So today I got the 'attendance letter' from DD2's school

[lougle]

I was steaming. After all the phonecalls, trips to the doctor, chasing paed referrals, etc., I've got a letter saying they're concerned about DD2's absence last term.

I had words with the head teacher who said 'it's a lot of absence...' You think??? Would that be why I've been calling the school, speaking to the teacher, etc.?

Turns out that none of those phonecalls were logged, the Head didn't know that DD2's struggling at all (although she didn't appear to care much either), etc.

They now want a medical letter every time she has an absence.

So, I'm writing a letter to ask for DD2's medical records, and I'll write a letter 'clarifying' the situation.

I know she's been off with some ongoing stuff too, but really, that's all in hand with the chasing around you've done.

The letters are sent by the computer though, and they send huge batches so they can show ofsted their 'purposeful action to improve attendance and punctuality' should they pop in without much warning. So don't take it too seriously.

Every time there is an absence email the school and the Drs, so that if the Dr wont give a letter he has it in writing as does the school. The attendance letter is nothing more than a shot across the bows. Dont worry about it. Show the EWO, if he turns up, a chain of correspondence and they will back off. The correspondence will also make the school look incompetent.

How about turning it round on them? If a child has a condition that means recurrent absences, the school and/or local authority should be doing something about arranging home tuition. Ask them why they're not doing that?

She's not ill enough to arrange home tuition. She's not right though. Today she was up last out of my 3 girls. By 5.30 she was asleep on the sofa. When I woke her to get her changed for bed she was pale, shivering, tummy hurts, etc.

We had one of these letters and I didn't do anything just filed it under bin, the problem was that his illnesses were anxiety based due to inadequate support at school and also optician, camhs appointments,. So now when he is given medicine (as long as he isn't extremley ill) and sent in so that an hour later they can ring me and send him back home and then I log it my end saying that after this has started to become more often someone gave out some advice on here to ask for a letter stating symptoms and reasons for contacting me to collect which I will be doing from now on. The school have a log which parents have to fill in if they come in to collect the child either if they have been contacted or if they have appointments. I have always saved my appointment letters and if I re-arrange I keep the letter for the amended appointment and the previous one which shows that I have actively tried to keep the appointments out of school time where possible. As for the school photocopying these letters you can watch this happen but wether the receptionist is competant enough to place it in your Dc's file is a different story.
I learnt last year to be sure to send a friendly email outlining the what, when, who, why and also pointing out the appointment changes. I wouldn't contact the doctor for a letter for the school because all relevent information would be on Ds's medical file should it ever need to be seen but they would have to go through a lot to get the access so they can pucker up and kiss it!