Do private schools send letters home about childrens attendance?

[Spicycurry]

Just interested - in another thread elsewhere a poster has been sent a curtly worded letter about her child’s attendance, and these are automatic.

Does this happen in the independent sector?

I'd really like to know this!

No. We’ve had some shocking attendance levels too. I think it is assumed parents don’t want to waste their money! It is a safeguarding issue still but up to the Head to contact the council etc.

Yes, they do. The problems from non-attendance are the same whether or not the education is free.

if our ds didn’t turn up to school I would get a phone call by 10am at latest.
If you mean low attendance for lots of sickness etc then we get their attendance figures every half term (just had them), and if that is poor then the parents would get an email.

Yes, meant low attendance. Thanks

Yes daily updates in real time

Apparently there are new rules this year that private schools now have to follow the same attendance procedures as state school (fines for holidays, involving local authorities if attendance drops below a certain % etc) I don't know the full ins and outs of it though. But I do know private schools are clamping down on attendance because of this, especially after standards slipped in covid.

we do have account for my DD’s - we can log in and see their attendance percentage and their classes etc every day… its also shows if their late to the school/class etc. The attendace need to be %95 and above but I think it is also the same for the state schools. I do believe if it goes below that every school takes actions.

Can you link - this one's passed me by completely

Not at DD1’s old school, where children would have a week out to go skiing with the family, a long weekend in New York to get their braces fixed.

Well ours doesn't- or at least hasn't up until now. They are more likely to send letters reminding us to keep children at home if they look a bit peaky.

Mine (x3 different ones) would/do.

eldest is at independent SN school. They track attendance (usual attendance awards etc), but are generally happy to authorise holiday dates etc. The school holidays are generally in line with state school holidays, and they are eg happy to authorise holiday dates if going away after other dc’s schools break up but before state schools do.

middle one has half termly attendance updates as per previous poster - it is on dc’s profile, updated daily if I want to check, but also emailed with grades/report at end of each half term.

youngest has several reminders in the weekly newsletter about not asking for extras days for holidays, as school holidays are long enough already and dates published up to 2 years in advance for planning etc. I assume there are multiple requests for this to be stressed so much (middle dc’s school mentions it every so often, but not as much).

I don’t tend to take mine out of school for any reason, and none of them can/have truanted (2 schools very rural, youngest in primary) so don’t know when individual letters would kick in, but from what I have seen I am sure they would.

My daughter's school has an app which shows her attendance in real time.

This link says that local authorities can fine for absence at independent schools. Not sure if it's true.

Our school points out the much shorter terms and says that children should attend in term and use the longer holidays for holidays.

Yes! Also been told that if my Year 8 child feels ill in the morning, give them paracetamol to send them in and school will decide if they should be at home.

Child had a temp of 39.8 and kept them off, school sent a letter saying they were counting it as unauthorised absence!

Yes of course. I’m not sure where this myth comes from that You can do what you like in private school. Children need to be in and if they’re not you need to inform the school. You have to ask permission for time off and you get an email and a snotty letter confirming it has been granted, you get to see attendance levels on the app and if you take time off without authorisation the teachers can and do refuse to provide any assistance in catching up: too much time off and they’ll reserve the right to ask you to leave

people don’t take random time off in the middle of term to go to school, maybe one or two take the odd day at the start or end of term but that’s no different to in state school

I think it varies. My DD's prep would not authorise holidays in term time, but i know of another which allows them to go off skiing etc in term time. The latter school seems to focus on keeping parents happy rather than centering the kids. Never heard of anyone getting a letter about absences caused by illness.

@Spicycurry
There are different absences! Agreeing a skiing holiday is very different to low attendance and no one knows where the child is! The latter is a safeguarding issue! It’s vital schools follow up on Dc not attending and it matters not one jot about what type of school it is.

But I’m not asking about holidays, I’m asking about the ‘standard letter’ sent home when children attending state schools have their attendance dip below a certain level.

At my DC's school (private primary) registration is uploaded onto an app every day. If they are absent you need to ring in before 9 to notify, or else they call you. Attendance needs to be 95%, and if it drops lower, you get a letter and a phonecall from the deputy head! They are obsessed with it. Its a pain if DC get a bad cold etc in the first couple of weeks of term as it means their percentage attendance looks bad because they haven't accrued much attendance to balance it out. Holidays in term time are very frowned upon. I don't know if you are fined, as we've never done it.

Secondary school here.
Children can’t get a day off w it being granted by the Head of year first. It has to be asked by the intents too, even in upper 6th and over 18yo!
Bad attendance would be flagged up straight away.

Ime yes as Ofsted will check a private schools attendance levels

Sorry asked by the PARENTS (no idea where intents came from)

@Spicycurry
Yes. They must have a policy to ensure good attendance. The big issue is safeguarding. If a child is ill, they are told that by parents. If it’s too frequent or there are concerns, they should investigate. It’s all about being in proportion and understanding risks. I don’t see why you are concerned about a standard letter. Some might have this, but they must show DC are accounted for.

One of my DC had low attendance at their independent school (below 90% I think) one year due to a combination of ill health and anxiety.
We didn't receive any letters from the education authority.
We always phoned in with absence every morning as we would at state school.