School - sickness absence or unauthorised truency?

[fierysatsuma 10]

Is sickness absence from school recorded as "unauthorised" absence and thus impact on absence figures? I.e. would an accident resulting in a number of weeks off school send a childs unauthorised absence record below the 92% threshold possibly resulting in a criminal offence under the Education Act 1996.

 

the reason I ask is that I have received a rather threatening letter from the council (barnsley) suggesting that I have broken the law, but if I pay £50quid, all will be well..

 

My daughter (who is 6 years old) has had 10 days holiday absence from school, which based on an average of 200 school days which by my calculations is a 95% attendance. Unless of course a week off school due to sickness is counted.

 

Thanks

[lizzmobile 11]

Don't let them get you, fight your corner mate. What makes me mad is that a £50 bung will make it alright again

 

You can demonstrate what your daughter learned whilst she was on holiday as show it to be of social and cultural value and they might back down. Failing that, threaten to take her out of school and home educate her. It makes them go all wobbly

[Twiglet 10]

Sickness isn't counted (unless it's over a certain period and no Doctor's note is provided), but schools are usually open for around 190 days a year, which would mean 10 days is over the 5% threshold.

[*Ryan* 11]

It all depends how you let them know mate, providing theyve been told b4hand they should be ok with it, but in all cases they will advise stuff to take it in school holidays, is there any more circs to this?

[fierysatsuma 10]

I wouldn't mind if I thought the money was going back into the school or if hardened truents with unemployed parents who don't care about their children's education were also targeted but it seems to be a tax on a people who will be shamed into paying for fear of a possible criminal conviction. Some people wont be fined because they know it wont be paid. The council cant even tell me what would happen to my £50 - probably into the xmas drinks kitty for the councillors!

 

The idea of the penalty system is good in principle but it is not working in my opinion - but anyway thats for another thread, probably already in existence. I just wondered if sickness was unauthorised absence. I would be surprised because sickness absence is unavoidable.

[fierysatsuma 10]

Sickness isn't counted (unless it's over a certain period and no Doctor's note is provided), but schools are usually open for around 190 days a year, which would mean 10 days is over the 5% threshold.

 

Thanks Twiglet. Our schools attendance threshold is 92% which based on 190 school days would mean my daughter would need to be absent for 16 days. (I think!)

 

She has only been off 10 days (plus 5 sick days) in which case, even if sickness is counted its still less than 16 days!

[scoop 10]

So is this city wide?

 

I didn't realise that the local authority fined parents for unauthorised absence.

 

When I was a student I worked for a short time for at a school in Firshill, and some of those children used to go to Pakistan for months at a time, I never heard of these fines then:confused:

[fierysatsuma 10]

If I may quote something from my paperwork; -

 

"the child shall not be taken to have failed to attend regularly where time is set apart for religious observance or to visit family members living overseas."

 

So is this city wide?

 

I didn't realise that the local authority fined parents for unauthorised absence.

 

When I was a student I worked for a short time for at a school in Firshill, and some of those children used to go to Pakistan for months at a time, I never heard of these fines then:confused:

[fierysatsuma 10]

Funny thing is, my daughter brought a letter home from school today - a school trip to an aquarium - £10 is requested as a "voluntary contribution" (given that legislation now requires that schools cannot impose a fee.

 

Well, in my opinion, given that the school has reported me to the council, they've had my "voluntary contribution" five-fold! So I'm filling in the slip and not offering a contribution.

[scoop 10]

If I may quote something from my paperwork; -

 

"the child shall not be taken to have failed to attend regularly where time is set apart for religious observance or to visit family members living overseas."

 

Thers your answer the. You were visiting relatives overseas weren't you? :hihi:

[Mo 10]

Funny thing is, my daughter brought a letter home from school today - a school trip to an aquarium - £10 is requested as a "voluntary contribution" (given that legislation now requires that schools cannot impose a fee.

 

Well, in my opinion, given that the school has reported me to the council, they've had my "voluntary contribution" five-fold! So I'm filling in the slip and not offering a contribution.

 

 

It is called 'the law'. Schools have a legal obligation to provide the local authority with detailed attendance records and similarly the law allows for parents to be fined. The answer is simple - send your child to school as the law demands and you won't be fined

[cgksheff 44]

School?

 

Is that the place where people can learn to spell?