100% attendance awards

[Gemini]

100% attendance awards for school children are something I feel very strongly about. I think my GD may have had one or two in her school life so far.
They are pointless to my mind. Children cannot help being ill, and should not feel they have to make it into school if they are, so as not to spoil their record.
I am fully aware and approve of efforts made by schools to rewards the less academically able children, by having awards for things other than high marks. I don't feel that full attendance is the answer however.
Also, it is not fully in a child's control. If parents book a term time holiday, or take them out for some other reason, it's not down to the child.

OK little rant over!

[Daisy]

Gem - I really dislike them. If you have a child with full attendance you can find some other way of rewarding them, but there are so many reasons why a child may be absent (or late) which is totally outside their control - and the younger the child the more this is the case. There are also many ways of rewarding a less academically able child in ways that the child can feel justifiably proud.

At college part of my job was following up on students with irregular or poor attendance and it was very easy to spot those who were just skiving and those who had genuine reasons. Contact with the skivers' parents usually sorted out the problem one way or the other, but sometimes it enabled a hidden problem to be sorted out to the benefit of the student.

[Oma]

As I mentioned on chat , my DD had a letter from the school saying GS1 had 2 days off this month , both times were to attend Hospital after he broke his thumb at School playing Rugby
The Friday he went to A&E School was informed , The Monday he was at the fracture clinic , again School informed ,but they still put him down as absent ,
DD wasn't having that so went to the school this morning , she hasn't rang yet so no idea what the outcome is but knowing DD it will have been erased from his records she wont leave till it is .
It wasn't that she wanted him to have 100% it was the fact that happening on school time they knew it was genuine .
I never liked this reward scheme as you say lots of reasons children miss school through no fault of there own .

[Daisy]

Oma - if he's absent he has to be marked absent (the register is an auditable document) but the school should have alternatives like H for hospital appointment. It's still absent but is clearly genuine. I hope your DD gets it sorted. Sending a letter home was just plain silly. They must have noticed he had a broken thumb!

[Plantaholic]

One of my jobs when I worked at the local Middle School was counting attendances at the end of the school year, this went on children's reports. these numbers were sent to County Education Dept. We did have some 100% attendances but they were probably children where both parents worked and a cold was not an excuse for their child to miss school. How ridiculous for the school to inform your DD that her son had two days off when they knew he wasn't playing hooky.

[Nanto2girls]

I agree with all that's been said.Nothing to add really.

[Oma]

Daisy as it was done in school and he had first aid at the time they were well aware of it ,
They do have a Authorised absence book that he should have been marked in ,
All sorted now they said it was their oversight and for two days no letter should have been sent anyway .

[Gemini]

Oma, to send out that letter to your DD is this circumstance is ludicrous! I hope she got it resolved.

[Oma]

She did Gem, Also a apology he had been marked in the wrong book , should have been in the Authorised absence book and letter shouldn't have been sent ,

[Daisy]

Oma - I'm glad it's all sorted. It seems a bit silly having a separate book when they could just use different codes in the main register, but hopefully they'll sort out the letter problem so it doesn't get sent out like that again.

[Plantaholic]

So pleased to hear that your DD got it sorted, good for her

[Nana]

Crazy, Oma. I'm glad she got it sorted.... like mother like daughter.👍