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?

We wouldn’t be sent an auto generated letter if there was a genuine illness with hospital admissions like the other thread. They know all the families and children inside out and would be communicating regularly if this had happened. Should be noted that if absent, there is an expectation that school have been informed before 9am and we would be getting a phone call if this had not been done.

General consensus for holidays is that terms are short so holidays should not be in term time however they do make allowances for those times term starts/finishes mid week that 1 or 2 sometimes miss. It should definitely be the exception and not occur annually

@RoseAndRose - the link you asked for.

Guidance from the DfE - guidance until August 23 and then expected to be legislation from Sept 23.

Front cover says ‘Working together to improve schoolattendance
Guidance for maintained schools, academies, independent schools, and local authorities’

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1099677/Working_together_to_improve_school_attendance.pdf

We don't get a generic letter from the LA but if a parent doesn’t report an absence by 9am the office will call and register as unauthorised absence.

Frequent absences trigger a meeting and medical evidence may be required.

Holidays during term time is a 'no' unless it's educational and then the work is sent with them and they are expected to do projects about the trip.

Frequent absence is likely to risk any grants or buseries and ultimately the place at school so most people only keep the kids off when absolutely necessary.

Generally attendance isn't an issue.

If they had concerns about attendance they’d broach them with the parents by phone or meeting with the head. Wouldn’t just send a letter. We have been told that holidays in term time will be marked as unauthorised absence unless on compassionate grounds. With illness I email school matron and then she’ll typically call back just to check in.

Don't know because mine have good attendance. They do ring me though if they aren't at school and I haven't let them know why.

No. We’ve never had anything and my dc have had low attendance at times

I've never had one but my dc's have decent attendance.

Not at DD's private. DS is in state and they come down on you like a tonne of bricks about it.

I would say no, in Scotland.

I was safeguarding for children's panel and solicitor pre children.

I had a case referred to panel where child was abusive to a parent. They had not been in school for a year!!!!!!! Not a single referral

This. My daughter has been to three different private schools and attendance was never that harshly monitored and kids could get term time off.

Nope. I took DS out of his highly regarded prep prep a fair bit for holidays, to spend time with family, religious holidays. The Head saw the benefit of these, and didn’t bat an eyelid. It didn’t affect his performance in any way.

Taking a child out of school when the school
knows precisely why is very different from a Dc not arriving day after day. The latter must be monitored.

I never received a letter regarding attendance from my son’s private school. It’s a whole different world to state education.

Nope. Our attendance got down to 80% last year because of long covid and some other ciruses / injuries too. Zero letters home from our independent school, instead they were actually interested in my child’s welfare and asking how they could support her learning and help us.

Having previously been in State sector where those unfortunate enough to have sick children just get threats and suspicion, it was a breath of fresh air I can tell you.

My daughter was at an independent school and had poor attendance. We never had letters about it. She’s now at a state college and we have had a letter about it.

Yes, they do.

Worked together with an independent senior school college in London. There was an attendance report sent out all the time. For the under 16s, not only were the parents automatically informed that their DC missed or were late, even for first lesson (or any lesson), the DC and their parents would get an immediate phone call to check where they are. A big deal was made out of it.
End of each day, an email was sent out to parents about missed or late attendance.

No uniform, the DC considered themselves grown ups, some of the older ones lived alone or at independent residents. Even they had a weekly letter to the parents about any missed or late classes. Any red flags were swiftly dealt with by Welfare and Pastoral. Teachers duty to also report anything. Parents would be called, emailed and meetings would take place.

2/3 under 16s were reported to the council and transport was arranged for them to collect and bring home. They were lost causes in the end.

My own DC have no attendance problem. But if there is any clashes/changes, they always insist I email the school incase of miscommunication etc. they know how serious it's all taken.

Sorry, OP, just realised that you seem concerned about how harsh the letter and dealing is.

The letters were not harsh , but concerned about the welfare of the student. But definitely it was not a 'laissez faire' type of situation.

Most parents knew to explain any situation they approve of. What I was referring to in my post was unauthorised absence - even unauthorised by the parents themselves.