So the 100% attendance prize this term was an ipod shuffle!!!

[RaisinBoys]

Aside from my thinking that a prize for 100% attendance is questionable, what is wrong with the humble book token?

Yes, I am really old!

And no, It's not just because my DC did not "win"

[Marne]

Hate the idea of attendance rewards, my dd's will never have 100% as they have sn's and lots of hospital appointments (as well as getting the odd illness), it seems very unfair to reward children for not being ill or going to school when they are ill and infecting their class mates.

[BooksandaCuppa]

Agree with most of the above points: you shouldn't penalise a child for being ill or having a disability or a bereavement and you especially shouldn't encourage parents to send in ill children (particularly of the sickness bug type - that really annoys me). However, I can also see the point that school has a duty to ensure the highest attendance possible or they're in trouble.

The one thing I don't think anyone's mentioned is: the cost of these ridiculously over the top rewards...ipods and bikes? Surely to goodness that money is better spent on teachers and books and art materials and et cetera....I'm truly flabbergasted that a school would think that anything more than a certificate (or at an absolute push a book token) is justifiable financially!

[marquesas]

No prizes at my DCs schools but I have seen an occassional certificate.

I do agree with the general principle of ensuring that children understand that school attendance is important and, if you want to keep a job in later life it's pretty much essential.

I'm sure most of us know parents who keep their children off school at the slightest sniffle, I feel sorry that these children aren't given the chance to learn that sometimes we have to suck it up and get on with it.

[HappyMummyOfOne]

Schools have immense pressure from Ofsted to get their attendence as high as possible, poor attendance means no matter how good the school it will never be classed as outstanding.

I'm not against them in theory as it installs a good ethic into children which can only benefit them in their working lives. Far too many parents let their child stay home for holidays, a slight sniffle or they are tired etc.

They shouldnt be banned though for fear of upsetting some children unless all rewards are banned. Some children excel in sports, others arts so this may be the only certificate some get.

[anothercuppaplease]

Happymummy you are missing the point. Some children will never be able to receive this unecessary award because of chronic illnesses or disability. The pressure to get children to school should be put on the parents, not on the children.

[DizzyHoneyBee]

anothercuppa, I think children just have to learn to accept that. My DS is not likely to get one as he has a chronic condition (though he's just managed 100 % since September) but it's one of those he has to deal with.
Some children never get certificates for achievement/attitude but it's not a reason not to have them IMO.
Your point of view is equally valid though and I do see where you are coming from, I kind of agree but kind of don't.
Because of my DS's condition he cannot excel at one particular sport as much as his peers, consequently he sees them winning races and passing awards which he can't do although he loves the sport. They are still entitled to get the awards and win the races though.

[NewFerry]

But winning a race, or passing a spelling test is something that the child does. The decision to take them to school, or keep them off is made by the adult. The child does not make that decision, and can only do what the adult determines.

So a child can say they feel ill, but mum still sends them to school.
Or they can say they need to go to school, but mum says no, you are needed at home to look after your younger sibling.
How can it be fair to reward on that basis?

[DizzyHoneyBee]

OK...a dyslexic child sees all the others getting house points for full marks in the weekly spelling test. An asthmatic child sees all the others getting a certificate for full attendance.
Neither can help not getting full marks because of something completely beyond their control. They both have to learn to live with that, however unfair it is.
Life isn't about making it fair for all and we all have to learn to cope with that, no matter how hard it is.

[DizzyHoneyBee]

oh, not all the others..a lot of the others/some of the others.

[MrsJamin]

That comparison just doesn't hold up DizzyHoneyBee. Falling ill and doing the right thing by staying at home can happen to anyone.

[Elibean]

Yikes

That is a ridiculous thing to give such a huge prize for - mind you, I think its a bit of a huge prize to give at primary level for anything, personally

The education authority always insisted on attendance certificates at our school, but no great fanfare is made of them. 100% gets a book, 99% gets a pencil, and everyone is really clear that a lot of it is luck.

Glad to say the Head was ill just before the end of term, quite bad flu/infection, and made a point of staying home for a few days and letting kids (and staff) know it was just as good to stay home when really ill as show up when not!

[Heifer]

phew, just asked DD (9) if her school does this. Thankfully they don't.....

I wouldn't know because she has never had 100% attendance. She doesn't have any health problems but has had the normal childhood coughs, colds, noravirus etc so I'm amazed that any child has 100%. Are they actually never ill??

[Houseworkprocrastinator]

Mine child's school has a little prize every half term (pencil, rubber or something similar) The school has really poor attendance and i know of allot of children that are off not due to illness or even holiday. My daughter has not had a day off since nursery and she is now year one. I do not work full time and i don't send her in sick. she normally waits till the holidays to be ill. (been sick the last two days)

[Elibean]

Have to say, dd2 has just had her first day off ever - she is in Y1. She was ill a lot as a toddler (very ill, a few times) but has been pretty fit since having her tonsils out aged 2!

