100% school attendance now will not be..

Person_one

DS4215 wrote: »

According to a slide show playing in the hall at DDs review day, a 10% drop in attendance (so 90%) is equivalent to missing half a year of school over the 5 years of comprehensive and works out about 1 GCSE grade for every 10% missed.

I don't know where the figures come from, but if correct this would be a major affect on a child's education.

That's why its such a shame when children are ill enough to miss that much school. A child in my primary class had terrible juvenile arthritis, had to have spinal surgery and missed nearly a full year. They missed a lot but there was no way to avoid that.

There's a huge difference between missing 10% due to truanting and 'schoolitis' and missing it for reasons beyond your control.

Emmarillo

My daughters school give out pencils with 100% attendance printed on. They probably cost pennies to buy, and its a nice gesture. My daughter will probably never get one though as her orthodontic appointments are always in school hours.

[Deleted User]

10% is a huge drop in your attendance. There are 190 days in a school year, so that's like almost 4 weeks off.

Lets assume a far more reasonable 4 days off a year (and I think that's a bit high) - this is only 2.1% of the year. There's a fine line between encouraging school attendance and penalising genuine illness.

Mado

furndire wrote: »

I remember my mother in law telling me many years ago that she had not had a day of school in all her school years - and should have had a certificate for the same - however, her father died, & she had to take a half day off. She never did get certificate!!

Good grief... :eek:breaming with sympathy were they?

Although I suspect that after such a sad event, a certificate was maybe not that essential for the child.

My eldest school doesn't do 100% attendance prizes.
She's actually gutted because as long as we can remember she hasn't missed a day of school for illness. She was almost begging me to let her have the day off on friday (she was a little bit off colours). Sadly for her, I'm not prepared to share my day off with a child who isn't sick.:p

Person_one

Mado wrote: »

Good grief... :eek:breaming with sympathy were they?

Although I suspect that after such a sad event, a certificate was maybe not that essential for the child.

My eldest school doesn't do 100% attendance prizes.
She's actually gutted because as long as we can remember she hasn't missed a day of school for illness. She was almost begging me to let her have the day off on friday (she was a little bit off colours). Sadly for her, I'm not prepared to share my day off with a child who isn't sick.:p

There's no reason to be gutted, being in such good health beats any kind of certificate or prize!

pulliptears

Person_one wrote: »

I don't really think schools should be awarding 100% attendance in that way, for exactly the reason you're discovering!

Have to agree. DD's school have been offering incentives like cinema tickets and vouchers for 100% attendees. DD has some health issues and between consultants appointments and physio appointments and general flare ups of her illness 100% attendance is impossible for her. She feels somewhat discriminated against because she goes into school and works hard to keep up. Testament to her hard work is the fact that her current attendance is in the low 80% yet she is still fully up to date with all her work, ahead of many targets and still in entirely top sets for all subjects.

All kids who work hard and put in the effort should be rewarded equally.

Gra76

As disappointed as your son is, I'm sure when he gets a bit older he'll realise that his health needs (I hope it's nothing serious) outweigh having a mountain bike.

Maybe stash a tenner a week till Christmas and buy him one to make up for it to reward him for his attendance? That takes out two birds with one stone - you solve the problems of what to get him for Christmas and he gets his mountain bike to reward his attendance.

Sambucus_Nigra

victory wrote: »

Spoke to the receptionist and she was short and curt and agreed yes I could have another appointment outside school times, half term, summer hols etc but I would automatically go back to the beginning of the waiting list, so that is a no.

Try calling again, on a different day and seeing if there is another way round it as you really don't want your son to miss school if at all possible - could he for example be put in for a cancellation or a later in the day appt?

Don't mention the bike, naturally...

Person_one

Sambucus_Nigra wrote: »

Try calling again, on a different day and seeing if there is another way round it as you really don't want your son to miss school if at all possible - could he for example be put in for a cancellation or a later in the day appt?

Don't mention the bike, naturally...

I wouldn't bother.

If every child had an appointment outside school hours they couldn't start seeing people till 3.30, think what that'd do to the waiting lists!

There is no real need for a change, somebody else might have a more urgent or genuine reason for needing the last appointment of the day.

JodyBPM

[QUOTE=victory;52991027

Son says he has kept his attendance intact and should not be penalised through no fault of his own and is very sad.

It is a shame I will agree with him there, it is just one of those things, anyone got any ideas?[/QUOTE]


Surely the for vast majority of children who don't have 100% attendance its through no fault of their own?

It's not your fault if you fall sick!

I don't particularly agree with rewarding 100% attendance, but I don't see that your son's situation is any different or any less his fault than a child who has been off with a vomitting bug, a broken leg or because of family bereavement. Only those with 100% attendance go in the draw, your son will NOT have 100% attendance, so shouldn't go in the draw. His circumstances are no more special or no more deserving than anyone elses IMO.