Fuming with my son's school

[justmeandmy3minions]

Hello everyone

I need some much needed advice on what to do here.. so post came this morning and I have been issued with a third stage attendance letter from my sons school bare in mind I have never received a first or second letter before. I have been referred to the police regarding his time off school due to short term sickness bear in mind his attendance is no where near below 90%. As the gov stated it has to be below 90% his is 95.1%.

My son had serve tonsillitis with high temperature so had 3 days off school he couldn't speak or eat I provided the school with medical evidence to support this for example medicine bottle and prescription. He has also had sickness bug which my other child brought home ( not at the same time a few weeks prior) from his school unfortunately I cannot provide medical evidence for this unless a picture of his sick would suffice but I doubt they would appreciate it.

His school are treating his medical absence as a truancy matter when it's not as I have provided all the evidence to back his time off so by the looks of it it's not been authorised hence them now by passing stage 1&2 even though they stated in the letter they tried to speak to me about this I have had no letters, phone calls or emails and I live 5 mins away from the school. Only communication I have had is with his form tutor asking mmr how my son was and his head of year and they agreed with me he cannot attend if he is that unwell.

I am so angry I send all evidence in via email I call the school when he is off I speak to his form tutor and head of year aswell as the school office I cannot do right from doing wrong at all. when i send him in unwell they complain he should be at home what the hell do i do. My son will only have time off when unwell and that's it when he is well enough to return he does and on occasions he has gone in still somewhat poorly.

I also tell them to contact me if there are any issues and they never do well until I received this letter iam worried now as I have done everything by the book and in accordance to their school policy,

It's like kids cannot be sick anymore.

Anyone else been in the same position?

Thank you.

So in 10 weeks he has taken a week off. Surely that makes attendance 90%? How old is ds? Did you follow the absence reporting process?

Speak to them on Monday. It may have been sent in error.
Did you email the school when he was off sick?

Madness. They’ve got nothing, tell them to bring it on.

It seems heavy handed.
I would write back a formal letter saying

. Why on 3rd stage without first or second
. List absences and reasons so far, including what has been provided to school
. Assure them you take attendance seriously
. Use other child's good attendance as proof of taking seriously if possible
. Say you hope this explains things

@LIZS he is 12 so year 8 I always follow their reporting procedures first thing in the morning I will call up and they never answer so leave a message on the answer machine and then email to make sure it's gone through or I call the school office a few hours after to make sure they have it. I send all medical evidence via email so doctors letters and medication labels to them. They tell me no to send him in with a temp over 40 and sickness they need 24 hours from last sickness episode. I think it's a total of 8 days (3 for the tonsillitis and 1 for sickness bug) he might be having them removed had he keeps getting it awaiting hospital app.

Why are the police involved? We would only do so if we needed a safe and well check because there was no contact with the family and we were concerned for the welfare of a child. Truancy isn't a police matter unless the child is out in public.

What was attendance like in the summer term? If the school runs a rolling programme, this can affect attendance this term too.

It may be an error OP. Do as a PP said and email them.

School environments are hotbeds for illness - encouraging sick kids in has fuck all to do about education, health or wellbeing - for the individual or the school community - it works against all those things. It is so messed up. Denying the amount of illness in schools doesn't stop it.

I wonder whether the letter has been sent by mistake.

Are you in England OP? If so, I imagine DS has been at school 11 weeks this term. 8 days absence would be around 85% attendance which is low.

And I believe it's the education authority this would be reported to, not police.

Is there any chance he's been truanting as well as the sickness-related absence?

I'd either send a calm and factual email, or call on Monday.

So hard to reply to everyone his attendance in the summer was well over the 96% I think it was 98%.. I have spoken to his form tutor who is lovely and his head of year so they're well aware I always sign off if their are any issues contact me and they don't. I follow their policy. I don't get it I am shocked. I am seriously rethinking sending my sen child there now. I was told not to send him in with a temp of 40 so i didn't he couldn't eat or talk as soon as he was somewhat better he went back in and I was still continuing with his antibiotics. I am worried now. There is no safeguarding issues at all they always comment on how well he is doing etc.

@Gazelda I have a tracker on his phone and his school is 5 mins away from my house all the times he has been off he has been at home unwell with me in the house.

My son is a really quiet child very reclusive (gaming) he loves school funny enough so hates taking time off he cried last year as he missed out on his 100% due to chickenpox.

Then there must be a mistake somewhere. Phone the school or call in and ask to speak to the attendance officer. Request an absence print out, say you want to know when each absence has occurred and what it has been recorded as. Compare it to your own records and raise any discrepancies. Request an absence review meeting, take along all the evidence you have and ask why the police have been involved.

Don't fret. Reply back so there is a record of response. Could well be an error.

Agree, sounds like a cock up. Hopefully they will be apologising Monday morning or armed SWAT teams will be hammering on your door at 3 am.

I sent an email this morning to request a formal meeting I always do email so there is a paper trail. I don't get it. If he was bunking days off which he hasn't been the school call straight away so I no he has been going he loves school.

Just request a copy of his registration data which will show you which days he has missed and the reason they have put for his absence.
Has he had any lates / half days / leaving early as well as the full days off?

Not the first mishap that's happened I had a phone call last week from another child's form tutor with the same name as my son ranting about his behaviour in a certain lesson my son doesn't even do and i could tell he wasn't my sons FT as he sounded different. I knew it wasn't my son as I can check his behaviour etc on an app. I called the school and they confirmed they got the wrong child no apology etc at all disgusting.

So maybe you have the attendance warning for the other child too?

I had a phone call last week from another child's form tutor with the same name as my son

If there's another child at the school with the same name, then the obvious answer is they're once again confusing your son for the other pupil.

I know it must have been a shock to get the letter, but you can prove his absences. So although it's frustrating there's no reason to spend the weekend worrying about it. I'm sure it will all be sorted out with a phone call on Monday morning.

@spanieleyes could well be they both have the same first name and their is only 2 kids on the school with that name

Sounds like they have sent the letter to the wrong parent (the same child they muddled up with your child last time?) Maybe they have the same or a very similar name.

I shall find out Monday it's just a concern for police to be involved when there is no safeguard issue involved it's just short term illness that's all.

They haven't even notified the local authority hence me thinking there is either a case of same name wrong child or they have not put his medical through as authorised due to illness and it's gone down as truancy

How are the police involved? They don't deal with absences, even truancy unless found in a public place.

@spanieleyes according to the letter is a police officer that works with the school as a pastoral type person that's what it says on their policy but they have never contacted me but attendance needs to be below 90% my sons isn't.