Any golden nuggets with how to challenge this for our pupils who are legitimately off for medical appointments only (all evidenced!)? One of my pupils doesn't want to do to his appointment next month, because he'll miss the chance of the certificate.
I politely suggested - '100% attendance' (minus medical appointments), '98+% attendance!' 'Certificate for other reason....resilience etc'. None really appreciated!
Kate
Hi Kate
Two points the school might like to consider:
1) what are 100% attendance certificates actually for?
2) it is a reasonable adjustment to subtract necessary medical appointment days/half days from the number of total registration events to calculate the total possible for a particular student for whom this is relevant. Not to do so is against the spirit of the CoP and EA and could be interpreted as discriminatory.
Max
Hi all
I too have always challenged them on the 'reasonable adjustments' of the disability discrimination act. I quite word by the parents with whomever is influential in the school (deputy, SENCo, headteacher) has usually changed things for all students. Not just this individual. As NHS appointments become more and more difficult to get , they are precious, and need to be kept.
Sonia
S
When I'm doing Equality Act training I always use this as an example of a blanket policy that schools need to review. I usually do a scenario of a child with cystic fibrosis with lots of medical appointments and time off due to hospitalisation. I find Heads, Governors etc then get it. The problem can be that these policies tend to be the domain of Year Heads and Heads of Houses in secondary schools who are not always the recipients of the relevant training, so it becomes a communication issue.
I think that this is a widespread problem. I certainly came across it as a classrroom teacher and thought it unfair then.Can we challenge it on the grounds of it being discriminatory? or get class teachers to do breakaway certificates? that is what I did when I had a child with hemiplegia whose attendance was 100% except for hospital appoirntments. I didn't tell the HT, and filched a certificate and a reward (we gave them small toys as rewards) and did my own presentation. In my present role it makes me really angry that children aren't eligible for 100% because they are disabled.
