Head teachers

[frizzytwig]

I asked my kids head teacher if they could be excused for 1 day so that we could attend a baptism in Ireland this weekend, (please bear in mind that this is a catholic school). Her response was yes to my 5 year old but no to my 7 year old as it is his sats year! and education is important. Whilst I quite agree that it is, is my 5 year olds not as important. Well I am absolutely spitting feathers as this absence will go down as unauthorised. I think a catholic school should be a bit more understanding about the sacraments. What should I do, I mean we are going but it has rather spoilt the weekend for us.

[phoenixxx]

The unauthorised absence won't change your life or affect your child's future - it will go on teh school's statistics. Perhaps this emphasises the pressure schools - and the onus is on the headteacher- are under to meet league table targets. In a small primary school one child underperforming can mean a slide down the tables.

Until the government stop measuring a school's success in this way parents will always be treated with disdain if they threaten to affect SATs performance. This applies to all schools so being RC is actually irrelevant.

[curiosity]

I had a similar, but not as important as a Christening thing with our RC school. I wrote a note asking if I could pick up my 12 & 13 year old at lunchtime to come with us to see their 5 yearold sister in her first Nativity play, therefore missing an afternoon of the last week of term before Christmas (where by the sound of it nothing much was happening) The teacher had commented that she didn't think it was a valid reason for them missing school, but they could go. I too was angry about this, and wondered why these important family celebrations and gatherings arn't given the credit they deserve when it comes to learning and developing as a person or family values for that matter. There's loads of parents in our primary school use at least one week of unauthorised absence for holidays. It's the terminology that makes us feel guiltier than we need to, I think. Go and have a great time, and feel proud of the important lessons you are teaching your child by attending. Hope all goes well.

[darcydark]

I would advise you to take them both lying if need be, say they are ill or whatever.

[curiosity]

Phoenixx, I think the headteacher said it was the SATS year rather than the SATS tests, which are in May arn't they? Would this still affect the Sats performance of the school?

[frizzytwig]

Darcydark, if it was me facing the music I would have lied. I can't let the kids do that its not fair on them

[phoenixxx]

Yes curiosity - SATs year does mean the year in which pupils sit SAT tests in the May. However, the point is that teachers will be frantically teaching all different aspects of things in case they appear on the paper. There is so much to cover that if a child is absent for a crucial piece of teaching they will be disadveantaged come the actual tests.

[Le Chat]

That is ludricrous...Your child is in year 2 and 7 years old. Its a crazy kind of madness.

At my son's school (which is private - don't know if that makes any difference) the children take their SATS in year 2 but the parents are merely informed that the exams are for the benefit of monitoring the standard within the school and against the country as a whole. It is all kept very low key ...I actually didn't know anything about it until his end of year report, which contained his grades and the overall grades of the school as a whole.

Since this, I have found out that in other schools, the SATS are a quite an ordeal, with parents having sleepless night and worring about grades etc!!

[Gef]

The Headteacher is an idiot. One day off school is not going to make any difference. As others have said, don't ask just send in a sick note.

[phoenixxx]

I agree that the whole thing is a load of nonsense - the sooner SAEs are abolished the sooner pupils can start to enjoy school and learn properly.

One thing that does concern me with this latest correspondence is the eagerness for Catholics to blatantly lie. Being a vague Christian type without any firm indoctrination I am shocked that so many people advocate lying whilst claiming the whole episode is because of their firm religious convictions. Is this what the RC church teaches and endorses?

[Scarlett]

If it was me, I would write to the Chairman of the board of governors. Fair enough if it wa SATS WEEK or if your son was 15!! But a little 7 year old? My sister kept her 7 year old off school last week for 2 days because he was just exhausted on the Wednesday, and tearful! Because he is SO LITTLE!

This man is clearly an idiot. Write to the governors and insist that this absence is changed to an authorised one.

[JudgeJ]

Schools should not have the authority to grant absence for holidays and events that can be held outside of term time. The people organising the baptism should have considered whether they wanted school age children to attend the ceremony and if so, arranged it to take place either at the weekend or during a school holiday. Most schools benefit from around 14 weeks holiday per year and never go more than about six weeks without a break, so it should not take too much trouble to arrange it.

One day off may not effect one child very much. But a number of them having time off during term time means that the entire class loses out by their absences as the teacher has to coach each of them individually to catch up.

In addition, the government is keen to reduce truancy. Children who may be thinking of playing truant will not be discouraged from doing so when they see their classmates taking time off. They will not appreciate the niceties of “authorised” absences. They will simply see their friends as absent and will be keen to have some of the same so that they can hang around the shopping centre.