To be late for school once a week?

Surely in Year 13 they're not in half the time anyway because of study periods?

I couldn't get upset over this for a minute.

People on here are ridiculous! The school aren't going to remove this from everyone because one Yr 13 takes advantage - that would be more childish than the Yr 13's behaviour!

He sounds very bright to me OP - work smart not hard.

The kid already has a responsible job that they cycle 5 miles and turn up on time so is already a not shit employee.

If the school took away the possibility of people being late without punishment due to medical appointments because a smart arse decided to skip assembly once a week, then the school is repsonsible for that decision, not the smart arse.

Form time and assemblies don’t exist at many sixth form colleges and even at sixth forms attached to schools most only do them once a week.

most sixth forms allow you to go off site for free periods. My DD joined the choir simply so she could miss as many assemblies as possible (they are boring).

i wouldn’t care.

Year 13! Not 13! (I made the same mistake!)

I'm a teacher. Today I have 2 lessons between 11.30 and 2.30, but I still have to be on site between 8.45 and 3.45 - it's part of the contract.

Yes, I'd love to stay in bed, but this is where I chose to work, so I have to follow expectations.

Same as the students do - if you don't like the 'contract' , go elsewhere.

It all just feels a bit “smart arse” to me.
Just parent your son and tell him to get to school on time.

I agree with this post.

I think you'll go far in life.

Did you read the rest of the post? They’re not doing the bare minimum, they’re exceeding across the board. They’re just exercising their own discretion in line with what’s allowed under the current framework.

I think this is ok @Latelateshowz provided you keep up performance in other areas. If I were your mum/dad wouldn’t pick a battle about it and would let school manage it if they wished to.

This is a classic example of “just because you can, doesn’t mean you should”.

You could remind your DC that when people take advantage, the end result is usually the perk being removed for all, which won’t negatively impact your privileged DC, but could impact someone else who does need this (eg regular medical appointments or care responsibilities).

Which would make your DC a bit of a twat, wouldn’t it.

Shitty attitude.
Smart arse entitlement writ large 😂

Learning respect for rules which make up the basis on which a community (the school being the community) operates is an important part of preparation for adult life, unless you’ve got a future Jeff Bezos or Elon Musk on your hands. Latitude as to whether or not lateness once a week is sanctioned does not equate to the requirement to be present being waived.

If this were my child, my concern would be about how they are going to function in working adult life, where they will probably have to be employed and follow rules they may think are stupid.

No, the poster says she's writing it as IF she were the child (she's the mum.)

(Writing this from DC POV.)

The poster IS the child. And destined to become a pretty bad employee, probably.

I don’t think that makes it any better if they had covertly sought opinion to tell their child what Mumsnet thinks…

I don’t really see the point in us discussing my response though. You’re as welcome to your input as I am.

Fair enough.

The school sets rules and the student works within them and produces good results.

It is a good approach for life, much healthier than being anxious about the possibility of being late.

There is no moral value in punctuality when an institution is on the other side, we do it for practical reasons and the child is able to get to work on time when it matters.

I'd say ignore, don't let it become something "interesting" about them.

Ah - I wish people wouldn't use year instead of years. It's not the first time I've mis-read when skimming. In that case, op, I think it's already encroaching on smart arse territory.

Most year 13s only have to be in school for their lessons.

I have no idea what assembly is or form time, so if showing up late is disrupting these rituals, then of course she is inconveniencing people and shouldn't do it.

Yanbu from the POV that i wouldnt be getting myself involved with a school discipline issue; if the school are failing to discipline effectively then that's their problem.

Year 13 - so 17 or 18 years old.

Written to DC

Because you are only 13, I know these sorts of attitudes seem like a good idea - or quite clever.

But when you are older, you realise they essentially achieve very little other than, mostly, rubbing people up the wrong way. The dispensation was meant to excuse pupils who had a genuine problem making them late and , as such, is a kind gesture by the school; it wasn't meant for people to intentionally take advantage of, and as you get older, you will realise that the intention behind things is an important thing to respect. Otherwise you'll come across as a smart arse, which may be (just) tolerable at 13, but becomes obnoxious in a few years time.

School needs to change the rules if it bothers them. Eg lateness more than once a week or three times a term leads to punishment, or something similar.

So if all of Year 13 decided to follow suit, there could be dozens of students not turning up for assembly or form time.
Is that good?

Is anybody being inconvenienced by her being late? If not, then there is no point in my view in being punctual just for the sake of following an arbitrary rule. In which case make the most of any loopholes.