Would you send child to school with slight temperature?

[HorrorFan81]

8yo woke up this morning with headache, tummy ache and low grade fever (37.8). One parent thinks they should stay home with a temperature even if it's low. Other parent thinks they should go in and see how they get on.
Their current attendance is 96% so dipping below the school target of 97% if that makes a difference.
Child loves school and is usually happy to go in. Really didn't want to go today.

What would happen in your house?

I would dose them up and send them in.

I wouldn’t because they feel unwell and their temp backs it up that they’re unwell opposed to just can’t be arsed.

If they had that temp but felt fine then I would send them in but if they felt well you wouldn’t be taking their temp so you wouldn’t know they had one.

No clearly your child is clearly unwell so he should not go to school

Absolutely not, never with a temperature. Unfair on the child and unfair to spread it to the other kids.

Agree. I would never send an ill child into school.

No.

I’d give calpol and keep at home for the morning. If they perk up I’d take them for the afternoon session. Half a day absent is better than a whole day if they’ve improved.

No, they’re clearly I’ll + don’t want to go in when they’re usually happy to.
It would be cruel to send them in anyway and would be saying you didn’t care about their health, well-being or feelings and school was more important to you

No. Listen to your child.

Exactly this. My concern would not be the temperature itself which is on the cusp, but the fact that your child clearly feels unwell.

I rarely measure my kids temperature and wouldn't factor that into the decision making. But if my kids feel rotten and don't want to go to school I keep them home but they are hardly ever ill and have >=99% attendence.

Have a think about why their attendence is so low and try and minimise unnecessary time off school so when they are truly sick you don't second guess yourself and keep them off.

No. with a tummy ache, they might be sick or urgently need the bathroom. Alongside the fever, they're very clearly not well, as they are telling you. Not kind to your child first and foremost, but also crappy to spread to other children who might have newborn siblings or vulnerable grandparents.

I don’t take temp with anything but my hand. I’d calpol them and send them in. The school has actually asked us to do this because people were taking the proverbial after Covid.

That's cruel, would you want to go into work feeling like that?

I wouldn't make a normally school keen child go when they are reluctant due to a headache and tummy ache, no. I'd dose up and monitor whether to send them in after lunch.

Nope, would be kept off in my house.

Thanks all, responses mostly align to my thoughts and will be chatting to DH later about how will deal with this in future

No they don't want to work feeling poorly and to infect other children is very selfish.

I wouldn’t base it on the temperature. I’d base it on whether you think she’s well enough to cope with the day.

The temperature wouldn’t be the defining factor. Your child is clearly unwell and in pain. Who on earth would send a child to school under these circumstances

Sick.child stays home. Teachers don't have time to look after sick kids unfortunately

Never would I do this

If the child was feeling unwell as well as the raised temperature I would not send them regardless of school attendance figures. You can’t help being poorly! Genuine sickness should not be an issue x

Definitely be staying at home. With a temp of 37.8 I'd be keeping them at home regardless of how they said they felt though. But I agree you wouldn't actually think to check the temp in the first place unless child is visibly unwell. So even without a temp, I'd keep home if child is clearly particularly unwell.

I would keep them off. Had it just been the temp I would have sent them in but with the tummy ache and headache I would want to keep an eye