To have refused to sign this parenting contract about attendance

[NoContract]

Dd is 15. Attendance is very low (62%). Has never been above 80% since starting secondary.

Dd has multiple medical issues. We have given so many letters from consultants. For the last year if she has for example had a regular illness eg d and v we have had to get proof (a GP appt) or threats of fines are immediate.

Today I was asked to sign a contract that I will make sure attendance improves. I refused as I have no control over it - I’m really thinking now that home education is the only way forward ? Because I refused I was told there will be further referrals made ? Feel like I’m going mad and talking to a brick wall if it was that simple and I could sort things out I would have ??!!

Dd has asked me not to disclose the conditions as there are a lot and may be identifying. I’m able to say they are all long term / permanent and that we are currently not having much luck finding effective therapies

Have you looked in to whether your DD would be eligible for tutoring provided by the LA?

My DD was awarded a few hours a week due to severe anxiety going in to school, it lead to her running away and running near roads and all sorts trying to get away. Not the same as physical health issues but could be worth a try?

Yes it seems to be very much we are having the same conversations over and over and they keep having meetings where we are just going over the exact same things yet they keep asking me to make sure it improves and maintaining the need for proof for everything like they are just having to show that they are dragging us in regularly

A friend of mine unfortunately is involved in this as she is a deputy housemaster

They have a script for the meetings. They know full well that if your child has epilepsy/cancer/downs/whatever that they are going to have days off.

But the algorithm says so many days off per fortnight means a meeting.

It's about inconveniencing the parents.

They then have to tick off on the spreadsheet meeting done and write up the notes and put them on the system.

All so ofsted can see.

If DD is unable to attend because of ill health, the absences should be recorded as authorised. The attendance contract suggests the school may be recording these as unauthorised. You should check.

Is alternative provision in place? If not, request alternative provision. On their website, IPSEA has a model letter you can use.

Does DD have an EHCP? If not, request an EHCNA yourself. IPSEA has a model letter for this too. Don’t wait for the school to do it.

Ask them why they are penalising her for her disability. Time to start talking about disability discrimination. They're responding to targets for attendance, so you want to give a reason for them to see this as a separate issue.

These things annoy me. DD was on less than 70% in year 9, due to health, but left this summer with 12 x G9.

This is awful but typical, OP. Have a look at https://notfineinschool.co.uk. We only made progress with school when they reported us to social services and SS read the school the riot act for failing our child. Good luck to you and your daughter xx

Could you enquire if your area offer AV1 robots? They can be used as a hybrid option so if she is well she can attend, if she can't get out that day she can login from home. It sounds like that would better than LA provided tutoring via section 19 as she does have over 50% attendance.

It does feel that way as if they have a list of things they need to do and say and the fact I won’t sign a contract seems to have been quite an issue

This is the official guidance.

You might want to note page 23 (students with physical and mental difficulties and the school should provide additional support)

And page 48 on attendance contracts.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66bf300da44f1c4c23e5bd1b/Workingtogetherrtoimproveeschoolattendancee-Augustt2024.pdf

As the absences are related to medical issues would calling the school nurses in help?

They went in for my youngest DD and fought a very stubborn head to ensure she had all the reasonable adjustments she needed to attend school when she could. This included a special pass that allowed her to arrive late, leave early, access to drugs she needed in the first aid room and leave the classroom when she felt very ill. They also stopped hounding her over days she could not go in for. When she had surgeries she was allowed to cut back to school work sent home and did what she could when she could.

Might be best to refer to it as the Equality Act (not being snotty just trying to help get it right!)

I’m guessing her illnesses are chronic and as such a disability? She’s protected under this (Equality Act 2010) and currently they are discriminating against her and targeting her

@NoContract

Secondary teacher here.

You are over-thinking this. Just sign the contract, even if it is impossible. It'll keep them off your case for a bit.

If her attendance doesn't improve, what are they going to do?? Call the authorities?! So social services get involved, you show them the medical records, and the fact that despite her attendance being poor she is doing well at school, and they can't really do much more can they!? You could even ask them for a home tutor!!

