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Original poster

100% Attendance Certificates

141 replies

fandjango · 18/12/2025 19:52

My son has come home from school today with a pin badge (Gold style with 100 on it) and a certificate saying well done on 100% attendance all term.

He has only started reception this year. He is absolutely thrilled with the certificate and the fact it has been laminated! and is also so proud of his badge.

I am obviously pleased he is happy but I feel that rewarding children in this way is detrimental to the children who for whatever reason cannot help not having 100% attendance.

He is in a friendship group of three and one of the other boys also had a badge and certificate but the other boy in their group has been off so much recently and also hospitalised (we don’t know with what) and he hasn’t had one.

I am disabled myself and maybe that is skewing my feelings on this but I just feel sorry for his friend who has watched his other friends be rewarded for something he cannot help.

I do understand clamping down on unnecessary absences and the need to have incentives too.

OP posts:
Merryoldgoat · 19/12/2025 23:14

My son got one today. I told him that it’s nice and said ‘aren’t you lucky you’ve not been ill this year so far?’

I detest attendance awards.

littlebilliie · 19/12/2025 23:18

I hated it as if they sick they need to stay off

BlueIris111 · 19/12/2025 23:19

I completely agree with you. My son falls asleep during the day and at school and he is currently sent home from school or off school more than he is in school and he is in reception as well . We are currently investigating why he is so lethargic , the doctor thinks it’s because of his autism but I’ve worked with autism in schools for years and never run into one that falls a sleep in classes and can’t be woken up . He’s just had blood tests done and I’m hoping to have him referred for sleep investigation incase he has a sleeping disorder like sleep apnea . I’m just grateful that his understanding of society around him isn’t great at the moment or he might get upset. He’s literally got only 45% attendance this term and I’m so worried about him. I don’t think these certificates do anything good for the ones who are in school either . Just last year I kept pushing myself to work despite being ill only to be taken from work in an ambulance and find out I had serious sepsis and would have died that day if someone didn’t notice . I had no idea I just thought it was a cold but then I got disorientated and staid weird things and someone picked up on the signs which I’m so grateful for . We don’t want children who work themselves to death for rewards when they should be looking after themselves . There is a balance to everything and these sort of rewards make them strive for perfection and anything below that isn’t good enough.

SkyWalrus · 19/12/2025 23:20

For families who support their children and their education, certificates are frustrating and pointless. For families who genuinely struggle to get their children to school for whatever reason, they are frustrating and pointless. For the minority of families who can and really should pull their socks up on attendance, they mean nothing. I just can’t see anyone being motivated to go to school or get their child to school by a certificate. There will be much bigger, more complex issues at play. What I can imagine is people sending in ill children and spreading germs for the sake of a certificate.

Bubbles332 · 19/12/2025 23:23

I work in a school and do attendance.
I think it’s silly and borderline dangerous when we’ve got flu and noro flying about. Also I hate laminating things, it’s terrible for the environment.

The problem is attendance has gone off a cliff since covid and we have to show that we’re doing something about it to the powers that be.

Sickdissapointed · 19/12/2025 23:28

Not wishing to take away the delight your son felt….. this makes my blood boil. Next term he maybe -odds on poorly and unable to get his 100% badge. He may feel disheartened.
As others have said. What about other children who are more susceptible to infection and who will never achieve 100%.
My biggest gripe ,this is actually a target which the school are measured against.
This is totally wrong. Sick children go to school and spread their germs to all. Parents are afraid to keep poorly kids off school for fear of snotty admin ringing up questioning why child is off sick. ( she got a polite grilling my daughter is RGN)
The duty of care should extend to creating a healthy environment. Never going to happen until this ridiculous circus ceases.

Sometimessmiling · 19/12/2025 23:50

landlordhell · 18/12/2025 19:57

It’s awful and I work in primary. We don’t do it. My chn were rarely off but once one had her appendix out so she felt crap when she didn’t get a certificate! Pointless and not in the control of the child

As a teacher I agree. Especially as we usually know if a child has health issues which makes them unable to reach that 100 I do like rewarding kindness and resilience Also effort based on an individuals abilities I d rather they helped families who find it hard to attend. .

