Absence and fines from school

[MummaPI]

I'm not here for a bashing, just genuinely concerned.
I dont want to send my year 5 daughter back to school next week. Does anyone know how absences, fines work in schools? Whats the criteria?

If you say your child is isolating due to symptoms or because of close contact with a positive case then the absence will be coded in a way that won't affect attendance for either the school or the child. I'd do that rather than lying about illness

@PandemicPavalova yes.. but if you make something up the school or LA will probably be wise to that. We've heard everything!! You are more likely to get a positive response from both of you are at least honest in your communications with the school. It's basic manners in my opinion and neither of us will take kindly to parents being dishonest with us for obvious reasons. It's not just that it makes my job easier, it's the right thing to do.

I have been doing the Zoe Covid symptom tracker app. Every day it asks if you feel completely fine or not.

I had some very ordinary cold symptoms and a mild stomach upset, the app asks you to report any symptoms you have not just the classic 3. Lo and behold I got an email saying would you mind doing a test for research purposes and you can also test other members of your household.

In your situation I might well have tested dc and possibly said I wasn’t keen on them returning to school until we got the results. Also I’d be monitoring every possible symptom like a hawk.

The school wont be wise if you make up that they're isolating due to close contact.
Surely thats as likely/more likely than any other reason you could give them?
Can I really call and say I'm not happy to send my child because I think its madness to do so?
And they will say ok and leave us alone?
I doubt that.

@Cantaloupeisland

If you say your child is isolating due to symptoms or because of close contact with a positive case then the absence will be coded in a way that won't affect attendance for either the school or the child. I'd do that rather than lying about illness

I thought this too but when my husband had covid in November my daughters two week isolation was added to her attendance and it dropped just below and I got a letter from the head. Nothing major just a 'just to let you know the attendance is low' I double checked that the 2 weeks were included in that and they said yes but don't worry about it. Strange.

@Blubellsarebells well you have to do what you think is best of course. I've written here what I think is best from my EWO perspective. It's just my advice but take it or leave it. I wouldn't advise anyone to be untruthful to the school it doesn't help anyone or anything in a difficult situation

@Blubellsarebells in my local authority we are responsible for over 100 schools. I can absolutely tell you that a great deal of those schools are willingly authorising absence for children whose parents are concerned about covid. Most of those families have someone clinically vulnerable in the home, others do not and are just concerned about the virus. That's all I can say really, so I guess those are my final comments. It felt like the right thing to offer some advice to many people on here raising the same questions today.

Thank you for the advice.
Good to know and has put my mind at rest.
Im still undecided what to do.
Hoping it will be taken out of my hands.
Might buy a week and see what pans out.

@MummaPI that is strange- we use an X code in the registers for isolation and it definitely doesn't affect attendance as it's an administrative code. Maybe your school used a different coding. It meant that when we had 200 kids isolating as close contacts our whole school attendance percentage was still in the 90s as the Xs didn't count!

Some LAs aren't fining. I've been told mine isn't. Might be worth asking on a local social media group

#safeedforall

Or safe for all.

Sorry I'm useless at twitter.
Some useful info there.