93% Rant

We are lucky to have on our doorstep, a school which achieves greatness in the tables of rankings. It even received the Ofsted outstanding accolade in 2006/7. It is an establishment which strives to teach respect, to reward excellence and to recognise all pupils equally. It very nearly achieves all these things and more as a matter of routine. But just occasionally, it loses its way so utterly and completely, I'm frankly left astonished at how at all the above is accomplished.

Today we received a letter from the head teacher, which to my mind at least, took the form of an unwelcome and unwarranted lecture. The purpose of the letter was to remind us of the importance of regular attendance at school and for good measure, to remind us that together with punctuality, are behaviours which engender good habits for life. As I neared the end of the first paragraph, I was already beginning to feel somewhat affronted and not a little patronised.

The school sees fit to issue this letter on a termly basis without exception to those pupils failing to meet its own attendance target of 93%. The letter implies that attendance below this target is rated poor and that the pupil in question is added to the concern list. I imagine this to take the form of a large black book in the head teacher's office. In reality, it undoubtedly languishes in the depths of a computer hard drive and isn't in print form at all. Anyhow, the letter does make concession for children with serious illness and unless there is good reason, expects all to attend at least for 93% of any year.

The school well knows and admits as such that our daughter's absence was due entirely to sickness, which happened to be in the physical sense as well as general illness - a gory detail I know, but nevertheless a significant one. The offending illness by my reasonable estimations, was contracted during attendance in class. In any case, the letter makes no such concession. Whilst on the topic of reasonableness, I would have thought that being too ill to avoid reproducing breakfast constitutes good reason, thus obviating the need and expense of producing the letter in the first place. I must be wrong. The letter equally fails to address the school's own policy of enforced absence for a minimum period of 48 hours following any incidence of physical sickness. Instead the letter closes with its pièce de résistance.

'We are certain that you share our concern regarding missed schooling and that you will ensure that your daughter attends regularly in the future.'

No we will not.

We will continue to ensure that in the event any child of ours falls ill, they will have the rest they need to benefit from a speedy recovery before returning to school. With the assistance of medical professionals, we will judge when a return to school is appropriate, observing of course that no return shall be made which might contravene your own policies.

We do agree however, that in future we will ignore your poorly conceived and written letters (this is not the first).

Now I need find something to help get the wood-burning stove lit. Any ideas?