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Secondary education

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Is it acceptable to send a note excusing Year 8 from PE?

12 replies

Chocolatestain · 12/03/2026 18:47

DS is in year 8. He’s come home from school feeling a bit ropey, but it seems to be just a bit of a cold so I expect that after a good night’s sleep he’ll be fine to go to school tomorrow. I’m reluctant to keep him at home unless he’s properly poorly because a combination of being him unwell for a few days over the winter and having orthodontic appointments means I’ve just received one of those snotty letters from the attendance officer. The problem is that he has PE tomorrow and it’s football, so while he may be fine sitting in a classroom, running around a football field in the cold probably won’t do him any good at all.

I was wondering if it’s normal/acceptable to send him in with a note requesting that he be excused from PE. I remember it being common when I was at school (and everyone faked notes from their mum!) but realised I haven’t come across anyone doing it these days. Obviously if your child has some kind of injury that prevents them from doing PE you’d be liaising with school, but do people just write ad hoc notes for a one-off illness? DS is at that age where everything is deeply embarrassing and will be mortified if I send him in with a note and it turns out it’s not the done thing!

OP posts:
Henhipster · 12/03/2026 18:53

I agree with your opinion, yes it seems crazy to adults to run around outside but I think for school it’s a logistical nightmare to supervise kids indoors hence the way they make them change and stand on the sidelines. I’d ask him whether he wants the note.

Savonne · 12/03/2026 18:54

If he's not playing football, but he was in school, he'll be given a job like refereeing or something so will be outside anyway. Either he's wsll enough to go to school or is not I would say

Savonne · 12/03/2026 18:54

Also remember if he's not okay to be outside at PE then he's not okay to be outside during break and lunch at all...,

Rowgtfc72 · 12/03/2026 18:59

Dd used to write them herself if me and dh were already at work. She would always check with us first and they were always for horrendous periods.
I'd rather she was in school for the other 90% of the day than miss a whole day because of pe.

Savonne · 12/03/2026 19:00

Also, if you're expecting the child to stay indoors during PE, where are they going to go? Who's going to be looking out for them?

herbalteabag · 12/03/2026 19:04

It's fine to write a note but when my child was in main school (he's sixth form now) if you didn't do PE you had to stand and watch or help, so were still in the cold!

Mrsmouse71 · 12/03/2026 19:06

If you let the school know your child has orthodontist appointments they authorise the time off

herbalteabag · 12/03/2026 19:07

Also, I would sometimes write my son a note but he wouldn't give it in and would just end up doing PE anyway.

CalmIsGood · 12/03/2026 19:16

At DD's school we have to email, rather than send in a note. Have you checked the policy at your school.

DD has been excused PE - she's usually so unwell with periods that she's off entirely, but medication is helping. The school know that, and have been very supportive. I think it was indoor PE, so she could sit on a bench at the side; I guess she could go to the special needs hub if it was outside (not that she otherwise has special needs).

SparklyTwinkleGlitter · 12/03/2026 19:21

My DS never does PE as he has severe dyspraxia and used to get bullied for being crap at sports. He’s allowed to sit in the quiet room to do his homework when it’s PE.

Chocolatestain · 13/03/2026 08:30

Thanks everyone. He’s gone into school and says he doesn’t want a note so we’ll see how it goes. Last time he was a bit borderline unwell he had PE first lesson and he’d taken the wrong kit in because he’d forgotten that they were switching from basketball (which is in a heated sports hall) to orienteering 🤦‍♀️. An hour of running round a field in the freezing cold in shorts and polo top finished him off so I got the call to go in and collect him. He’s got more appropriate clothing today! To me it would make sense to let him go and sit in the library with his book if he’s not up to football, but then I’m just thinking about one sensible kid who loves reading. I guess on any given day there might be lots of (more disruptive) kids causing chaos on the library to get out of PE!

Unfortunately the orthodontic appointments count towards his attendance record even though they are authorised by the school. It’s a daft system that wastes resources hassling parents whose kids are only ever absent for genuine medical reasons.

OP posts:
boobot1 · 13/03/2026 08:34

I always accidently on purpose forgot my PE kit. Loads of us did and we just sat in the changing rooms talking. Doubt that would fly theses days.

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