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Original poster

Fines for lateness to school

19 replies

Forwhat · 24/09/2026 00:06

I’ve just discovered that schools can fine for multiple episodes of lateness. They refer this to the LA to issue a penalty notice.

P.S. I discovered this by pure accident and nosiness, following a link about tracking the speaker on a different thread.

YABU - Have you been living on Mars? How can you NOT know this? Here is a list of other things schools can fine for, but not absence as even you must be aware of that.

YANBU - I had no idea either. One learns something new every day. Thank you so much for increasing my knowledge.

OP posts:
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Original poster
Forwhat · Today 11:24

I meant to return sooner. Here you are:

Fines for lateness to school
OP posts:
Timeforachange26 · 24/09/2026 13:21

user1471538275 · 24/09/2026 10:03

Repeated lateness is disruptive for the school and for the child. It requires staff time to take the late child to class. Staff time costs money.

Fines are appropriate to incentivise parents to value being on time - which is generally valued in society.

How about when the lateness occurs regularly due to school bus delayed every bloody morning

Original poster
Forwhat · 24/09/2026 12:15

Lifejigsaw · 24/09/2026 10:34

what's wrong with the voting? I don't get the ire

It’s AIBU. I would be being unreasonable if I didn’t expect some totally pointless ire on AIBU, didn’t expect OP to to be misunderstood by some, didn’t expect fictitious assumptions about my DC etc etc.

OP posts:
Original poster
Forwhat · 24/09/2026 12:10

I don’t know much about it, I stumbled across it by accident. I assume fines go the same route as absence fines.

OP posts:
LoveWine123 · 24/09/2026 11:08

You didn't know that fines can be issued for school absence? You really must have been living under a rock. Or do you think that when a child is late they are somehow...present and not absent when the register is checked?

Lifejigsaw · 24/09/2026 10:34

what's wrong with the voting? I don't get the ire

DearCritic · 24/09/2026 10:27

Your voting is unreasonable.
But yes, I knew for repeated lateness you can be fined. It’s to push the chaotic families to get their shit together.

BelleEpoque27 · 24/09/2026 10:16

I didn't know, but it's hardly surprising is it? Missing the register counts as missing a session, so it's the same as missing the whole morning/afternoon.

Sartre · 24/09/2026 10:14

It’ll be for repeated lateness which in primary school should surely trigger safeguarding.

Maisymouse2 · 24/09/2026 10:12

How much?
Where do the funds go?
What a sad world and righteous load of shit.

MellowSubmarine · 24/09/2026 10:11

I’d have assumed this was the case because if you arrive after registration it counts as an absence, so if it’s unauthorised I assumed you’d be fined under those rules.

BeMintFatball · 24/09/2026 10:08

My kids are well past school age and yes I was that mum who struggled to get them to school on time.
kids were punished by detention for lateness and the guilt was an incentive to try harder.

for clarity I am disabled and my kids had additional needs.

when did this ruling of fines for lateness come into play? What year?

MyAgileUser · 24/09/2026 10:05

Just arrive on time. It’s not that deep.

user1471538275 · 24/09/2026 10:03

Repeated lateness is disruptive for the school and for the child. It requires staff time to take the late child to class. Staff time costs money.

Fines are appropriate to incentivise parents to value being on time - which is generally valued in society.

Poppinpoppinpopcorn · 24/09/2026 10:03

I didn't know about this rule, but then again my kids always arrived on time. Maybe it's only something you find out after constant lateness.

LittleGreenShoots · 24/09/2026 10:03

Well I didn't know it explicitly but it makes sense - lateness is a form of absence and we all know absence can be fined when excessive.

Our school doesn't mention it in their late warnings but I guess if you were really bad - like every day with intent- I could see they might need to have some kind of sanction they can fall back on.

Original poster
Forwhat · 24/09/2026 09:59

Fair enough!

OP posts:
FullOfLemons · 24/09/2026 01:37

First post nails it

Isittimeformynapyet · 24/09/2026 01:13

I refuse to vote under those conditions