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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Received a letter from new school about DS absenses.

78 replies

angelcake99 · 09/10/2009 14:36

Ds has only been in his new reception class 5 weeks, and in that time he has been ill 3 times. I kept him off for a two day periods because he had a sky high temperature and was dizzy and sick. the other period of sickness was flu with a raging temp and then viral conjunctivitis.
I phone school every day to tell them and sent him back with letters fully explaining why he had been absent.

Now I have received a letter from the Headteacher asking me to see him as the Education Welfare Officer has flagged us up as Ds was off a monday and a tuesday of different weeks. i am stunned that this has been noted so early on in the year. Does anyone else have experience of this?

I'm really quite narked about it, because my son has picked up everything going since he has attended this nursery and school, I have an appointment next week what should I say?
Getting worked up about it

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

HerHonesty · 10/10/2009 14:49

sorry should have written they are...

FABIsInTraining · 10/10/2009 15:11

If the child seems to always be off on a Monday and Tuesday they might assume it isn't a coincidence. If you have done nothing wrong you have nothing to worry about.

Schools are damned if they do..

katiestar · 10/10/2009 15:39

They are talking a complete load of bo**ocks.Your DS doesn't have to be at school at all.The headteacher and EWO surely know the law and had no right to send out They are bullying you plain and simple.I would write to both HT and EWO declining the headteacher's kind invitation ,pointing out the legal situation and you resent their implications .

foxinsocks · 10/10/2009 15:46

crikey, a lot of aggression here

we were called in when dd was in reception. She had lots of chest infections and ended up needing an operation for a hernia and was off school a lot. I went into the school and met with the school nurse and head who was incredibly helpful as they wanted to know if there was any other help we could get that we weren't accessing (asthma nurse etc. etc.). It wasn't confrontational at all.

You can't help it if they get sick a lot and a lot of children do in reception (esp with being so tired!).

juuule · 10/10/2009 15:56

Agree with Smithagain.
I'd feel a bit put out that I had to attend an appt. to prove I wasn't lying. Particularly if I'd gone out of my way to keep the school updated with the situation.
I'd be even more irritated if I had to take time off work for the meeting.

Lynettescavo, while the op ds might not be of comupulsory school-age, he is enrolled at the school and so, I think the parents have a legal responsibility to ensure he attends.

As it seems to say here

katiestar · 10/10/2009 15:59

But the HT is implying there is a pattern to his absences.Which would imply that he doesn't believe it to be illness.

foxinsocks · 10/10/2009 16:03

they are new to the school and so the school don't know the family. I guess the reason they call you in is to check that everything is ok (?). Don't know. I probably wouldn't take time off work for it but would write a letter or call them up (or volunteer to meet up late or early in the day). I only went in as dd was off for weeks (due to operation + sickness) so I had time off work anyway!

katiestar · 10/10/2009 16:18

It is NOT yhe law that they have to attend a school under 5 because they are enrolled there.On another thread I have provided a link to the actual legislation to this effect.

HerHonesty · 10/10/2009 16:23

katie,ok, but she has chosen to send her child their. do you expect the school to simply not care about a childs welfare in this case?

juuule · 10/10/2009 16:39

Katiestar - which thread is that? Or could you repost the link, please.

juuule · 10/10/2009 16:42

Herhonesty they have all the information regarding the child's welfare.

"I phone school every day to tell them and sent him back with letters fully explaining why he had been absent."

The only possible reason that I can think of that the school want to speak to the op is to make her feel guilty about her child's absence and do the usual stressing how important attendance is.
What other information could the op give that she's not given already?

piscesmoon · 10/10/2009 17:01

I can't believe the fuss this is causing! No, the DC doesn't have to be there but I think it is a good thing that the school are bothered-I would say it is a sign of a good school.
It is very simple, the term hasn't been going long and the DC has been away for almost one fifth of it-the school don't know the parent. A short chat with the Head will put matters straight, in a calm-polite way.
School/home is a partnership and it is in the interests of your DC to work like that.

saggarmakersbottomknocker · 10/10/2009 17:38

The school have contacted you despite your child not being of compulsory age because they want to engender good habits of attendance and they care for the well being of your child.