She has had all the usual colds, but always seems to start on a Friday evening and bounce back by Sunday night - I wouldn't send her in ill. Never in with a temp, feeling awful, or sick. It does happen.

But its pretty rare, and purely down to luck.

[Churmy123]

My DDs school gives out certificates at the end of each term but think it's for attendance over 97%. My DD is in Year 1 and has been lucky so far as in she has not been ill and therefore has never missed a day of school. She has always got the certificates and has been proud to receive them. She does have appointments at the Eye Clinic at our local hospital every 8-10 weeks but we've always managed to arrange them in the school holidays or after school. I think we are very lucky to be able to do this! I don't think prizes should be given out but don't see a problem with a certificate. In my DDs school it's definately the minority that reciece them anyway. I think it's a bit unfair of some posters to say it's the working parents that send sick children into school. Yes me and my husband work but I have never sent my child to school poorly. Maybe the school should look at some of the parents keep their kids off when they are not really poorly. I have a friend who's DD is in my DDs class and she has missed nearly 3 weeks of school so far due to coughs, mild colds and stomach aches.

[incywincyspideragain]

All school rewards systems have faults.

100% attendance is pure luck and ofsted driven but my son was proud to get his 'I've been lucky' certificate for the first time (yr2) and those were his words. It's the only award his got and will probably get.
I went in to see the head about medical appointments in school time when he was in reception, if related to pre-existing condition or investigations then it shouldn't count against attendance, something to do with disability discrimination (can't find link) ds has various appointments and I wouldn't dare cancel a clinic app with specialist for fear of not getting one again so this shouldn't count against your child and you should speak to the head.
For all its faults 100% attendance is totally transparent - you know exactly why and how you get it although I like the idea of rewarding 97% or similar as that sounds more realistic, schools know which families they need to target for attendance and shouldn't penalise those with poor immune systems who don't want to spread the latest bug.
As a working parent I never send my child in if they are ill, that's about as offensive as me saying all stay at home parents should stop drinking coffee and be volunteering to work in school and bake a few more cakes for the PTA as they have nothing else to do

The awards that really annoy me are star of the week - can anyone explain how in a whole year a child does nothing of note?? Nothing if personal achievement or effort?? Even if its incredibly difficult to find something there must be something? That reward system is arbitrary and flawed, if I worked for an employer that used a system I didn't understand and couldn't explain and had no quality measure I'd be really upset... But that's another thread

[stormforce10]

its a stupid criteria on which to qward prizes. last year by sheer luck and good health dd got 100% attendance. this year shes already had 3 days off with a stomach bug. yet as she sat throwing her gits up in a bucket she was begging to be allowed to go to school as if I didn't let her she would not get the certificate this year.

its rediculous they really need to scrap it anjd reward other things

[CaptainVonTrapp]

Ours had a trip to a local ice rink. You guessed it, in school time...

(Love to know where the money comes from for these ridiculous awards)

[amck5700]

My son had 100% attendance for 5 years in a row - he was being bullied for 3 of those. He got feck all. Oh actually he got a certificate one year that had been printed off/photocopied - it didn't have his name on and was dated June 1996 - he wasn't born until 2000.

Yes, we were lucky that he is extremely healthy, but we also never took him out of school for holidays and he never just refused to go despite the bullying. He'd have been ecstatic with a book token.

[chickensarmpit]

Hmmm i'm on the bench a bit with this one.
On one hand i have a son with Dwayne syndrome so he has time off school for appointments with that.
Yet i have a healthy child who loves school and is never off.

Should we stop all awards in case we offend or upset children who are ill/disabled? Or should we praise children who turn up on time everyday.

Also just because parents work, doesn't mean they will send their children into school ill.
It doesn't matter what anyone does, someone will always be offended.

[amck5700]

NotLongUntilXmas I had a friend who's son was in hospital with a ruptured appendix - in Intensive care - no other absences.......and they got a letter about his attendance being below target and saying that they were watching him

[CaptainVonTrapp]

Perhaps we could think of some awards that aren't based on sheer good luck (or bad luck as the case may be) chickens? Also that the child has some control over - rather that the parent.

[NewFerry]

Erm, what about effort put into a piece of work during the school day?
Or, keeping your workspace or book drawer tidy
Or, recognising resilience and awarding a child for having a go at something they find scarey, whether its singing in the choir, or tackling the climbing wall.

Except, the cynic in me thinks that whilst theses are all good targets that will help children grow into resilient, conscientious, adults who are willing to give their all, ofsted only like specific measurable targets in which they can apply a tick box methodology

[RaisinBoys]

Well put NewFerry.

Couldn't agree more

[LavenderPots]

we had a assembly once a year then at end of yr 11 their was one boy that had not missed a day in 5yrs - first person to do it in however long ya-da-ya-daya-da massive build up, call out his name.....he's off ill....