100% Attendance Policies!

[MummyMadness03]

Hey all!

I am looking to gain your experiences of how your children's school manage and incentivise attendance.

My DD has a chronic health issue which sadly means numerous trips to hospital during school hours (which can't be avoided, despite trying!). Due to this, she doesn't meet the 100% attendance set by the school and misses out of the end of term treats.

I am looking to gain a picture of other stories similar to mine across the Country before battling the issue further....

"Dear school. Please could little xxx stay off games today? She's had a nasty tummy bug all weekend. She's still a bit weak today, but is just so anxious not to miss out on her 100% attendance certificate.... "

Would that work? I think they're shockingly unkind to primary aged kids who have absolutely zero control over either their health or their parents' ability to get them to school every day

As mentioned up thread, the reason kids with 100% attendance do well is because they've been blessed with both good health and reasonably together parents, which are helpful in themselves, irrespective of whether they stay home for the odd tummy bug or not.

Our school give out certificates for attendance over 98% (i think).
The DTs both got one last term and one had 1 day off and the other had 2 days off. Both were because the school required them to be off (one had conjunctivitis and had to stay off for 24 hours after starting treatment and the other one had scarlet fever and had to stay off for 24 hours after antibiotics which weren't started until the afternoons so she missed 2 days).

Both were well enough in themselves to go in but obviously were contagious so had to stay off until they weren't.

I was surprised though as I dind't think that they did them at all and I don't agree with them so never mentioned it to the DT as it just came home in their book bag.

Oh god I HATE this obsession with 100% attendance that so many schools have now. When my DD was at secondary school ('94 - 2001) she had health problems with kidney stones,which meant her having several days off school each time they caused trouble. She also had to undergo lithotripsy treatment in order to try to get rid of them (which meant an entire day off school),plus follow up hospital appointments to see the consultant,plus scans and x-rays. I was constantly being pulled up about her attendance,which at an average of 84% was 'just not good enough'. I was told that I should make her appointments outside of school hours. OK. Have you ever tried to get an NHS hospital appointment for a weekend,or after 5pm? The school seemed of the opinion that the hospital should reschedule their clinics especially to suit me! Quite frankly,I got sick of it and it was the last straw when we went to a parent's evening,when she was in the sixth form doing A-levels. The head of her year said to us in a very snidey tone 'You do realise Mrs.Janey that she is wasting her time applying to universities,as she is never going to pass her A-levels with her attendance rate?' I rounded on him with 'What do expect me to do then? Send her to school when she can barely stand because the pain is so bad,and she is vomiting constantly?' And flounced off out before he could answer. For the record,DD got 2 As and a B for her A-levels,got into a good uni and got a 2.1 degree with honours! So 2 fingers up to that head of year.

Our son's SEN school has just introduced attendance awards, on a class group basis, termly.

It's one of those times when I'm grateful that my son's learning difficulties mean that he is not remotely aware or understanding of what is happening. He is frequently sent home from school, just this Thursday (after only 3 days of term) for being "out of sorts". Not ill as such, just not himself. The school nurse checked his temperature, which was normal; they even have prescription Calpol at school to give him. But still they thought it was better that he come home to get over whatever it was ... which appears to be a cold. He'll never get 100% for a term, let alone for a year, when they are so quick to send him home.

I have expressed the unfairness at setting attendance targets at a school where most of the children have outside health appointments to attend. I got the impression from the response, that this was a way of demonstrating to Ofsted that they cared about attendance rates, regardless whether they actually do or not - paying "lip service" to Ofsted requirements.

I hate them, and my children frequently get them.