Has anyone ever had a letter from the Education Welfare Officer?

[TheFeministsWife]

Today I got 2. One for dd1 (8.5) and one for dd2 (5). DD1's attendance was at 85% and dd2's at 75%. Obviously they want all kids at 95% or higher. The letter just stated that their attendance was low and that is was important for parents to support their children in going to school. (Like I don't )!

Since September they both just seem to have gotten every virus and bug going. Especially dd2, probably because she only started school in September. I'm not the type of parent to keep them off with every sniffle and cough (they both have currently had coughs and colds since Christmas but have been in school since the holidays ended).

DD2 was off school for 2 weeks before Christmas with the flu and then her hands were covered in cold sores (literally covered, all over her fingers and the palms of her hands). They were all weeping and bleeding and very sore, the only way to keep the cold sore cream on them was to individually cover each finger and her palms with plasters. There was no way I could have sent her to school. DD1 was off for a week and half before Christmas with a UTI, which took 2 sets of antibiotics to shift. So I realise that yes they have been off lots but they've been ill! Actually a week before dd2 had the flu she was off school for 4 days because she was vomiting and the walk in centre thought she had an appendicitis at one point, thankfully she didn't it was just a bug.

Also DD1 has a lot of time out of school for appointments, in the four months of last term she had about 5 appointments which were to see a paediatrician (she's being assessed for ASD), speech therapy and occupational therapy. Even though I've sent in letters for each of her appointments when she got her report back they had all 5 down as illness. Why, I don't know.

So I'm a little worried as to what will happen now I've received these letters. I'm worried sick now in case they get ill, I feel like I'll have to send them to school anyway and just let the school send them home so I don't get accused of anything. Does anyone know what will happen now? Are we on some sort of watch list or something?

They will have sent them to everyone with less than a certain percentage attendance, without looking at individual circumstances.

What has DD1's attendance been like in previous years?

Pay no attention. It is computer generated. Please don't worry. Of course you don't have to send your child to school when they are ill. It is just a way of tracking attendance that they are legally required to do. You should speak to the headmistress if you are concerned, and I'm sure she will reassure you.
The most important thing from now on is to keep a log whenever they are off; I found I tended to send in notes and then forget what I'd written or why they'd been off, so felt more on the defensive when they queried attendance.
I know a child whose attendance was questioned when they had been off school with appendicitis and recovery thereafter. Everyone knew the reason for low attendance, it was just the computer generated letter slipped through the net. My son was off for several weeks with a broken thigh. I never got a letter questioning his attendance, possibly because I was at the school gate picking up my other children every day with him on crutches (not allowed in for health and safety reasons due to crutches) and I don't think they would have dared!!!!

You know that each time they were off there have been valid enough reasons, that's what's important. I can appreciate it must have been a shock for you though - all a bit 'Big Brother'-ish!

Don't ever send them in knowing they shouldn't be there. I think I'd rather have the letter you've had than deal with a few hundreds of tutting parents in the playground bitching about spots/vomiting/cold sores....

No unlike your dcs my dd really has an absolutely rotten attendance record (chronic health problems). And at her last school she also had a headteacher and office staff who refused to believe there was anything wrong with her and were quite happy to pass their views onto the EWO. We had repeated letters and repeated home visits from EWOs. And even so (and this is lot further down the line than you are) nothing ever happened to us. When the EWO knocked on the door I offered her a cup of tea and explained the situation.

Take no notice.

My headmistress has just told me that I have been 'reported' to the education authority due to my daughter who has many allergies (nuts + food colourings) and newly diagnosed asthma being absent too much. she has also recently been suffering from a nasty virus and has been taken to see GP. I returned her to school, still slightly under the weather through fear of getting in trouble, another mother was mentioning to teacher that her daughter had been 'a little bit sick' overnight, but she should be ok. Well my daughter got home that evening and was violently ill for four days. I don't know what to do for the best. I cry all the time. I am not keeping her at home on purpose. I am at my wits end and terrified of repercussions.