I thought they had to ask my permission to access her medical records?
She has been off with genuine illness and been to the GP more times than I can count on two hands in that time period ! It’s hardly a safeguarding issue?! I kept the school updated and informed.

The GP asked me “how is everything at home?” So the school has obviously flagged a safeguarding with them which is totally unfair and I feel disgusted by the insinuation they are making here.

I walked out of the GP’s room in tears I was that upset by it all...

What can I do?
Can I get this taken off her record? :(

Wow. Just wow.

No advice but I'm sorry that you ended up in tears. You don't deserve this at all, it's stressful enough having a poorly child to the point they need hospitalisation or to see a GP.

Sending you hugs OP x

I understand that schools are pressured to maintain certain attendance levels however harassing you in these circumstances is just ludicrous.

Do not worry about them (stupidly) flagging this as a safeguarding issue. You are looking after your child, seeking and following medical advice. If they do try to push this to social services they will be dismissed - you have medical evidence to backup your child being absent.

I think being harassed by them in these circumstances is unwarranted and, in your position, I'd put in an official complaint.

School can ask the GP for whatever they want but the GP can’t give it with your permission. SS can request the info from the GP but that won’t be automatically shared with the school.

The school will have a complaints policybon their website. You need to follow it and say on every email/letter that this is a formal complaint.

Attendance is really being pushed in school. Not just due to post-Covid drop in attendance but a recognition that the first step in safeguarding is being able to clap eyes on a child and see that they are OK.

So if they are in school, they are satisfied that they are OK, or if not ok, that their staff can help. If they don't see a child for more than a few days then depending on their policy they will do home visits to try and get that contact.

I'm sorry you've been upset by this. I think sometimes schools are not very forthcoming with why they have the policies that they do. I've never heard of a school contacting a GP before and I can understand why you are shaken.

That said, I think give yourself a bit of time and don't go in all guns blazing. I understand why you want to complain but this won't have any repercussions for your child's record or future. Kids are off school for all kinds of reasons. It's not a black mark in any way.

I hope your DD feels better soon.

Gosh I'm so sorry that sounds incredibly stressful

3 weeks off this term is it? If so that is a lot so I can see why they're raising questions but they need to back off and use some common sense

@1993baby Didn't you get a GP certificate when she was ill? Last winter my DS was off 2 weeks for pneumonia, my GP gave me two certificates so I could have him stay home the time necessary (a second one to give to school in case he needed an extra week off which he didn't). If you do this school has no reason to inquire. You must understand that they are legally obliged to intervene when a child is absent without any proof which is a good thing since some parents are neglectful and abusive.

FGS she's 4, not 14 and about to start GCSEs! The school should back TF off.

Kids aged 4 are still gaining a n immune system. I would remind them of this. And also to leave you TF alone, especially as LO has been hospitalised. This is borderline harassment.

Why would they get a fit note or whatever its called? They don't work

I would be fuming too! I would look at a different school, because there would be no way back for me.

Not all schools are like this.

This seems excessive op. Obviously the school has a duty to investigate absences due to neglect/ abuse/ fgm etc but if your gp is providing a note of confirmed illness then I can't see any reason for them to continue to push this. Especially to push for her to return with chickenpox. Can you contact the school to clarify what supporting evidence they require to verify that your child is genuinely unwell should this ever happen again?

I’ve move her, the school sound fucking insane. You’ve been through such a stressful worrying time and it must feel like everyone’s making life even harder. I’m so so sorry.

I’d look at a different school. In the meantime I’d pursue any and every complaint avenue possible. This isn’t being concerned about the child , it’s following a tick box exercise. Otherwise they’d have used common sense and not harassed you daily. The more parents complaint due to their kids being absent for genuine reasons hopefully the more likely this bs attendance campaign will end.

She's over compulsory school age now and her attendance is somewhere around the 50% mark this term. They really don't have much choice about it because the DfE live link is showing her as severely absent.

Attendance figures are part of the relentless drive to get that “Outstanding” banner outside the school gates. It’s simply horrible.

Do 4 year olds even need to legally be in school full time anyway? This seems so excessive, at the end of the day she is YOUR child not theirs, you had her best interests at heart and I would say what they have done is harassment. And if your GP has provided them with medical information on your DD without your approval that's also not great from them (gdpr?). If I'm honest if I was you I would pull her out of that school stating exactly what youve said here and apply for another, when does she turn 5?

It might seem excessive but your DD had missed a lot of school and it easy for a parent to claim "Oh she's been ill with chicken pox" when it's something nefarious

Would you rather the school had lax Safeguarding procedures?

Compulsory school age is the term after they turn 5 isn't it?

It is not the school.

This is the Department of Education Guidance that schools must follow, set away under the previous government. Attendance data is collected weekly from every school.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/working-together-to-improve-school-attendance

Yes, if she was in reception last year she will be 5.

I messaged and spoke to them on the phone on the Monday saying she had chickenpox and the spots had only just appeared so she would definitely be off that week, yet the very next day on Tuesday i had a message and voicemail saying she is absent and they don’t know the reason she is not at school....
Literally acting like they are oblivious.
That’s how ridiculous it is.

They did exactly the same when she was in hospital. Calling me every day.

Just constant pressure to send her in when she’s unwell :(

I mean, they sent an attendance letter with an attendance percentage on it when she only had time off for chicken pox.. what was I supposed to do? It was unavoidable.
They said this was a “safeguarding” visit.. but gave me a letter warning about her attendance so they are clearly using safeguarding as a facade for attendance visits.

I sent a message regarding complaining earlier on in the week and after that it seems they have contacted the GP in retaliation...

It really seems like the safeguarding office has a personal vendetta against us at this point. I stood up to her previously about the harassment and ever since then it has just gotten worse and worse.

It’s literally making our lives a misery and so much stress it’s actually starting to make me ill.

I did get some free legal advice and the solicitor said it was harassment and the school owed us a formal apology..
The school never replied 🙃

The school are doing what they legally have to do. There's no way round it without the school getting into serious trouble.

Our school requires you to call up every day to report absence, even if you've pre-warned them they'll be off longer. If you don't they call you.

I think you're being a bit OTT. The school are doing their jobs in checking your child is safe. It is very unusual for a child to be hospitalised with chicken pox or to not be able to drink water because of tonsillitis, especially with these things back to back. It's sent their alarm bells ringing. It's understandable. It's not really harassment. Just tell them she's still ill if needed. You're choosing to take it personally.

They once sent her home from reception as she had severe ear pain and was crying non stop..
She had an ear infection. I kept her off but the “safeguarding” person came round to the house and harassed me into sending her back to school.
I did and her ear drum ruptured...
now the ENT a doctor said she has hearing loss in that ear.

They have done more harm yet now we have been flagged as a safeguarding risk which is on her GP record when all I have ever done is try to keep her safe and well :(