Original poster
fandjango · 19/12/2025 23:57

I’d much rather kindness and empathy be rewarded. We found out today that the children who were given the awards were treated to a film and popcorn. Obviously my son was so excited about it but it just feels so wrong and unfair

OP posts:
Harmonypus · 20/12/2025 02:40

My son achieved 100% attendance all the way through school (yes, both primary and secondary).
When he was 11, his grandmother passed away and as much as he wanted to attend her funeral, he was undecided because he really valued his 100% attendance certificates.
So I spoke to the school's head who said that if he was only going to have the afternoon off, if he were to be present for the afternoon register after lunch, then he would receive his 'present mark' and as such, on paper, wouldn't have lost any time from school.
At the end of year 6, the head was retiring, and went through her private records of pupils who'd actually got 100% attendance certificates throughout her whole tenure of over 20yrs at the school, and there had only ever been one other child (about 15yrs previously) who'd achieved 100% for their whole time at the school!
She told me that she wanted to mark this extremely rare occurrence and not only gave my son 3 certificates (one for the final term, one for that year and a really special one for his full 7 years at the school) but she made a big fuss of him in the final assembly and presented him with a lovely set of books that he'd expressed an interest in, tickets for a family show and a £50 gift voucher.
He achieved 100% attendance throughout secondary school too and received certificates at the end of every term and at the end of each year, with another special one as he was leaving school at 16 for achieving 100% for his full 5 years there.
I did ask the head how often this occurred and he got back to me saying that since the school opened in the 80s, my son was only the this student to achieve it.
So yes, some kids actually WANT to receive these attendance awards and are proud of them. I know my son certainly is because he's almost 30 now and still has at least the 2 special ones that say he achieved 100% attendance for the whole 12yrs of his schooling.

GabriellaFaith · 20/12/2025 02:53

I completely agree with you. It also encourages children to go into school when they shouldn't (norovirus etc). We had upset as one of our kids got it this year and the other didn't because she had a few days off really ill. It would have been wrong to send her in but now she's being penilised for following the rules of being off for 2 days.

Therewillbeaway · 20/12/2025 02:58

WombatStewForTea · 18/12/2025 19:55

Most schools do it. They don't have a choice really. They have to be seen to be pushing attendance

They do have a choice and choosing to do this is not good enough. It’s a rubbish thing to do to children who have been genuinely unwell or who may have chronic medical conditions.

Therewillbeaway · 20/12/2025 03:01

fandjango · 19/12/2025 23:57

I’d much rather kindness and empathy be rewarded. We found out today that the children who were given the awards were treated to a film and popcorn. Obviously my son was so excited about it but it just feels so wrong and unfair

That’s because it is wrong and unfair. You’re right OP.

tripleginandtonic · 20/12/2025 03:07

CandyflossKid · 18/12/2025 19:56

Must admit, attendance certificates were the only things my children ever achieved!

Exactly. It's just another form of recognition.

IsLarryFromSomething · 20/12/2025 09:31

As a teacher, I don't like them either because the result of the attendance push is that children are coming in seriously unwell. Not only is it horrible to see them like that and have to make a call on whether to send them to the office, but it means in a bad year for illness like now I've been ill lots and the disruption is not good for them with cover teachers.

BellaTheDarkOverlord · 20/12/2025 09:36

I think attendance needs to be encouraged but should be rewarded on maybe a sliding scale. Dd missed one day due to illness and is upset she’s not going to the 100% attendance museum trip in January. My nieces and nephew don’t go to school some days as their mum can’t be bothered taking them. Some kids are hospitalised beyond their control. It’s not fair.

Also it means sick kids come in and spread sickness taking down other kids and teachers.

Carycach4 · 20/12/2025 09:40

... And it's tbe kids who are never off that make everyone else ill.

GoodQueenWenceslaus · 20/12/2025 09:48

Harmonypus · 20/12/2025 02:40

My son achieved 100% attendance all the way through school (yes, both primary and secondary).
When he was 11, his grandmother passed away and as much as he wanted to attend her funeral, he was undecided because he really valued his 100% attendance certificates.
So I spoke to the school's head who said that if he was only going to have the afternoon off, if he were to be present for the afternoon register after lunch, then he would receive his 'present mark' and as such, on paper, wouldn't have lost any time from school.
At the end of year 6, the head was retiring, and went through her private records of pupils who'd actually got 100% attendance certificates throughout her whole tenure of over 20yrs at the school, and there had only ever been one other child (about 15yrs previously) who'd achieved 100% for their whole time at the school!
She told me that she wanted to mark this extremely rare occurrence and not only gave my son 3 certificates (one for the final term, one for that year and a really special one for his full 7 years at the school) but she made a big fuss of him in the final assembly and presented him with a lovely set of books that he'd expressed an interest in, tickets for a family show and a £50 gift voucher.
He achieved 100% attendance throughout secondary school too and received certificates at the end of every term and at the end of each year, with another special one as he was leaving school at 16 for achieving 100% for his full 5 years there.
I did ask the head how often this occurred and he got back to me saying that since the school opened in the 80s, my son was only the this student to achieve it.
So yes, some kids actually WANT to receive these attendance awards and are proud of them. I know my son certainly is because he's almost 30 now and still has at least the 2 special ones that say he achieved 100% attendance for the whole 12yrs of his schooling.