Are the school providing work? They should be.

Also, what is the attendance expectation given her medical issues? If it's still an expectation to attend every day and all day then that's ridiculous.

A friend's son (Y9) has had very poor attendance since secondary school (extreme anxiety). The school have a reduced timetable of P2 to P3 for him, so he has sufficient time to get into school, can manage two lessons, then go home. He doesn't manage every day but manages maybe 2 or 3 days. If he feels up to it he stays for longer.

What is your daughter planning to do once she leaves school? Very few colleges/sixth forms will enrol with such low attendance. If she genuinely can't get to school more than approximately 60% of the time, how will she cope with employment? I agree that if she is this poorly it is now a disability and you will need to seek appropriate support for now and the future

Do they have an anti-bullying policy? Because they really ought to read it themselves.
They are failing your DD and discriminating against her.

As a pp has mentioned, there are two key documents relating to school absence and children with long term medical issues:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66bf300da44f1c4c23e5bd1b/Working_together_to_improve_school_attendance_-_August_2024.pdf

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5ce6a72e40f0b620a103bd53/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions.pdf

The key points are section 365 in the first document - "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."

section 25 in the second document lists practices that are not acceptable - including "penalise children for their attendance record if their absences are related to their medical condition, e.g. hospital appointments"

I recommend sending an email to head of year or whoever is instigating these meetings, highlighting the above documents and asking directly if they have reason to believe the authenticity of illness? and tell them that unless they do you expect all absences to be authorised in line with government policy. Then ask for a full copy of her attendance record so you can see how they have coded absences. Illness should be I and medical appointments should be M.

My attendance was probably about that, maybe slightly higher. I cope with employment by working compressed hours, and working from home. Many disabled people don't cope with employment. What is your point?

If sixth forms/colleges will not enrol a disabled child with 60% attendance due to their disability then I would suggest they are breaking the law tbh.

We need to be writing to our MPs. Many of the newer Labour MPs have no clue about what the current education system is like. Many are even new to politics. But the more noise parents make about the ridiculous nonsense regarding attendance the better.

@NoContract don't sign anything. Ignore it and let the school worry about their Ofsted figures. Not your problem. You have enough on your plate with your DD’s condition.

I can’t possibly sign something I know I can’t comply with !

Not finishing secondary school doesn’t automatically mean someone is destined to be unemployed.

my sisters both struggled with school. They didn’t sit GCSEs one now has her own business and the other works in a school ironically.

If she's ill enough to have missed forty percent of the academic year presumably her doctors/medical team are aware.

What's their view? Presumably if a child is that ill for such a long period there have been hospital stays involved, your council might have info about the hospital education service or home tuition services that they should be supporting you with.

Let them make referrals.

However preemptively send a confirmation email of todays events.

Dear X,

Thank you for showing for concern with regards DDs attendance which I'm sure you must know I share.

However, as has been evidenced previously on numerous occasions DD has various medical diagnosis's as listed below.

List....

As a result of these conditions DD suffers xxx <write the effects as they would affect attendance>.

As this is a LT health condition we, as you are, are aware she is covered by the equality act and has a legal right for reasonable adjustments.

I refused to sign to agree I'd increase Dds attendance because as you are aware neither DD or I have control over her illnesses.

However having considered reasonable adjustments you can make I suggest ..... <give them things they can do such as live streaming lessons or recording inputs and sending her a voice copy, providing the work for her to complete online if well enough etc>.

I appreciate you have said you will make referrals as we cannot increase her attendance beyond what her disability allows and we look forward to working with these agencies to support DDs education in a way she can access it.

Yours xxxxx

Nothings focusses someone's mind more than you looking forward to them playing their pet in the game as the law states rather than just producing a meaningless contract!

Can you amend the contract to something you can comply with?

So if it says “We will improve her attendance” add in the words “insofar as her health allows” or similar.

That way the school can tick the box that says has signed a contract

Agree however with the broader points above that this doesn’t sound like a helpful or compassionate approach from the school and you may want to start using the words discrimination/Equalities act (and perhaps looking at other options if there are any that might work)