Do people honestly think schools chase up poor attendance for fun or just to nark parents?

I also wonder if parents know just how much attendance affects that treasured 'good' OFSTED report that many hold so dear. In some cases attendance can effect a 'limiting judgement'. This means however well your school does in other areas, if the attendance isn't up to scratch and more importantly the tracking of vulnerable children and the challenging of parents isn't evidenced then the whole of your inspection can be brought down.

If your child is genuinely off sick then you have nothing to worry about. However there are plenty of parents out there who quite happily keep their children off most Mondays because they've spent the weekend with dad and were late back or give them the day off for their birthday, or take them shopping etc etc. It's a bloody thankless task IME.

Tombliboobs · 10/10/2009 17:54

Fab is right, schools are damned if they do and damned if they do.

If something was happening to be concerned about, the first thing people say is that oh the school didn't spot it, weren't interested etc.

A face to face meeting is always more telling than a letter that anyone can write.

ruddynorah · 10/10/2009 18:06

he's been off 3 times in 5 weeks, 2 of those absences have been of 2 days duration...so at least 5 days off in 5 weeks. that is loads. a day a week basically, or 20% absence.

i would expect to be called or asked to come in for a chat about it, same as i would at work, to discuss the importance of attendance and check there aren't any serious underlying issues.

BonsoirAnna · 10/10/2009 18:10

ruddynorah - that's a bit harsh. Children get ill much more often than adults, especially in the first years of school. It is not fair or right to compare a child's absence rate from pre-school or reception to an adult's from work.

NyeEve · 10/10/2009 18:13

i think that a pattern can emerge pretty early wiht schools and soft parents

BonsoirAnna · 10/10/2009 18:17

At DD's school the teachers in the first two years of pre-school had to have firm words with parents who would never keep their children off school for illness. They had to explain to parents that school was not compulsory in the early years for a good reason, and to please keep ill children at home .

TheCrackFox · 10/10/2009 18:25

It is a pretty sad world where we expect5 yr olds to be treated like they are at work. Children get ill far more than adults.

ruddynorah · 10/10/2009 18:35

i'm just saying i wouldn't be shocked or cross about being questioned about a 20% level of absence. the 'triggers' an EWO would be rather the same as those you'd expect at work, such as repeated short term absence, high percentage of absence and patterns of absence.

piscesmoon · 10/10/2009 22:11

It is a simple little administrative problem-nothing more or nothing less.

katiestar · 10/10/2009 22:18

School is a completely different kettle of fish to work.At work the employees are there to provide a service to the employer.A school is there to provide a service to its pupils
I will see if I can figure out how to find and repost the link about school attendance in under 5s.

Feenie · 10/10/2009 22:32

By flagging up a high level of absence by a child and a parent who have been hitherto unknown, they are providing a service, katiestar.
A previous poster said Ofsted will judge them on their attendance and how they deal with absence rates. This is correct, and they won't ask for figures which solely include children over 5.
Don't you work in a school, katiestar, ircc? I find this a starnge attitude from someoen who knows the constraints schools are obliged to work under, tbh.

mmrred · 10/10/2009 22:54

"It's always irritating to be spoken to like an idiot, but get used to it, schools don't seem to know how not to talk to parents like idiots"

Hmmm, methinks someone has 'issues'. Schools in my experience want all the support they can get from parents, but the priority HAS to be the children. Repeated absence on Mondays is taken note of in case the parents have been out on the p*ss all weekend and the 4 year old is being neglected. The school should be over-cautious, IMO.

It's all about protecting children, regardless of how old they are, whether they should be in full time education or not. Wouldn't we all rather put up with the inconvenience and embarassment than let abused children go unnoticed?

katiestar · 10/10/2009 23:01

Yes but our school don't do stuff like this at all.Well not to my knowledge anyway.Parents are not treated as liars and are presumed to want the best for their DC

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