attendance letter from school

[UriGeller]

DS is in reception. He only started in September so why have we received a letter saying his attendance is below 90% and inviting us to a meeting with the education welfare officer to discuss it. What is there to discuss? Isn't it all supposed to be 'informal schooling' until Y1 anyway?

Have you seen then today or made the appointment?

Irvine. That poor child. How awful. Hoping all better now.
I asked because I know some people who like to keep their kids off to "recuperate" when really they are fit for school.

Yup

Its a bit silly with Primary and attendance - kids go down with lurgi left right and centre. its to establish a pattern that they will be on your case for next 11 years about attendance.

Acknowledge the school explaining you understand their concern and that you have given reasons for the absences. Thank them for the invitation but politely decline as you are aware of the reasons for the absence and are managing it.

Thank you, Wolfiefan. He is getting stronger every year.

His attendance has been awful until last year, but this year, he had days off school for routine/regular check ups at hospital only. So, his attendance will never be 100%, but this year, it might be the first year that we don't receive those letters! yay!
It is really horrible to receive threatening letter from school when you have a child who gets ill easily.
My ds's school has been great. We always received hand written notes with automatic attendance letter, saying we don't need to worry.

So, I will advice any parents who has children with health issue starting school, get evidence(appointment record, prescription, letter from dr. etc.), anything and everything, give the copy to school, and talk to school before they ask. That really made good relationship with school about his attendance, and my ds(and we) never been in trouble even his attendance was under 90%.

Below 90% is a day off every 2 weeks? Which seems frequent?
There is a child at DCs school who is atleast 15 mins late every day (some days 30mins). He lives about 200m from the school, only child, no major health issues. He is off sick very often... Yr1 and he is already falling behind in reading and maths. Surely its in everyone's interest to try to nip these problems in the bud? Maybe the school wants to understand why the attendance is so low and see if they can support you in some way?

A consultant in immunity disorders once told me (after dd's blood tests had turned up completely normal) that some children simply have a late developing immune system, that there is nothing much you can do about it, and that it means they will catch more bugs whatever you do. I brought up dd's record (which was in the 80-85% region at the time) and told him the school had said it was totally unacceptable, and asked if he couldn't do something about it.

He basically replied that whatever the school thought, medically speaking it was still within normal range, and that though he sympathised there was nothing he could do about it.

I don't know how one would nip it in the bud really? We fed dd a healthy diet and made sure she got enough sleep and fresh air and exercise, but she just seemed to get ill more often and get worse and stay ill longer. Sending her into school when she was under the weather just meant she took longer to get over it.

Some kids just get everything. My youngest had 93% attendance in reception! he just caught everything going. He was sent home ill at least 3 times, had chicken pox which meant a week off (actually had it twice but second time was luckily the holidays) d&v bug etc.

I don't keep mine off for every tiny thing, but when they're that young reception can be tiring and if they pick up every bug it takes a whole for them to get over it.