A Bristol primary school which caused upset with some of its families and the city’s Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (Send) community this week has addressed issues with a new attendance policy. But, families say it has once again failed to take into consideration the impact it may have with Disabled pupils.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Last week, acting headteacher of Bridge Farm Primary School in Whitchurch, Matthew Flannigan, announced an Own Clothes Attendance Challenge.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n This meant that children who were in school without absence from Monday to Thursday would be allowed to wear their own clothes on Friday instead of school uniform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The initiative met the ire of some families who had concerns with the sudden initiative. At the time, a Send parent – who asked not to be named – said: “This policy penalises our Send kids for things they can\u2019t control.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Families have been raising concerns across social media about the new policy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n On X, prominent disability spokesperson Adam Fare called the policy ‘horrifically discriminatory and ableist, as well as encouraging children into school when sick which is dangerous and abusive.’<\/p>\n\n\n\n