really upset with letter....

[mistermister]

Just had a letter from DS's school saying that because he was off for 5 days out of a possible 36, he has just fallen short of their "ideal" attendance record. They say that Ofsted regards any absence rate of less than 85% a term as "persistent absenteeism" - he was off with swine flu for 5 days, FGS!! (plus a half day for a tummy upset when he was sent home from school). That's hardly persistent - his record before that was probably 2 days since he's even started sec school - now in year 8 - persistent to me is 3 days, 2 days, 1 day, etc.... not a block of 5 days that he had absolutely no control over and for which he was TOLD to stay off school for 5 days for by the hospital GP!! Do you think I'd be unreasonable to write a letter saying that they should maybe look at the pattern of illness before sending out what appears to be a bog standard letter? It also says they will monitor closely next term - talk about the guilt factor - didn't mention it to DS, is very sensitive and I doubt he would even mention it to me if he was feeling ill for fear of being told off!! It's all guilt, guilt, isn't it? sorry for rant - I DO realise that there are persistent offenders out there, I just felt that the letter was very offensive. Any views welcome.

Thanks, Violet, much appreciated. Sorry, OrmIrian, it's not just a letter, it's what's said in the letter. What makes it so hard is that otherwise, I am extremely happy with the school and its staff, they are excellent.

I've never come across this before with first two kids going through school, but DD has just been hauled in front of form tutor for the same reason. Wonder if there's some kind of crackdown going on at the moment? Tutor was very apologetic about it but had been told she had to speak to everyone with "low" attendance - DD had 5 days off with flu, which is what they suggested at the beginning of term so that it didn't spread. She has a friend who rarely attends for a whole week but they've given up trying to sort that out. Interestingly a friend who works at the school has a son who's had 9 days off - no comment made!

I'd write the letter. Even standard letters should be polite.

Thanks for your post, InterestingMe - I cannot believe they actually hauled your DD up to the tutor - it should be a matter to do with the parents, the child shouldn't be made to explain why he/she has been away ill! Likewise, my DS was signed off by the hospital doctor for 5 days - he wouldn't have been well enough to go in anyway and I'm sure with a suspected case of swine flu, you should stay away for that amount of time anyway!

SORRY! Mean to say, A DIFFERENT me!!

I'm VERY interesting

imo whether the form tutor speaks to the child or the parent should depend on the age of the child

dd- with chronic health problems- is now in Yr 8; she gets called into a meeting with the Education Welfare officers at regular intervals, but it's perfectly amicable and dd prefers it to the much greater upheaval of having me brought into the school

That's good for your dd if she prefers that Cory, but however amicable it may be, I know that my DS would be mortified if he were hauled in - can't see it happening again, though, is a one-off hopefully, so am just going to put it behind us now - and IMO it should be the parents they speak to but that's just my opinion and you have yours, so let's agree to disagree on that one!!!

im still waiting to be dragged in or a visit from the EWO. I took DD1 out of school for 2 weeks for a family holiday due to dh being very poorly with cancer, and they refused to let me take her, but i did anyways.
they then sent me a letter saying it was not acceptable and we were being monitored by the EWO and may be called in to discuss dd1 lack of attendace. well im still waiting and tbh cant wait to tell them where they can shove it

I think it depends very much on the age and maturity of the child, mister: in the last year, I have felt that dd has grown up very much; though we'll always be there to back her and support her, she needs to do more of her own negotiating

though if the EWO meeting had been done in such a way as to make her feel she was being "hauled up" in front of them, I would certainly have had something to say to them (have had some ghastly experiences in the past ).

scools in my opinium are losing the ability to engage with parents and pupils!!!
headteachers are so keen to win over Ofsted normal human kindness is going out the window .The school my child was at recently saw a pupil being naturally a quiet person as inaproriate and needing to be fixed.So quiet pupils get given a hang up for being themselves Its not worth trying to stand up for your rights even if your child is ill you wont gain anything' if you have it in you grin and bear it for the good of the school no one cares anymore.The more of a bully you are in this world the further yuo go