Girl banned from school's restaurant treat for taking one day off - to attend MUM'S funeral

Soldato
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What on earth drives teachers to think they could do this to the poor girl!

SHAME ON YOU!!!

Maddie Stevens, 11, was left in tears after missing the outing because only pupils with 100% attendance records were permitted

Heartless teachers stopped a 11-year-old going on an end-of-term restaurant treat because she went to her mother’s funeral.

Maddie Stevens was left sobbing after missing the outing to Frankie & Benny’s with pals as only pupils with 100% attendance records were permitted.

Mum Gail, 48, died in January after a two-year battle with breast cancer and her daughter took the day off to be at the funeral.

Maddie’s dad Andy is furious with St Giles’ Junior School in Bedworth, Warks, as teachers still refuse to apologise even after being told the reason behind her absence.

Finance manager Andy, 48, fumed: “It’s so insensitive after everything Maddie has been through.

“She has been absolutely amazing since her mum died. She took only one day off to go the funeral, because we wanted to keep things as normal as we could.

“Then she gets this kick in the face. Her school should be celebrating what she has achieved. Instead she’s been punished for going to her mum’s funeral. It’s a big moment leaving junior school.”

Maddie said: “It made me feel sad not to go – it would have been a nice treat. Helping my mum for the past two years has been hard.”

St Giles said: “Following concerns raised, the rewarding of pupils for 100% attendance has been withdrawn.”

Story & Poll here - http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/girl-banned-schools-restaurant-treat-3881116
 
Article doesn't say if the only day in the year she had off was he mum's funeral, or if there were others which dropped it from the 100%.

If it really was just the one day, they are a bunch of jobsworth *****.
 
  • I'm outraged.
  • Outraged.
  • The Mirror.
  • Who kicked her in the face?
  • Britain gone mad.
  • We hate teachers and their stupid strikes.
  • Hosepipe ban.
 
It says that the school did not know of the reason for her absence until after the fact.

Not quite as crap as the headline makes out. I'm sure things would be different had they actually known before.
 
Mirror in not giving the full picture shocker!!

A school has apologised after a pupil was left out of a reward for 100% attendance because she had a day off for her mother's funeral.

St Giles' Junior School in Exhall gave Maddie Stevens permission for the absence then excluded her from an attendance reward trip to a restaurant.

The 11-year-old's father, Andy Stevens, said the school had effectively punished her for going to the funeral.

It has since withdrawn its 100% attendance reward policy.

The funeral of Maddie's mother was in January, but the attendance reward trip took place this week.

Mr Stevens said: "When my daughter's mum died she had one day off and that was the day of the funeral - she didn't have any other time off.

"She's been through so much in the last two years with her mum having breast cancer.

"They should have looked at this and used a bit of discretion."

He said he was too upset to speak to the school, but his wife called the office to confirm Maddie's only absence was for the funeral in January.

The school secretary apologised on the phone and offered a meeting with the head teacher, he said, but the family is still angry that no one apologised to Maddie.

St Giles' Junior School in Exhall
St Giles' Junior School in Exhall has now withdrawn its 100% attendance reward policy
Prof Ken Reid, education expert at Swansea Metropolitan University, said: "I'm sure the school did this completely accidentally but an awful lots of schools are feeling the pressure to minimise their rates of non-attendance.

"From last February, if schools fall below 96.5% attendance they could have a no-notice inspection. The consequences of failing a no-notice inspection can mean head teachers can lose their jobs and in some circumstances schools could even close."

St Giles' Junior School and Warwickshire Country Council declined to comment, but confirmed the 100% attendance reward scheme had been withdrawn

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-28362378
 
"From last February, if schools fall below 96.5% attendance they could have a no-notice inspection. The consequences of failing a no-notice inspection can mean head teachers can lose their jobs and in some circumstances schools could even close."

sorry but given how choreographed the notice inspections are all schools should be subject to no notice inspections as a matter of routine.
 
I think common sense in this country is at an all time low. Regardless of whether the article is 100% accurate in this case - it's a general observation.

Probably partially thanks to the increased threat of legal action, everything now has to be 100% by the book with absolutely no flexibility or common sense allowed.

I blame lawyers. For everything.
 
Who awards 100% attendance anyway? Like children contracting illnesses should be punished. Silly Billys.

My kids school does. For the last two years eldest got sent to a party at the football club as a reward but missed it this year as he had three days off with tonsilitus. I complained to the head mistress that I thought this sent the wrong message* - i.e. drag yourself in no matter what's wrong with you. If you're ill, you're ill and you should take the time to recover without the stress of worrying about going back to work.

*I'd like to add that I complained last year when he was rewarded, not because he wasn't this year.
 
sorry but given how choreographed the notice inspections are all schools should be subject to no notice inspections as a matter of routine.

You still only get a few days notice with an "announced" inspection.
 
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