To be annoyed over school attendance letter

[constantlylactating]

Just had an email from DS5's school regarding his attendance. It has dipped to 94.5% and so they are warning me that if it doesn't improve in the next 4 weeks then it will be taken further.

I do understand why they have to issue these, but they have marked him absent on occasions when he has had a 9am dentist appointment, but gone in straight after. Also his last absence was two days because they sent him home after he caught a vomiting bug from another student, and had to stay home for 48 hours.

What am I supposed to do if he gets ill again in the next 4 weeks? (Perfectly possible). Am I expected to just send him in? Or keep him off and have it 'taken further'.

I'm so annoyed I think because it feels so heavy handed when there obviously reasons that they are aware of.

They are automatic letters,

File them in the bin where they belong.

Don’t stress it’s a standard process they follow for everyone

if it does come to the take action stage kick it back to them for advice on how to improve

don’t take it personally they can’t pick and choose they have to treat everyone the same from piss rakers to genuine

tbf they’d probably recommend dentist in school hols or after school and that’s it

But the dentist give you a time and sometimes won’t let you change it. I asked for a weekend appointment for my child and was told only private patients on weekends.

Send him in when he's vomiting? Or when he's in hospital being tested for meningitis, because those were his last two absences?

This is it, if I don't accept the time they give, there's no other option.

Bin it and ignore. We are on holiday this week and I'm sure my dd's school are foaming at the mouth but who cares.

I understand...I was outraged at getting one because my dcs attendance had dipped below 97%...it was something like 96.8! But yep pretty sure they are just automatic letters

It's a standard thing and it's not meant personally. YABU to get annoyed and think it's only applicable to you.

Ignore them. Responding only encourages them
DS got an email for 95.8% attendance where they reminded me to send him in to school. This was in his last week of GCSEs!!

Yes I'll send him in to do his GCSEs - just because you reminded me!

I'm outraged I think because he loves school and is doing well, he's just had a bad run, health wise.

They’re automated letters, I went to our head having had a similar experience, DD had a spell in hospital, which school knew about, she even had a get well card signed by her class, teachers and head. I was told to ignore it.

Are they standard letters? DD’s on 89% at the moment after two hospital admissions and then half days for a phased return and I haven’t had any letters.

You could ask for a later in the day appointment, after school? Half term, holidays?

Then you tell the school that, and explain about the other absences caused by sickness, if they follow up with anything. The letters will just be automatic, designed to put the wind up people who let their kids stay off school when there’s no real reason.

The Revolving Door tip: send them in to register for their morning mark and collect straight after for appointments. It's stupid and wastes more time than signing in at 9:15 after an appointment, but it's the am and pm marks that count on the statistics, and the most important thing in the education system is the data.

It's great if appointments can be in the holidays/ after 4pm, but the world isn't always that simple.

Agree...my DD was in reception and we got one because her attendance had dipped. Every single absence was for a hospital appointment as she has sn...she hadn't even had a sick day. She was such a trooper what with having to have so many appointments...I was also exhausted by them all. It felt so judgemental and mean spirited. My ds current attendance is 90%...he has just like yours, had bad luck recently with illnesses.

Schools can at their discretion not send the letters if they choose to.

Your daughter's case sounds like this.

Otherwise it is an automated system that they can take people out of rather than put people on if that makes sense,

I've worked in attendance at school, pp are right that these are automated letters that are sent out, it's definitely nothing personal and we don't always agree with it either, but we have to send them, it is just part of our job. If a student arrives after the registers close it legally has to go down as an absence whatever the reason. I agree it is frustrating.

It does, thank you. I don’t love that she’s been off so much but she’s 5 like OP’s son and doesn’t seem to have any problems catching up. And what can you do anyway! We’ve been incredibly lucky with how supportive school have been.

This is a great tip

Yes ridiculous but sometimes the only way. Meaning you may actually miss more schooling because you take a mid morning appointment rather than one first thing all to get that important mark in the register

Also unfair on working parents who can't always make that happen logistically

To be fair the vomiting bug and meningitis check couldn't be avoided,but the dentist could have been made after school 🤷‍♂️

As others had said, it's the morning and afternoon register that counts and then when the % drop you get a letter. It's not personal.

The register is taken twice at school if you do an afternoon it still counts as a missed registration. Sometimes I do get appointments after school but it’s always the way. They can be fully booked.