My daughter is 16 and has always tried to get off school when she can. On average her attendance since she started school at the age of 5 has hovered between 70 and 80%. I admit I was soft on her and didn't put up much of a fight in the earlier years because I honestly thought she would grow out of it.
Anyway since she started secondary her attendance has become much worse. She has full weeks off here and there and when I do make her go, she goes to to medical room and pleads illness until they send her home.
We have had a few letters about her attendance but more so since she started year 11 because obviously its GCSE and coursework etc.
Anyway since christmas she has constantly stopped off school. She'll go for the monday for instance and then have the rest of the week off or she'll go a couple of days and then plead illness. There is nothing wrong with her. She just can't be arsed to go. She's already way behind target for maths and english and is supposed to be attending catch up sessions but obviously when she misses school, she misses these too.
She has applied for college to do graphic design but everyone is telling me she won't get on the course with her poor attendance and her exam results will be crap because she's missing all the coursework. Even if she does get on it, will she be able to cope having to go every single day? someone said to me this morning that they think she will go for the first few weeks and then fall into old habits of stopping off every 5 minutes and then get chucked off the course.
Will it affect her college applications and exams etc? Has anyone any experience of 16 year olds refusing school?
(its not like she hanging around with mates instead, she has no friends and just stays in her room all day.