Has anyone else home educated to avoid hassle over attendance ?

[backedintoacorner]

We can’t get the required level. Combination of pre existing medical issues and constant viruses etc .
can’t sign a contract as I know we can’t influence the % so there’s no point.

At this point seriously considering not returning after Xmas hols and just de registering to home educate as it seems to be either you are fine and can go 97%+ of the time or you’re not ok but there’s no allowance made so it’s constant hassle and threats of legal action causing stress on the whole family

It sounds like this is one of those absence scenarios which is very difficult for the school to gauge - where a child’s absence for any given condition is always significantly longer than usual.

If there is a known underlying condition, then this can be resolved easily by consultant’s letter, as stated above.

It’s harder if there isn’t sich a diagnosis, just a parent saying ‘it always takes longer for them to recover’. If the latter, then an action plan agreed with the school might be eg a GP visit to rule out underlying causes, an agreement about gradual return of a couple of hours a day rather than absence or full hours etc etc. Basically everyone working together to demonstrate good faith, everyone understanding that bad faith can be possible so it’s not ‘an accusation’ , just something a school has a legal duty to investigate.

Do you have the wherewithal to home educate - time, intellect, facilities, knowledge, teaching experience? Sufficient to make up for the fact that your child is often not well enough to learn? Personally I'd find that a challenge.

If your child's consultant has already written to school to explain your child's condition, then it's worth reminding your child's school of the Equality Act, and pointing out that the way they are behaving could be seen to be discriminating against those with underlying conditions/ disabilities.

I also wouldn't be paying for letters from the GP, and would just keep referring them to the letter from the consultant each time, as per guidance from DoE around attendance and requesting unnecessary evidence.

They haven’t, it’s anecdotal from OPs observations on her child.

Yes I absolutely think I’d be fine home educating. I’m confident I could offer a good education and opportunities. The fact is though I’ve held off and not done it as I actually prefer school but it’s just not working for us as they are so rigid about attendance and causing so much stress around the issue. Home Ed isn’t my first choice. I could do it confidently yes but I’ve just been trying to find a way to get the school to back down and ease off on this pressure that I can influence attendance rates when I can’t

Thank goodness my daughter went to an independent school. Her attendance was low 70s and we and the school worked on accommodations to allow her to attend flexibly.
We’d have been stuffed re: attendance if she’d gone to a state school. Her mental health is such that is she doesn’t feel able to go in on a given day, I literally can’t make her go.

Apologies for my last post - I note that OP’s child has a letter from a consultant. With schools not being medical professionals, it may be that they have not understood that an underlying condition may not only give rise to ‘direct’ absence through the condition itself, but also ‘indirect’ absence from seemingly unrelated illnesses that may take longer to recover from. Making that explicit in a consultant’s letter, rather than just ‘absence may be higher’ may be helpful for the school.

As a trivial example, I had poorly controlled asthma and eczema as a child. I was absent from school not just for asthma attacks, but also for chest infections after colds, for eye issues related to hayfever, and serious bacterial skin infections post eczema flare ups. Had I just had a letter saying ‘asthma may lead to increased absence’, all those ‘indirect’ absences might not have been understood.

Resend the letter from the consultant.

Email alongside this and clearly state that if the school do not believe the NHS then you are happy for them to pay for a second opinion through a private consultant. But otherwise if they don't accept the medical information provided then they are responsible for all GP notes or private medical requests they make.

State that if they keep harassing you about contracts then you'll feel you can no longer attend the school and will report them to ofsted for offrolling.

97% is a high target anyway. But even higher for healthy children these past few years with the pandemic and the resulting illnesses we've seen this winter as other virus have also been suppressed.

The school should only be requesting evidence if they have a genuine and reasonable doubt about the the authenticity of the illness, which doesn’t sound like it’s the case here.

They’ve always authorised it but recently asked for proof each time I don’t feel like the disbelieve us more like they need to have proof on record ?

I would say go for it then. Choosing to home educate doesn’t have to be a permanent decision. They can re-enter the school system in the future if you/they choose.

They don’t need medical evidence for each absence, the statutory guidance is clear “Only where the school has a genuine and reasonable doubt about the authenticity of the illness should medical evidence be requested to support the absence.”

They must then

What is your DC attendance level?

My Ds has also struggled since lockdown, catching everything going. His attendance is 80%. The difference is they've sent him home a lot so they know he's genuine. I rang to say I was worried about his attendance and what could I do, and they've been at pains to tell me he's by far the only one and not to worry because they know we're doing everything we can!

