reception attendance

[Brunocat]

DS has attendance of 84.7% in Reception. This is mainly due to a two week holiday in term time. In our defense he had been allocated a school in special measures - we were going to keep him in preschool instead (he is the youngest in his school) and wait for a better place to come up. Thought that two weeks with family and grandparents would be very good and would not matter too much if he had two weeks off pre-school. Two months later we got an offer at a fantstic school which we gladly and gratefully accepted. However the holiday was booked and we went. (Authorised absence)
He has also had two days off ill and will have two days off next week when we visit grandmum for a long weekend.
I fully understand that attendance is important but he is 4 and legally doesn't even have to be in school yet.
Should I just calm down and make sure that there are no more days off or am I being unreasonable?

I would calm down but you do need to understand that any time off other than illness is going to considered unacceptable.
Certainly in my primary school where I am a governor you would be getting a visit from the Education Welfare Officer to see what was happening with 84.7% attendance.

Calm down.

No, he doesn't have to be at school yet. But once enrolled yes he should attend.

But you can't do anything now about the authorised absence which altered your percentage so much. So just do your best to ensure good attendance for the rest of the year. It's all in the lap of the gods anyhow, as you can't plan for illnesses etc. You just need to be conscientious in doing you best.

Two weeks off is a long time in reception and while you're right he's not compulsory school age you certainly wouldn't be getting the other long weekend in my school, head's can only authorise 10 days in one school year and you've had those. I would also be sending the EWO round to have words about such poor attendance.

Why do you need to take another 2 days off ? Easter hols just round the corner.

Understand the original thing with the pre-booked holiday, but can't understand why he is having anymore, having had 2 weeks off.

Thank you for your replies and I agree that unless terribly ill he won't be having any more time off for holidays / treats etc. I don't want to annoy school and also as he moves into Year One any days off for treats are not as acceptable in my view anyway.
DS will be going on the long weekend because that is the only time my husband has off and he wants to visit his mother. Agree that Easter is nearby but it's still a month away and granny is not too well and hasn't seen the kids in ages. (Also visiting my parents then) We can't often go in the holidays as my husband's holidays don't match up and there isn't much chance of that changing. She lives a long way away and a weekend leaves hardly any time after travelling. She can't visit us for health reasons. The next visit after this will be Summer, the one before was Christmas.

Time it with inset days/ half term. Can your dh not apply for time off that does coincide with some school hols (eg. half term).

we just had a letter from dd school she is in reception each half term we are given a letter telling us their attendance percentage, it also states that they are actually in school for 195 days a year leaving 170 days per year for days out and holidays :)

Sorry I'm unclear what the problem is - have you been threatened with legal action or what?

While your child is below compulsory education age they cannot prosecute you for truancy. He would have to miss quite a lot of school continuously without good reason in order to lose his place at the school. So there isn't really anything they can do to you at the moment.

If you feel taking time off school is in his interests at the moment, do whatever you think is best.

It does sound as though things will be difficult for you in the long run, however. It sounds as though your values (putting a high priority on time with family) may clash with the school's need to maintain high attendance figures and perhaps with the law also. I do sympathise with you.

Your child has had the equivalent of almost 1 day a week off school for the whole of this school year.

Poor attendance is a big factor in children not making the progress they are capable of. It's progress that is important, so even if you think "my clever child will be OK", missing big chunks of school will leave them having to play catch-up.

Also, not suggesting this is you from your OP, but families who start school thinking it's OK to take holiday in term time tend to continue doing so. For these reasons, your child would be in an "at risk of underachievement" category in my school.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-17325408

I was shocked by this report ... it's amazing how odd days add up over time

My DS1 was just 4 when he started school. I contemplated a family hol in school time and just happened to speak with my Dad beforehand. His view was that if I wouldn't accept the teacher taking a fortnight off in school time to book a cheaper / more convenient holiday, why did I think it okay to take my DS out?

I still mull over this point whenever I see parents taking their kids out of school. I understand the financial / convenience reasons but still, if it's not acceptable for the teachers, why is it okay for the children?

Baffledmum that's a comment I have heard at my school. One parent was moaning that the teacher was off for a minor operation, off for 1 school week and 3 days the week after. Mum was moaning about the teacher never being in, as she was handing in a form for term time holiday. Our Deputy Head pulled her up and asked what the difference was? He basically said what your dad said. She shut up then, still took her DS on holiday even though school wouldn't authorise it as his attendance was below the magic 95%, but she hasn't been heard to moan about the teachers illness again.

From the report mrz posted

"Missing a school day a week is the same as losing a quarter of the year's education."

Surely it's missing a fifth? Not a quarter?
Grain of salt with this one, I think.