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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think that if the school bus is late - don't penalise my child

28 replies

receiverofopiniongiver · 14/03/2011 16:03

My teenager goes to school on the school bus, provided by the local council, run by a private firm.

My child has just bought home half yearly result card and their attendance is 81.8%, I thought this was odd, as I was only aware of 2 days off (1 day in the Autumn term ill and 1 day in the Spring term ill). Therefore I was concerned.

And contacted the school, all the other occurances have been due to them arriving late at school because the school bus arrives at school after registration. It is even timetabled to arrive after registration, therefore it is not mine nor my child's fault that they are late.

The bus collects them at 7am, the school is 25 minutes away by car, but because of the convoluted drive to get there, they arrive at school at 8.35am, registration is 8.30am, lessons begin at 9am.

AIBU to think this should not be marked as absence???

OP posts:
CharCharGabor · 14/03/2011 16:05

Yanbu IMO, that's ridiculous!

Eglu · 14/03/2011 16:06

YANBU. I would complain to the school about that. Absences/late marks reflect badly on your child and it is unfair.

rasta · 14/03/2011 16:08

YANBU, totally unfair! Shock

CheeseandPickledOnion · 14/03/2011 16:10

YANBU

HecateTheCrone · 14/03/2011 16:10

you are 100% right. You should demand an explanation for this and a change of policy.

AuntiePickleBottom · 14/03/2011 16:12

i would contact the council and ask other parents to do the same.

i bet it's no fun being stuck on a bus for 1hr 35 minutes each way

Niceguy2 · 14/03/2011 16:15

That's stupid!!!

mycatoscar · 14/03/2011 16:16

YANBU, I would go straight to the top and ask the Head what he intends to do.

mrsscoob · 14/03/2011 16:17

Yes definitely say something, that is outrageous.

scurryfunge · 14/03/2011 16:18

The council will be keeping the cost down by offering one bus when they should be offering two or doing fewer pick ups.

They probably wouldn't consider running more buses and so that would mean fewer pick ups which would penalise some children by not offering a local pick up.

I would tackle the school, not the council and ask them not to record the lateness against the child.

Flowe · 14/03/2011 16:21

YANBU. Talk to the school. They will have a person responsible for bus contracts. My son had same problem a couple of years ago when the bus company changed the timetable without consultation. We talked to person at school (who wasn't aware that allthese kids had been signing the late lis for weeks), he made the right calls and got the bus times changed.

Mandy2003 · 14/03/2011 16:30

YANBU. During this winter's snow there was one day that the school was open but the buses did not run. I rang the school and they said my son would not be marked absent under the circumstances.

But they went back on their word and did, so he didn't get the 100% attendance he was hoping for. He now feels there's no point trying to go to school if he's feeling a bit off-colour, as long as he gets over 85% attendance he'll be ok Sad

VajazzHands · 14/03/2011 16:33

YANBU! If he shows that to an employer they will assume he can't be trusted. I'd demand a revised report.

TheReturnoftheSmartArse · 14/03/2011 16:33

Our school was doing the same. So we ditched the school bus and she now goes by public transport instead, so their loss. Not possible for everyone though, I know.

DITDOT · 14/03/2011 16:35

If a child in my form is late because of a school bus they don't get marked late as it is out of the childs hands.
As for being timetabled to arrive after school has started this means a distruption to learning and if this happened at my school someone from higher up would be on the phone to sort it out. We had a child who shared a taxi with 3 others from different schools and it got to us last 10 minutes after school started. Got sorted out the next day by the head of year phoning taxi company.
Def speak to the school.

marcopront · 14/03/2011 16:52

Is your problem with the bus arriving after school starts that he misses school time or that he is being penalised for being late?
I agree you should talk to the school but don't understand why you have not had a problem with your son arriving late until now.

mummytime · 14/03/2011 16:56

At DCs school if any of the public buses are late/don't arrive then the pupils don't get a late mark. (Its obvious this is the reason they are late as 5-20 students all arrive late together.)
But it is a disgrace if a purpose run bus is scheduled to arrive late.

Fiddledee · 14/03/2011 17:15

Your poor kids being on a coach for 3 hours a day - thats the bit I think is unreasonable

Original poster
receiverofopiniongiver · 14/03/2011 17:37

The reason it is a new problem that has come to light, is that as of September they scrapped 3 bus routes, and made one bus route large bus route.

This went from leaving home at 7.45 to leaving home at 7am.

Public transport results in either arriving at school at 7.35 or 8.35 so doesn't solve the problem. Although does mean they have to leave home at 7am or 8am respectively.

However, they have chosen to get the school bus, rather than get there early, as they appear to have a lot of social interaction on the bus, as they are at single sex schools, but the related opposite sex travel on the same bus.

I wasn't worried about being late for learning, because I had thought registration was 8.30-9, as lessons don't start until 9. But registration is 8.30-8.35, free time 8.35-8.45, assembly 8.45-9 lessons at 9. So by being the 5 minutes late they do not miss any education.

But the issue is that being late is being marked as absence. When it is not.

OP posts:
chocciemum · 14/03/2011 17:44

Ok, have had experience of this. If school aren't interested in helping then contact Education Welfare. (School will have a named worker and will be able to provide you with their details)

Ask them to liaise with Education Transport and School on your behalf.

Firstly, no way should the bus be scheduled to arrive late. They are cutting costs; demand a taxi if no alternative buses available.

Secondly, schools can mark a pupil as absent if they are late after the end of registration...but usually allow a window of approx 20 or 30 mins after the start of the school day.

eg. School starts 9am, kid arrives 9.35 - code U.

  School starts 9am, kid arrives 9.15 - code L.

The difference in codes is that L simply means late and will not affect attendance, just punctuality. U is an unauthorised absence.

So school are going over the top anyway, by marking as a U for being 5 minutes late. They should be assisting you in sorting this out, especially as attendance is closely monitored.

Original poster
receiverofopiniongiver · 14/03/2011 18:41

Thanks for that chocciemum, I'll speak to the head tomorrow, see if I get anywhere that way otherwise EW it is.

OP posts:
activate · 14/03/2011 18:47

a late isn't an absence - a late is a late and does not count towards absence - they are entering it wrong

chocciemum · 14/03/2011 18:52

Activate, sorry, but a late can be marked as an absence - as outlined above.

Good luck receiverofopiniongiver.

activate · 14/03/2011 18:55

Yes quite right however it would IMHO be a stupid school who would choose to do that when they are targeted on their figures

makes no difference to the child or child's family but does make one to the school, hence seems a bit self-defeating

children are obviously there for registration

chocciemum · 14/03/2011 19:14

I can't understand why the school would do it either Confused