I think you would have grounds to stick it out - I'm assuming you could complain to the Governors or LA if you had to, or Ofsted? (Not sure of complaint routes!)

77%

Maybe our kids go to the same school OP as we've had the same letter 😂

Please... put it in the bin and try not to think about it anymore. The school can't force you to provide a doctors letter. Write them a letter and advise that they are welcome to request one from the school at their expense.

Also... looking at 97% attendance is for the full year. We're not even half way through the school year so assessing current attendance on a full year part way through is nonsensical. But I imagine it's part of the process should they get inspected by ofsted.

You could chat it over with your gp - ask them to support you in a complaint and write this in a letter with the chair of governors copied in? Ask for their complaints procedure? If you're happy to home school then you can always do this if things don't work out any better? Sounds like you'll be doing a lot of other children with health conditions a favour if they have to revisit their policy as a result...

77% is low. But do see if an appointment card (official from the surgery) is sufficient rather than a letter. I am not Attendance, but work in the vicinity so overhear many of the difficult conversations and the EWO/FLO conversations when they visit. We have many students who miss particular days or lessons - so do discuss that firmly with the school. But also we find that students who miss AM registration due to a number of (Ok-ish) reasons (eg C'xlld transport, traffic) also peculiarly enough seem to be late for PM reg. They are in school at that point so no excuse is OK. I would also make sure that school are aware of any family circumstances (short-term long-term, temp). We did a data audit and a number of families came forward and shared things like young carer status, parent in jail,. children living with non-driving grandparents. All of that was helpful to the Pastoral teams to be able to support appropriately. (I work in a secondary academy).

I am attendance and a appointment card/photo of prescription etc is sufficient

Yes we had to send in a picture of the AB bottle recently when she had scarlet fever but they said after 24 hrs she can return but she wasn’t well enough.

We’ve had to get specific letters if it’s been viral
so things we wouldn’t usually even bother the gp with but if we’ve said sore throat / chesty cough etc they’ve wanted it specified and verified in a letter

I feel for you OP.

My DS is at 76% but it's all authorised absence. Between CHAMS appointments, he's had 4 episodes of D and V (which occured in school) but they then asked for him to be collected and stay off for a minimum of 48 hours. And I also had an operation and was not allowed to drive for a while alongside being a in patient for 3 weeks! So he missed a massive chunk then, but I asked for work to be sent home so others sin the family could complete it with him.

I'm also a loan parent with no help to get him to or from school, so if I'm too unwell the attendance takes a hit, DS can stay with grandmother but she doesn't drive and lives the other side of the city to the school. Mum's working hours don't match school pick up and drop off times.

In a bid to improve his attendance I've sent him in sick (I know bad mum) but all they do then is phone me an hour later to collect him because he's vomited or is running a fever, but at least it then goes down as "authorised" .

I spoke to the school attendance person and she just said "we completely understand your situation, don't worry".

So yeah that's me and I also got the "legal letter" but when I phoned to discuss it the above response was given. So I've paid no attention to it since 🤷🏻‍♀️

Can you speak to the attendance officer?

There is no "Requirement" to reach 97% or to provide doctors letters

There is a "requirement" for the school to be able to demonstrate to ofsted that they have threatened and cajoled parents into improving attendance

Schools are not "over stepping" - ofsted is ( ie the government)

No body cares, honestly.

I send shirty letters out to parents who have kept their children off school, not because I disagree or disapprove of the reasons, but because I am required to by the government.

Honestly, that is all I have to do - be shirty with you. Once I have done that, job done, forget about it.

What happens if you are taken to court? Nothing, just have your personal records ready to show, thats all.

Fines etc, that happens when people wilfully remove children for term time holidays, etc. And to be honest, even when that has happened, if it is for a good reason, I just do by obligatory "shirty" bit, and move on/ ( sometimes secretly applauding parent for their decisions, and certainly never in any way holding the child responsible)

I would definitely not be paying for anymore letters that's for sure !

Mine have left school and all now out of Uni so a good few years ago.I was asked for this once or twice .

I told the school 'welfare officer' in no uncertain terms that I would not be wasting my money and more importantly the GPs - verifying a virus.

That as a mother I was more than capable of taking a temperature and assessing if my child was well enough to attend. Just as they were if they wanted to pop round.

This is for league tables and stats .. nothing to do with the child's best interests.

If you are a welfare officer and believe the parents are just too idle to get the kids to school.. go make a house call. Rather than wasting doctors time.

Absolutely do not need to be paying ANYTHING !! They want private med certs then they can pay !!

🙌 Precisely

House visits are a part of the picture, doesn’t mean letters won’t be sent.