Parents in uproar over 'draconian' school absence rule

Parents are in uproar after school students were told they will now need 'medical proof' for period pains to be considered a legitimate absence.

Neale-Wade Academy, a secondary school in Cambridgeshire, recently updated their absence policy to include a set of ailments that would now be regarded as unauthorised absences.

According to an email seen by the BBC, the school of 11 to 18 year olds headed by principal Mr Graham Horn, also banned terms like being 'unwell', 'poorly' and 'ill' as acceptable reasons for missing a day of school.

'Period pains' were also listed, along with the following note in brackets: 'unless we have medical information relating'.

The memo also stated: 'From immediate effect we will not be accepting terms such as "unwell, poorly, ill" or similar as explanations relating to student absence.

'Communications made using these and similar terms will be recorded as unauthorised'.

People have taken to X to voice their anger over the change, with some labelling the school 'draconian' and a 'piece of crap', while one person dubbed it 'backwards and misogynistic'.

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One person wrote: 'Hey everyone. This piece of crap school Neale-Wade Academy is the one requiring proof for period pains.

Criticising the school's headteacher, one woman added: 'What a misogynistic backward letter signed off by Principal Graham Horn. Pity female staff too.

'OFSTED v problematic but Neale-Wade Academy "requires Improvement" across the board including leadership'.

'Sorry what? Are you deliberately trying to make teenage girls have an even worse time at school?! How dare you?' asked another. 

Someone else declared that schools 'do not own children' and rather they were built to 'provide a service'.

Another woman lamented: 'When women’s health is constantly undermined and things like endometriosis is under diagnosed, what proof can these young people give to a school or local council? 

'Some people experience the most debilitating pain and a range of other symptoms, sometimes multiple times a month'. 

However taking the opposite stance, one person said: 'Do people have time off work for period pain? If no, they shouldn't be having time off for it at school either. I’ve never had a day off for period pain, unfortunately you have to just get on with it'. 

The news comes as the government vowed to clamp down on the 'absence epidemic' starting with the 2024/2025 school year.

Last month, education secretary Bridget Phillipson warned parents allowing their children to skip school were significantly diminishing their future earning potential.

Ms Phillipson warned she will make no 'apologies' for fining parents with frequently absent children and said too many believe truanting is acceptable for the sake of 'cheaper holidays', to avoid 'unpopular subjects' or for 'birthday treats or even a runny nose'.

Writing in the Sunday Times, Ms Phillipson said her first priority was to create a welcoming environment for pupils in a bid to improve attendance, but warned 'where it does not work I am prepared to be tough'.

She pointed out that 150,000 children were recorded as frequently absent from school in 2022 to 2023 - the last year for which there is full attendance data.

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A report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) published earlier this year said nearly two in five (37%) pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds are 'persistently absent', meaning they miss at least one day of school per fortnight on average.

It noted a spike in absences compared with before the coronavirus pandemic, with students now missing 14 days of school per year on average.

Ms Phillipson vowed to 'act decisively' to curb what she described as an 'absence epidemic' and called on parents, schools and local authorities to play their part.

In an attempt to prevent truanting, the Conservatives previously announced fines issued to parents for unauthorised absences would rise from £60 to £80, rising to £160 if they were not paid within 21 days.

During the general election, Labour promised to cut almost half a million days of school absence as part of its plan to deliver free breakfast clubs in primary schools in England.

In June, Ms Phillipson said breakfast clubs are proven to 'get those regularly missing class back into school - giving them a great start to their day and getting them ready to learn'.

The Commons has previously supported the School Attendance (Duties of Local Authorities and Proprietors of Schools) Bill, which would require local councils in England to promote regular attendance and reduce absences at schools.

But the Bill did not reach the House of Lords before the general election and failed to become law.

At the time, Conservative former minister Vicky Ford, who sponsored the Bill, raised concerns about the increase in absences after the pandemic and said 'over a million children or young children are persistently absent or worse'.