With the schools timekeeping policies? *LONG!*

[Debeez]

My son attends a primary school, it's not great but our options are limited. High proportion of students are from less than nurturing backgrounds and lateness is a big issue for the school. Sometimes on the walk home I see parents toddling up at 9:30 regularly.

For this reason they've instigated a lateness book where by if the child is late a parent must sign them in giving the reason for lateness. Previous system simply involved signing in. As we discovered the signing in is accompanied by a lecture.

I abhor lateness and my son has never been late. To be honest the school's timekeeping is rubbish (meant to be in at 8:55), often they don't get shouted in until 9:05 (which is awful when you have to rush off to work!). Unfortunately we recently got a taste of the late book along with 10 other parents. The school called the children in at 8:50 on a bad weather day and closed the doors on the rest of us.

Many parents are wise to the letting in early so take them up ridiculously so in order to get home/work quicker so plenty of children did get in on time. We refused to give a reason for lateness (we signed in for health and safety reasons obviously) and maintained we weren't late. The clock behind the receptionist showed it was not 8:55 yet and she refused to turn round and look at it.

It all got a bit heated with parents shouting and arguing so we just shoved DS through the door after we'd signed him in and left. Didn't want to be the shouty embarrassing parent.

I think it's awful that my son has a late mark against his name and I think this makes us look like we don't care for timekeeping. Bringing things up with the school is an exercise in futility. Do I just be earlier knowing we'll be standing around in the cold. Or do I be an absolute pain on point of principle and record the schools timekeeping and perhaps go to BoG from there?

schools have to reach something like 96% attendance and lates, authorised and unauthorised absences are all considered. they cant get more than a satisfactory grade without good attendence so theyre not helping themselves.

YANBU about getting v annoyed about the late book. I prob would have put in the comments part "My child was not late, the school clock said 08.50am!!!" and leave it at that. Just saw what you wrote about volunteering at the school and not being CRB checked-ALL parent volunteers are CRB checked at my DC schools, I though they had to be

Walking away calmly....to rant elsewhere and write strongly worded letters to the governers? Way to get perspective.

I wish I had wrote that now bubby but I didn't want to spit my dummy out. My son was there, loads of other parents and children, everyone getting worked up. I just sent son on his way and slipped out.

I feel my frustration about this is there are so many things the school needs to improve, not just from this my experience as a parent but from what I've seen go on from the inside, and they pick on parents who are following the rules.

Apparently you don't need CRB if you're NEVER left alone with the kids. When I pointed out that I wasn't CRB'd and was worried about being left alone with the kids (I wouldn't have been happy about this as a parent) and I was asked why I didn't want to help and why I felt it was an issue.

u have to be crb checked if you volunteer for more than 2 days a wk. as for being left unsupervised with any children it should never happen. if there was an accident or allegation neither you or the school would be covered.

I would write to govenors.

The primary school where I teach we open the doors at 8.50, school starts at 9.00 and we close the doors at 9.05 this is when I do the register children are deemed to be late if I have started the register.

Late children have to be signed in but there is no lecture unless they are persistently late.

I know mumnosbest about being covered, didn't know about the two days, it scares me but they need all the help they can get, they are very grateful for a few hours a week reading or painting with the kids.

Hi lovebeing, I still signed him in as I'm aware of fire and safety issues but I'm pretty sure he made registration too. Nice to have perspective from someone in a primary school too. Sure this is what the governors are there for really, issues between parents and school. That's what the council website said anyways.

I'd probably have an informal chat withthe head and say that you had to sign in as late even though you weeren't late and that you wanted to mention it to hiom as he will have recoreded lots of late marks where it wasn't neccesarry.