Government cracking down on school non-attenders. What happens in practice.

Joseann

Surely the school knows which pupils are truanting and which are genuinely sick though? Especially as M0nica's DiL has supplied the pediatricians letter?

You'd think so.

I can understand arriving without notice if they suspected a child being kept at home was being abused but they obviously didn't do their homework in this case as they had the medical information from a Consultant .

GPs are busy enough anyway.

Surely the school knows which pupils are truanting and which are genuinely sick though? Especially as M0nica's DiL has supplied the pediatricians letter?

Galaxy

The figures for attendance are of serious concern. That's what is going on.

But that doesn't justify the way they arrived on DDiL's doorstep in full punitive order.

Coming down heavy handed right from the start only puts people's backs up and makes them less willing to co-operate if it is children out of school for no reasson.

To start the process with a friendly phone call, may in fact get some children back to school. As I said I do appreciate that further down the line things may have to get heavier, but starting with a phone call would save them time on pointless and useless visits like that to DS & DDiL, who were, anyway fully complient with all the rules and where they were already in contact with the school - and had been for some time about DS=DGS's health problems.

The figures for attendance are of serious concern. That's what is going on.

When DGD was absent from school with Covid and then a stomach upset, her attendance was below expected levels one term at primary school.
There was a stern note on her report that Welfare Officers might be calling. The Head Teacher said not to worry about it, it was something on the computer-generated form, triggered by the % of absences even though the school had been informed.
No-one did call in fact.

Many children have been off with anxiety and are struggling since the lockdowns, too.

They are just covering themselves, I think.

What a mess- education radically needs a overhaul. It is not providing for the needs of children anymore and is all about numbers and making the academy groups look good. What a complete shambles and what problems we are storing up for the future.

If only all local authorities had this policy though I do agree this was totally heavy handed and unnecessary.
My local authority, Stockport, have no interest at all in attendance when told , blatantly lying, that children are being home schooled .
No checks whatsoever in 3 years.
I am picking up the pieces in this sad situation.

It is getting more and more like this M0nica. Schools have to cover themselves, and even a child with a dirty shirt or unbrushed hair is likely to have a little note on file. This then gets referred on if it happens regularly.
I think it is getting OTT.
Your DDiL must be feeling very upset to have been questioned over the welfare of her child when she has followed all the absenteeism rules.

Totally agree Monica.

There have been a few threads on this subject on Mumsnet where the child with a previously good attendance record had good to be absent (covid/funeral. etc)

B****y schools are getting to be like concentration camps.

I would probably have told them to go "forth and multiply" in no uncertain terms.