School asking for proof of illness

[YukoandHiro]

My DD is in reception and has been so ill this year. I'm sure it's the lockdown catch up thing but it's been awful. Since September she's had:
A week off with covid
A week off with chicken pox
Three rounds of norovirus
Tonsillitis
Loads of random days of for PCR checks in the autumn term
And also as she's asthmatic she's had loads of severe viral wheeze which has required time off too. Last night we were in a&e again and I doubt she'll be well enough to go back til Friday.
The school called me today and asked for medical reports. We're seeing the GP tomorrow anyway for a review of her inhalers so I presume they will be able to provide this?
I'm so exhausted by it all and now feel like the school doesn't believe me?
All the way I've been following the rules. Eg she was basically fine in herself with both chicken pox and covid but I followed guidelines and kept her off.
Just feel really fed up today. Any advice on the documents I might need?

It will be because her attendance has gone below a trigger point for further intervention. Show any appointments you have and mention to your gp

Low attendance is monitored by local authorities and schools are questioned about persistent absence, ( attendance below 90%) appointment confirmations are enough although GPs do print off appointment records, I've had them from parents before

Administrative codes
The following codes are not counted as a possible attendance in the School Census.
Code X: not required to be in school
This code is used to record sessions that non-compulsory school age children are not expected to attend.

@Deux
I don’t think you’re obliged to provide any evidence. You could suggest that if the doubt your veracity, they can mark the absence as unauthorised.

Another school mum I know did this and the school started to fine her £60 per parent or £120 for each and every day of ‘unauthorised absence’. The mum refused to pay the fines and was prosecuted by the council. She had to go to the county court and prove her DS was genuinely ill. And yes, the court wanted medical evidence.

So I’m afraid it’s either provide medical documentation of some sort now, or risk doing it to a court. As I said, I simply give them the patient summary printout…it’s free the GP receptionist can print it off in a jiffy and it has all the diagnosed medical conditions, any ongoing investigations, and lists the recent appointments. My school was happy with it as proof of my DDs chronic ill health that put her attendance down below 70%. Every once in a while I get an updated one and drop it by the school.

Thanks everyone, this has been really helpful. Her attendance definitely will have gone below a trigger point as she must easily have missed 25 or more days over the year. It's been awful. I've been testing my hair out.

I see the point about safeguarding but some of these stories about heavy handedness are a bit scary. It's not an academy chain. But they're obviously hot on attendance too.

I've got a discharge note with a wheeze plan from the hospital I can forward to them and I will ask the GP about gaining a copy of medical records tomorrow

@YukoandHiro there is no trigger point as your daughter is not CSA. Honestly just tell school this and read the extract from the government guidance.

I wouldn't engage with the madness - for most of the illnesses you've described you wouldn't normally need to visit the gp anyway (apart from asthma).

My DCs hardly ever went to the docs when they were little, but of course they had the occasional illness so had days off school. Their GP wouldn't have been able to pick them out of a line-up, never mind confirm if I was telling the truth about minor illnesses- ridiculous overreaction for a 4 year old who has been living through a pandemic for half her life.

At the most I'd give them the gps number - if they want to pursue a pointless exercise let them do it on their time, it sounds like you've got enough to do!

I appreciate that the OP's DD isn't yet of compulsory school age but she will be soon enough, and keeping a file is a good habit to get into.

I have had a couple of friends who spent more time and effort telling the school(s) to fuck off that simply showing some paperwork to the school. Who wants all that stress in their lives, the threats of fines and court appearances, when you have a child with medical conditions? I don't get it.

Also, the school should be proving to the OP that it - i.e. the staff - know what do do in the event her DD has an asthma attack in school.

DS's school asks for this. They aren't looking for a specific document from your GP - just something to confirm your DD was at A&E (a photo of the discharge form) or at an appointment (forward a reminder text) or at the dentist (forward the reminder email) etc. I don't have a problem sending it tbh.

@YukoandHiro I think sending a copy of the discharge note and 'wheeze plan' to the school is an excellent idea.

But what if, like the OPs child, your DC had been off multiple times with minor illnesses that didn't need a GP? Norovirus/chickenpox/covid - none of these things require a drs appointment unless the child becomes really unwell and not showing signs of recovering - what then?

none of these things require a drs appointment unless the child becomes really unwell and not showing signs of recovering - what then?

