School attendance in year 13

[amumthatcares]

Ok, DD is in year 13. She has authorised periods of 'home study' where the school give her an attendance mark. We have always ensured her good attendance throughout school but we had a bit of a argument discussion last night as she wanted to stay home today to revise for a re-sit she has tomorrow. It is not one of her home study periods, but she only has one lesson all day (in the subject she is re-sitting and so would be revising anyway) and she argued that she would get more revision done at home on her own. She also said that other students had stayed at home revising yesterday too. There is no way we would condone her missing any lessons but would Uni's still look at attendance levels this year, even after offers have been made?

[happilyconfused]

Schools get beaten up by OFSTED if sixth form attendance is not up to scratch

[mumblechum1]

DS is in the same boat, has a couple of modules next week but says it's nigh on impossible to get any work done in the "work room" of the sixth form block as it's really noisy and not enough desks/pcs.

He asked if he could take today off (only one lesson) but I told him he has to go, as the school get really arsy about attendance.

[happilyconfused]

It is only on references that we comment on attendance and punctuality. Often it is a general comment but we are getting more asking for specific figures. It varies from company to company. Never put actual attendance figures on ucas ref but will make a positive comment if they have very good or excellent attendance

[amumthatcares]

Thank you all for clarifying. That's a weight of my mind tbh and at least now I can cut her a bit of slack when she's under pressure during her main exams

[creamteas]

Speaking as an admissions tutor, it is rare for UCAS references to comment on attendance.

The only time it is usually mentioned is if the school are explaining adverse circumstance, and it is then usually to support the application rather than comment negatively.

[Sleepysand]

Schools have targets for attendance and do all sorts of things to massage the appearance of their lumpier aspects and look lean and lovely. These range from out and out liposuction (declaring a student present all day who has been there until 1pm - and for all I know some go further!) through caffeine rubs (getting a TA to visit a student for an hour a day at home and marking them as "educated elsewhere) to a bit of dry brushing in the shower (scaring students by any means possible into actually turning up). It is almost an art form, and there are people whose job it is to do a lot of this sort of thing - year heads and pastoral leaders. It was sort of mine for a while

Schools also have (informal) targets to get students into good universities and will write the references that are most likely to achieve that result, and mostly really like their students and want them to succeed, so I wouldn't worry, Y11Mum, about your DD.

[titchy]

They don't ask for final attendance figures!!!!! Once the UCAS reference has been sent that's it from the school . They're just scare-mongering!

[Year11mum]

Blimey, I didn't know that universities asked for (or expected to see) comments on attendance in the school reference. I never saw DD1's school report, but there was nothing said explicitly in DS1's reference. I suppose by confirming good results, contribution in lessons, extra curricular's good attendance is implied.

DD2 has suffered from chronic fatigue since the end of year 8, and in her GCSE years only attended for half the lessons for two subjects, missed all "extra " lessons i.e. PHSE, Life Skills, Games and because we leave within very easy walking distance of school often came home for these. Her official attendance record, as stated on her School Reports, always looked even worse, however, because by going in second period in the morning or after lunch (where the first period was a lesson it had been agreed she would miss) she missed registration so was deemed to have missed the whole morning or afternoon session.

I wonder if I should get that official record corrected?

It's easier now she's in 6th form because of the study periods where she's allowed to go home if it is time efficient to do so....

[amumthatcares]

Oh, maybe we were a bit harsh then . We insisted she needs to keep her attendnace level up and that she go in. Let's hope she's revising at school I was worried as the last time she had an absence I had a letter home saying that when the Uni's asked for final attendance figures it would go against her blahblahblah! bit of scaremongering going on there maybe? (her attendance is v.good -the school are just rather keen at sending letters out)

[NewFerry]

DS had a "Y13 Migraine" yesterday, so stayed home and managed to do an incredible amount of revision, despite his "headache"

[Sleepysand]

Once the reference is submitted they do not contact the school any further. Also, they never get a figure as far as I recall, they just ask school to comment. Most schools write the most positive references that they can.