bloody stupid letter from headmaster about dd's attendance (in reception!!!)

[CountessDracula]

DD was pretty ill a couple of weeks into this term with a chest infection that took two courses of antibiotics (administered at lunchtime by the school both times) to clear up. She had a week off in total (as she had a temperature for the whole time and was really unwell).

I had a letter from the school today saying that I had to go for an interview with the Headmaster to discuss her attendance as it has been below 90% this term (which is only half way through!)

I had a discussion with him when she came back as I bumped into him, he said to her "oh you look rather poorly" and I said "oh well, she doesn't have a temperature and as you know us working parents get a hard enough time as it is without all this blinking illness"

So waht is the point of a blinking interview?

I feel like just not turning up. I filled out the form saying why she was off. They know why. What good is an interview going to do?

I am NOT getting a Dr's note!

Why on earth should I take up a GP's time with nonsensical bureaucracy??

They know she had a chest infection as they had to administer the antibiotics. They even sent her home one day when I had sent her in ffs

I am going to go to the interview and make it clear that I am NOT attending any further interviews for such nonsense.

They are unfortunately on a real OFSTED driven attendance drive at the moment - hence the refusal to authorise any days off in term time for holidays.

Apparently (gubernatorial insight here!) there is going to be a reward scheme whereby children with 100% attendance each term (half term?) get a certificate or something. I objected to this as I thought it penalised the unwell - what about children with chronic conditions or just a run of bad luck?

I really wouldn't go to the interview. Just write a letter politely declining the interview explaining what was wrong with your dd as suggested. It is purely bureaucracy - school needs to be seen to be doing this.

This is bonkers. Ridiculous level of state interference in little children's lives.

I wouldn't go to the interview either. How old is your DD? If she's in under 5 then she's not even of compulsory education age...doesn't matter how much time she has off.

How bloody stupid! If she is ill she is ill.

Actually I'd go, but insist that the meeting was at a time to suit me, as of course my work attendance statistics are just as vital as dd's school attendance, and I would assume that if she has been ill then you've had to take the slack already. I might ask whether it is possible to have a health professional present as well as clearly it is relevant to this discussion (unless your HM happens to have relevant medical qualifications and experience) I think that watching him skirm as he has to accept the lunacy of the interview would be mildly entertaining, and should ensure that he at least checks the addressee of any such letter in future. Oh and if by any chance I had any other issues with my dc I'd be sure to add them to the agenda as well.

But I suspect that in the end I would fume (a lot) and manage a polite call indicating that perhaps the HM hadn't realised that dd was ill for a couple of weeks, but otherwise has excellent attendance, and that it was the GP who suggested that a higher atiticude would clear up the chest infection so the impromptu family skiing holiday was purely on medical grounds.

Clearly bonkers. Everyone who has blamed Ofsted is right. Ds's school aren't quite this daft about illness, but now have a 'no authorised absence at all' policy as apparently it's better in Ofsted terms to mark absence down as unauthorised, even if it's entirely reasonable.

AND apparently it gets marked down as unauthorised even if the school is shut! (And they shut at the first snowflake, with the excuse that most teachers can't afford to live in our town - maybe so but we are hardly in the Cairngorms, we are in SE England.)

So I called the school

Apparently he has a day and a half of 10 minute interviews for this very reason

It is to tell me that as dd has now had a week off it is very important that she has no more time off

WELL GUESS WHAT MR TWATFACE
I am a self-employed working mother
if I don't go to work I don't get paid
I DON'T KEEP MY CHILD OFF SCHOOL UNLESS IT IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

dont go. write and tell him facts as to absence. suggest he sends you written agenda ad arranges time to speak with you by phone if he considers this necessary. if he considers face to face meeting imperative suggest he tells you why and arrange time to suit you (very early pre school / v late after work)? how ridiculous.