poor attendance report

[cocco]

Hi

I received a letter from the council yesterday saying that my childs attendance was 82.7% and below the average. She is in reception but has been off with school on on a few occasions due to ill health. They have said they will be keeping a eye on her attendance.
I am concerned that if she is ill again before the end of her school year will it effect her place for next year? also they have said that they may do home visits to check up which I think is crazy for a child in reception..its her first year and she is still building her immune system up. Her teacher knows that she suffered a bed spell of illnesses before xmas but I'm just concerned if she is ill again what if anything would happen??

don't panic - if a child's attendance falls between a certain level (I think 85%) then school have to contact the council (educational welfare). It won't affect her place at all - just you may end up getting some visits from the educational welfare officer. If she is ill and off school, cover your backside and take her to GP - copy prescription/medicine box and/or appointment card filled out by receptionist should be enough proof you've kept her off due to illness. I had one of these letters when DS was in reception, as he had loads of time off due to measles and stomach bugs. nothing ever came of it.

when your daughter was ill did they do home visits? I know this letter will go on her educational file and I am also concerned as we are thinking about moving house and if we apply to a different school this letter may look bad on her report and may interfere with her getting a place..especially if she is ill again!! fingers crossed she will make the end of the year without falling ill but there's just no guarantee.. but ur right I will def go GP if she's ever ill again as I have done previously for backup.

I never got any home visits, and when I tried to phone up the EWO to explain I couldn't get through, left a message and they never called back! Try not to panic, I am sure that even schools understand that young kids are often unwell, just that schools have to cover their arses as Ofsted looks at attendance levels.

ok, what was the % of attendance for your child..hopefully it will be ok, but you just end up panicking when you receive these letters. Many parents got them and everyone was left concerned..I guess that's the point but when your child is genuinely ill an there's nothing you can do about their attendance its can be frustrating!

problem is they just look at the % rates, so everyone gets treated as if they are just lazy and keeping their kids off school for no good reason. DS's attendance was about same as your child's, about 80%.

cocco - state schools can't make decisions on allocation of places based on attendance. There's a strict criteria.

As TC says most schools have to report to the Education Welfare if a child's % is below 85%. They have to be seen to be challenging poor attendance and as a parent who's newish to the school they won't yet know whether you are a parent who condones absence for no good reason. If it's genuine illness don't worry about it.

The reason the EWo becomes involved is that with the cases where they are just crap it is much easier to solve the earlier you intervene. EWO do this all day every day and are generally very good at distinguishing between genuine illness and crap parenting.

I guess I have been to the docs on most of the times she has been off so if the EWO do ever get involved it should be ok. Thanks for all your advice ;)

As Saggar has said schools cannot take away your place or not give you a place due to poor attendence. Admissions are judged on strict criteria, usually: SEN statement, exceptional need, siblings, distance (with possible faith added in somewhere for faith schools).