Child’s school attendance

[janeg88]

Originally Posted by Bozza

Snow 11 months of the year, deep fried Mars Bars and barely having to go to school.

Scotland sounds a great place.

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And don’t forget we get most of January off to recover from Hogmanay!

[nats1211]

17 days is a lot, it certainly feels a lot to me. I personally wouldn’t do it in the middle of term. I’m taking my son out for 3 days for October which is the last 3 days before they break up and I feel guilty about that.
17 days is almost a month out if you think about it as working days. In my sons school that could almost be a full topic missed. If everyone in the class did that it would be an absolute nightmare for a teacher.
I appreciate you have had an issue with holidays not being the same but you were planning on 12 days anyway so it’s not entirely innocent on that front is it?

[Princesa]

Originally Posted by judy22

I work in a school monitoring attendance as one of my roles. Personally, as your child is young - go on holiday. BUT, do not expect the school staff to prepare work for you to take or for the teacher to spend time catching up when you return. I hear this from our teaching staff who just dont have the time to prepare this with children off at all different times in the the year.

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I agree with this. I have no opinion on my students going on holiday as long as I’m not asked to provide a fortnight’s worth of work the day before they fly, catch them up in my lunch or after school, or asked why their grades aren’t as good (all things I’ve been asked)

[BevS97]

Originally Posted by janeg88

I’m in Scotland, we def work on 80%. Attendance is part of my current role.

The difference in the system is quite substantial.

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80% is equivalent of 1 day a week off. I know this as it’s on posters all over school !

We start intervening at 95% and at 90% you would be getting a hard time.

[storm]

Originally Posted by Bozza

Snow 11 months of the year, deep fried Mars Bars and barely having to go to school.

Scotland sounds a great place.

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Grew up in the birth place of "deep fried mars bars" and live 5 mins from there now. Love living in "the shire".
Scotland is great.
Humour aside education is about more than school it's life experiences. Just don't ask the teacher to provide work/ catch up time they are far to busy.

[janeg88]

Originally Posted by BevS97

80% is equivalent of 1 day a week off. I know this as it’s on posters all over school !

We start intervening at 95% and at 90% you would be getting a hard time.

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I’d never really given it much thought until this post. It’s a fine balance I suppose as I really wouldn’t want pupils attending school if they are unwell and The English system seems to focus on attendance.

I’m currently working in a secondary setting and we have a good handful of pupils who are sitting at less than 80% but when I worked in primary it was the same.

[Twin mummy]

17 days is a lot, have you talked to the school and got their views? On the other hand she’s going to be Year 1 and you say she’s bright so I don’t think she would will have many long term issues.


IMO part of the reason Attendance is such a focus in England is because the Government and OFSTED are obsessed with things they can measure and statistics. Statistics have show that attendance dropping below 95% consistently equates to 1 grade lower per subject at GCSE. Now we know that children vary and what may harm one would have no effect on another. But as schools (and individual teachers) are judged on progress scores and results you can see why attendance becomes such a big focus.

You, on the other hand, should rightly focus on what’s right for your family and your child.

Just as an aside, one thing I’d caution against is going away for the same weeks every year. Maths in particular is often taught (at least in the schools I’ve worked in) in a spiral curriculum so similar topics are often covered at similar times of the year in different year groups. So, for example we might look at shape in Week 6 of the Autumn term in Year 4, 5 and 6.

[DisneyDaffodil]

I honestly see no problem while your children are so young. 17 days is quite a lot so personally I wouldn’t take that long for a holiday especially when they get older.

I have occasionally taken a few days added onto half terms and my children coped well. Two have completed university and the third is starting uni in September. When my daughter was around 10, her teacher actually wrote on her report how she felt DD had learnt a lot from her holidays and had a wide knowledge of the world around her. Education isn’t just about what they learn in school, and life isn’t just about education (and I’m very keen on my children having a good education)

My daughter had health problems for her first 2-3 years at secondary school and her attendance was 75% one year, but she worked hard at home to keep up and left with a very high number of A and A*s in her GCSEs (and will hopefully get good grades in her A levels) Not everyone with low attendance will achieve this of course, but then again, not everyone with 100% attendance will do well either

[alibeau]

Buy some Disney reading books, activity packs etc if you feel inclined... keep the learning going whilst you are away...

Life is short, go on your holiday (providing it doesn’t mean a massive fall out with the school?!) make some fabulous family memories and enjoy very minute!

Ali x

[vampiress88]

Originally Posted by nats1211

17 days is a lot, it certainly feels a lot to me. I personally wouldn’t do it in the middle of term. I’m taking my son out for 3 days for October which is the last 3 days before they break up and I feel guilty about that.
17 days is almost a month out if you think about it as working days. In my sons school that could almost be a full topic missed. If everyone in the class did that it would be an absolute nightmare for a teacher.
I appreciate you have had an issue with holidays not being the same but you were planning on 12 days anyway so it’s not entirely innocent on that front is it?

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Nope not innocent at all. I expect to get fined and I’m sure the school won’t be happy about it. I don’t mind doing the fine and taking them out this young. Later years and depending on how the youngest does as she’s average on her school report (she’s only in fs1 next year) it’s just it’s double the money. I would have rather book the last week of school etc but hubby’s holidays with our annual passes only left a few options.
I was just asking to see if someone could say what it is. I think that was answered at 91% now I just need to see what there cut offs are.
A lot of children go away during the year, I know cos I’ve talked to all the mums about it. We don’t ask the teacher to catch them up etc or give us work etc as we know that’s difficult.
What I like to do is make them do maths or English stuff when we out. Not sure why I do it but always have so simple things like eldest had to read me the road signs or add up money. Youngest only way I could get her to do maths was with the sweets we bought from Walmart 😂
I’m usually the panicked one but hubby is this time for some reason.
I don’t think we will go in 2021 but if we do will be having to find a better way between schools, hubby’s leave and Costs.