Congratulations to your son. But how would he have felt if he had "spoilt" that record by catching something infectious, or getting something like appendicitis or worse? Would he deserve to feel bad about losing his chance of a certificate? I'm sure that, proud as he is, he is well aware that this is down to sheer luck.

GoodQueenWenceslaus · 20/12/2025 09:50

I never understand the massive weight the Department for Education puts on attendance when contrasted with its attitude to the use of isolation rooms and suspensions for several days at a time, with no effort made to provide children realistically with education during such periods. If attendance is so important, how can that be OK?

Blades2 · 20/12/2025 09:55

No you’re right.

this full attendance bs grates me.

WanderlustMom · 20/12/2025 10:07

I think it’s so stupid. Essentially being praised for having a better immune system or just simply getting lucky?! 😅

My son’s attendance is less than 60% this term and I couldn’t care less about ridiculous outdated attendance certificates.

R1nt1nt1n · 20/12/2025 10:14

Harmonypus · 20/12/2025 02:40

My son achieved 100% attendance all the way through school (yes, both primary and secondary).
When he was 11, his grandmother passed away and as much as he wanted to attend her funeral, he was undecided because he really valued his 100% attendance certificates.
So I spoke to the school's head who said that if he was only going to have the afternoon off, if he were to be present for the afternoon register after lunch, then he would receive his 'present mark' and as such, on paper, wouldn't have lost any time from school.
At the end of year 6, the head was retiring, and went through her private records of pupils who'd actually got 100% attendance certificates throughout her whole tenure of over 20yrs at the school, and there had only ever been one other child (about 15yrs previously) who'd achieved 100% for their whole time at the school!
She told me that she wanted to mark this extremely rare occurrence and not only gave my son 3 certificates (one for the final term, one for that year and a really special one for his full 7 years at the school) but she made a big fuss of him in the final assembly and presented him with a lovely set of books that he'd expressed an interest in, tickets for a family show and a £50 gift voucher.
He achieved 100% attendance throughout secondary school too and received certificates at the end of every term and at the end of each year, with another special one as he was leaving school at 16 for achieving 100% for his full 5 years there.
I did ask the head how often this occurred and he got back to me saying that since the school opened in the 80s, my son was only the this student to achieve it.
So yes, some kids actually WANT to receive these attendance awards and are proud of them. I know my son certainly is because he's almost 30 now and still has at least the 2 special ones that say he achieved 100% attendance for the whole 12yrs of his schooling.

But that’s appalling! I don’t care what your sone felt he hadn’t done anything deserving of that fanfare. 100% does not warrant anybody being held up as a hero particularly when it’s down to luck and shouldn’t be something that is desired anyway.

The human body and life circumstances differ- fact. Having the good luck to have your attendance impacted by neither does not warrant money being spent on it or glorified.

FunnyOrca · 20/12/2025 10:26

My old school did this. I slipped them into book bags without telling the children in Reception.

What was really unfair, was the class awards each week. Alphabetically, my class name (think Reception Apples, Reception Watermelon etc) was last. One week I had full attendance and had slightly fudged the punctuality (just waited for the kid that was late to arrive before sending down the register!) in an effort to get the class a certificate, as they had noticed the other class had loads and we had 0. We STILL didn’t get it as another reception class also had full punctuality and attendance but the office had a system where it defaulted to the first class alphabetically! At that point I made them one myself and they all took a copy home!

My new school doesn’t do certificates but they also count attendance differently. So they have authorised and unauthorised absences. So if a child has vomiting and we don’t want them to school so they can’t spread it, they have 2-3 days authorised. Family wedding/funeral abroad? Authorised. Hospital stay? Authorised! At the end of the year they read out everyone without unauthorised absences in an assembly. It’s much fairer!

Grammarninja · 20/12/2025 11:31

That is awful! No doubt the 100% attenders are responsible for many of the illnesses that are keeping others out! Shocking stuff!

Decembersunset · 20/12/2025 12:55

Well, all the rewards are kind of unfair, we limit access to devices so my kids don't practise ttrockstars every day , other kids spend hours there and win every week. Some kids are sporty and win sport awards, other are good in art, some just get up every day and go to school. Overall its a good message to send that consistency is a key factor in achieving success, it may not matter so much in primary school but it would be more difficult to change attitude that attendance is optional once the kid is teenager.And it surely won't harm to send a message that you need to take care of your health to reduce number of sick days. So congratulations to your child on making effort , being on time and going to school while some go to all-inclusive in Turkey while claiming to be sick:)

Therewillbeaway · 20/12/2025 13:14

And it surely won't harm to send a message that you need to take care of your health to reduce number of sick days.

How is that message being sent?