School asking absent child to come in later

[TreeXmasTree]

Hi

My Y4 child woke at around 3am sneezing constantly with a runny nose and said he didn’t feel well enough for school. He’d been awake from then on, so I kept him home and left a message with school saying he had a cold.

School called back asking for more detail and said that under NHS guidance sneezing/runny nose alone are fine for school. I explained that I’m normally quite strict about attendance, but given he’d been up since 3am and was exhausted, I didn’t think he was fit for a full day. They said that was ok but suggested he could possibly come in later for the afternoon register if he’d had some sleep.

I said I’d see how he was and let them know before 1pm register. Just wondering where others stand on this - am I being overly cautious, or is it reasonable to keep him home for rest in this situation?

His attendance has always been over 99% so I’m a little shocked at how the school is handling this (although I realise this is due to pressure from DfE)

Please share your thoughts? What would you do?

TIA

I'd keep him at home.

I’d definitely keep him at home. I wouldn’t want to go to work if I’d been up half the night coughing and sneezing!

I’d see how he was after some calpol and send him in for the afternoon if he was feeling a bit better. Then quiet evening and early bed.
If he’s still feeling rough I’d keep him at home

If his attendance is good (which you've said it is) it wouldn't cross my mind to send him in this afternoon. I wouldn't keep a child off if they woke up in the morning with a bit of a cold but if it's bad enough it woke him up in the middle of the night I would let him have a full rest day.

Exactly! I tried to put myself in his shoes and imagine I’d likely call in sick. My son is now worried about the call from school and volunteered to go in later if I want him to. He said he’s just very tired. But I see no point in getting him dressed for school for less than 2.5 hours of school

I'd 100% keep him at home. Let the poor lad know he can relax, he has the whole day to be looked after, rather than having at the back of his mind that he might have to go back into school.

These attitudes from schools (or government, I'm not really bothered, they all have the same result) make me furious. It's the middle of winter, people get viruses and feel ill. Young children should be able to recuperate at home when feeling rough, not be forced into school for a tick on a register. They dont give two hoots about the wellbeing of the child, just the tick in the box.

This

honestly with attendance like that you clearly dont keep him off on a whim. My response would be 'I am the parent and I will decide if my child is fit enough for school' (and under my breath, so keep your bloody nose out). School should be more concerned with children who a persistently late and have days off every week, not kids with 99% attendance

Slightly different situation, not specifically attendance related, but reminds me of when my dc were secondary school age and a classmate broke his collarbone playing rugby for the school. A week or so later the PE teacher contacted his Mum, not to ask after him, or wish him well, but to find out if the doctors had said when he might be fit to play again as he was a key member of the team!

I agree with what @Tuttuttuttu posted.

Use your common sense, and don't pander to this box ticking exercise which is not solving the real attendance problem that exists. In fact, by pressuring sick children to go in when unwell it is masking the number of persistent non-attenders.

I'd have said you're his parent and you decide if he's well enough for school.

Just treat what they are saying as a suggestion and make your own decision. If he’s tired he can stay home.

I’d never think school would want and allow child to come for pm only! So I’d just treat it as information.

This. It infuriates me. It's so wrong.

As a former primary school governor I can confirm that OfSted get their knickers in a twist about attendance and schools feel obliged to chase every absence up when they would much prefer not to. It is crazy. Schools know which of their pupils are persistent absentees and in need of some sort of follow up without hassling good attenders who are unwell.

The fact that the school is being over-diligent here makes me wonder if they are concerned about how their attendance figures are looking just now and wanting to get every tick on the register that they can, even a half day. But that is not your problem. Your job is to do right by your child.

Hopefully it was said as a kind gesture, rather than worrying about attendance figures.

Keep him at home.

You should never be worried about having the day off when you’re poorly.

I’d see how he is, it’s sometimes the case that they do bounce back very quickly

I would have clearly told the school that as the parent it is my judgement call and remind them of his high attendance record. They are obviously trying to send a no nonsense message but it’s massively overstepping imo. Also ridiculous to suggest dragging him in for 2.5 hours of school when he could just rest and recover.
I would ring them back now and tell them he’s not coming in at all today.

See how he goes. Sometimes kids bounce back and are right as rain by lunch time. On the other hand he might be coming down with covid or the flu. I would keep him home if he's still feeling unwell. Next time you phone I'd avoid the word cold - school will assume it's a sniffle and suggest he comes in. Instead perhaps say he's been up since 3am feeling really unwell with a temperature or something along those lines.

If he's actually ill, then definitely keep him off. The tiredness is maybe a red herring and he'd have been too ill to going in even if he'd slept well. If the cold symptoms are minor and it's more the tiredness, then it's OK to give the option of having some sleep and going in later.

Our school also now deals with attendance 'in line with NHS guidelines'. It's amazing that unqualified reception staff & attendance staff suddenly have gained their medical degrees. You know him best, don't worry about it x

Your child your choice. They belong to you not the DfE.

It's mostly common sense but with this level of poorly I wouldn't be allowing any tv or video games at home and the child's boredom/activity level is then a good barometer for whether they are well enough for school in the afternoon. Wanting to just stay in bed/nap/read = ok stay at home. Moaning about boredom, creating mischief, actively playing = well enough for school.

Did something happen , some sort of guidance re attendance- they seem to be so strict at the moment. I've heard it from so many people this week.

I’ve never had a phone call and I’ve kept mine off in similar circumstances, where are you based?!
Who wants to go to school after being up half the night coughing and sneezing. I could understand it if there was a concern about attendance being low but with your percentage, they shouldn’t have rung.
Keep him off and tell him not to worry about it, poor chap!

Same here. To the school, I’d just say ‘will bring him in if he seems better/well enough later’. There have been times when my DC has seemed absolutely fine to attend for the two periods after lunch and I wished I could take them in.

I think schools are now being assessed not only on their attendance stats but on the steps they take to address absence and the support the give children to get back into class?