School attendance awards

[skankingpiglet]

Is your child's school still doing these this year?
I think they are ridiculous at the best of times, but this year, when everyone is supposed to isolate and test for even more minor coughs and raised temperatures (which may normally be perfectly appropriate to sent DCs to school with/after), it seems particularly crazy to reward attendance.

Our school has had its usual celebration of attendance certificates (assembly via video). I have no idea if they will still do the termly treat or end of year prize. I hope not!
6yo DD1 had to miss a day this term after developing a mild cough, whilst she had a test and awaited her results. In a different, non-covid year I wouldn't have thought twice about sending her in as she was fine in herself. She was really upset as she knows the knock on effect is she now won't be able to earn the end of year prize, and was also upset with me for not allowing her to school when she felt well enough to go. I will be amazed (and suspicious) if any child manages to go a whole school year without 1 raised temperature or cough.

It feels like this would be a good year to sack off attendance awards for good, and is a missed opportunity.

Our school are maintaining all awards .

No idea if school is doing them... But I've always found them bizarre. Well done for being healthy, and not catching a stomach bug at school. Or impetigo. Or a bad cold. Or scarlet fever. (My DD managed this in a sixth month period one year, plus molluscum. )

I was just thinking my DDs had had 100% this term... But them remembered I had to remove them at lunchtime one day because our estate was cut off by snow and I had to get them home on foot.

My DC’s school stopped them a few years ago. I agree with you, they’re a terrible idea even in normal years as you can’t help being ill. Surely no schools would think it’s a good idea this year when children are having to stay off when they’d normally be well enough to go in?

My child has never got an attendance award due to health problems. We have through recieved many letters about attendance being poor despite health issues being known
I agree that attendance awards need to be dropped.

They are discriminatory at the best of times. Some children are just healthier than others.

Covid absences shouldnt impact on attendance so your daughter could still be up for her award.

I strongly didagree with them. At a primary level it is a reward outside the childs control but does encourage sick children into school. At a secondary level i doubt its motivating to a child that truants?

Our attendance awards aren’t from the school but the council. So they don’t care if you’re ill or have health issues that might mean lower attendance. That said I don’t think they are aimed at those kids. It’s a poor attempt at targeting consistent poor attenders whose parents take them out for day trips and holidays. We had a mum who took hers out for a total of 5 weeks in one academic year. Those ‘awards’ will not change that behaviour and just means others end up feeling crappy for being unwell.

I'm not sure that our primary school are doing them, they had their end of term assembly yesterday and DD didn't mention anything about attendance awards. I disagree with them massively, I have an older child with multiple conditions which mean hospital appointments. GP, Dentist, Opticians etc I will always schedule outside of school hours but anyone who knows anything about hospital appointments knows that you pretty much take what you can get. Plus the times that they throw up once but that's 48 hours off. 24 hours for a temperature. Etc etc.

I really wish they would go.
I don't think they are effective in achieving their aim of dealing with poor attendance.
They encourage children to be sent in when they should be at home rather than spreading infection.
They are out of kilter with schools being inclusive environments for children with complex needs and health issues.
I think if the only award a school can give a child is one for turning up every day - then I don't think the school is thinking hard enough about what to celebrate about children's achievements.

My DD pretty much always got 100% attendance. But for the first time I received a red warning letter for the first time (as she had two days off with a cough and cold). I wasn’t sure what to do at the start of the year , but then school said children should come in with a cold , so I sent her back in - a large amount of the kids were coughing and snotty due to the back to school sept cold! So my letter was highlighted bright red as 2 days off is apparently warning levels. And apparently I may get called in for a discussion - I don’t think I will but quite happy to have the chat if required.

Ours have stopped them this year citing bad incentives for children to come in when contagious - as if they weren't all along!

I think if the only award a school can give a child is one for turning up every day - then I don't think the school is thinking hard enough about what to celebrate about children's achievements.

^absolutely this

Attendance awards/mean letters are all about showing Ofsted you are doing 'something' about attendance. They do nothing to improve the attendance of children who are serial non-attenders either because there are genuine medical reasons or because they're from families who don't give a stuff. Kids with a lot going on in their life have something else they'll never achieve AND some bonus social pressure because everyone knows that 3a never get attendance Ted because little Jonny has bad asthma.

I like my child's school but sadly yes this year they still doing attendance awards.
Also newsletter often pits classes against each other on which class got best attendance.
I'm sure it's pressure from ofsted and useless council .

My daughter is in year 1 and hasn't missed a day so far (I think she's making up for the first few years at the childminder/nursery) and I've never heard anything about attendance awards so I guess they don't do them. I fundamentally disagree with them. It's punishing a child for having chicken pox!

I also really disagree with giving out stickers for finishing all of their lunch but that's another rant for another day.

Never mind. With the magic of mass testing to be rolled out in schools, no child need miss a single session due to Covid.

That's interesting MillieEpple . DDs' school haven't said they won't count Covid absences, but it is possible they just don't want to advertise it. I guess we'll find out in a month when the certificates for the current half term are dished out. As much as I hate the things, I hope for DD1's sake you're right. It really matters to her despite many conversations about why it is unfair/not important etc etc. She was really upset last year when she had to go for two blood tests, both during school hours (upset about losing the attendance figure rather than the test!), but I managed to arrange slots both times which meant she didn't miss a registration and therefore no absence marked...