For chicken pox I would offer to send a picture of him (although I'm sure they would say no thanks). For a 48 hour bug I would email each day confirming that he was staying off in accordance with their policy. My email would be the documentation in that case.

The OP’s child isn’t even of compulsory school age.

Being fined for holidays is different to safeguarding. If the child is enrolled at the school, it has a duty of care towards her, regards of age.

In the kindest possible way, even for a reception age child 25+ days is a huge amount to have missed. Yes young children get sick, frequently, but they also usually recover quickly enough to return to school quite promptly. For eg the reason the 48hr rule has to exist for D&V is that kids are still contagious for that period but are frequently so much better within 24hrs that you might be tempted to send them to sch. To have a full week off for a viral vomiting bug is unusual. OP have you talked to the doc about how frequently your child gets poorly and how long it takes them to recover? Is it worth asking if there's any proactive measures you can take to boost their immune system?

I fear also that if the absences happened to frequently fall mon-fri sch may suspect the child was taken on holiday rather than poorly, hence asking for medical evidence. Not suggesting it's the case here but sadly they do have to check as lots of parents do lie and say a child is sick to go on a term time holiday.

Exactly this. If you want to take a child under CSA out to go on holiday better just to be honest with school, the absence won't be authorised but you won't get a fine, and school appreciate the honesty.

My P2 (equivalent to Y1 in England) has a similar level of attendance this year. She's had a vomiting bug, 2 weeks with a chest infection that didn't shift with the first lot of ABs, Covid (including 6 days when she wasn't in isolation but both adults were in isolation) and about a million days of for not covid temperatures triggering PCRs for both her and younger sibling. It's been shite for most kids. The only thing we didn't get was chicken pox as she had that 2 years ago but this year has been the worst for random bugs - feels like 3 years worth in 1.

Very much hoping that next year is better for everyone as immune systems should be more used to bugs, please!!!

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1021914/KCSIE_2021_September_guidance.pdf

If anyone is interested, this is the statutory guidance about safeguarding.

Its application is for anyone under the age of 18.

We have a lovely gp who write us a letter for free in reception but my ds has immunodeficiency so is always off with something but it is worth asking the gp. He’s also summer born so technically didn’t even have to be in school it’s the last thing you need when your child is off sick you have my sympathies.

Schools are now coming under pressure about attendance from government. The leeway allowed during the pandemic is now gone. We will all be getting those letters from school etc and they will be obliged to follow up as soon as attendance drops below a certain level. Our head brought this up in a parent forum recently. Their target is 97% for each child!!!!

Yes exactly @lemmein - all of the asthma/wheeze incidents are noted because we've visited the GP or hospital every time. But a lot of it has been things she didn't see anyone for like covid (although I think I did register her positive LFT so that might be on the record) and chickenpox - should I just show them all her new scars? The odd days or noro also have nothing to show for them

@Lightsoutlondon Yes I've talked endlessly to her doctors but they just say it's the way it is for youngsters and she's especially prone as she as asthma eczema and food allergies. Every cold becomes viral induced wheeze and often a night in a&e (certainly 2-3 nights of zero sleep for me).

Also she gets a cough with every cold so in autumn she was having a PCR test with obligatory isolation practically every 10 minutes.

I'm sorry if I sound defensive but october til now has literally been the worst period of my life. I'm supposed to be restating my career after baby 2 and she's been sick a lot too and I think I've worked three undisturbee weeks since October. I'm losing my fucking mind - and now I feel like the school thinks I'm a crank or hypochondriac or something.

She's never had a week off for vomiting. I've never kept to the 48 hour rule either tbh as frankly I couldn't afford to work wise with all the other absences she's had.

She had 6 days each for covid and chickenpox so that's 12 before you even start the rest

@TheYearOfSmallThings actually come to think of it I do have a whole phone full or photos of poxy skin and videos of wheezing episodes to show doctors etc. maybe I will offer to share it.

It's insane to even hope for it, but maybe she'll have an easier run in year 1. She didn't have a single day off between Xmas and Feb half term and I practically popped champagne over that!