To think 1 minute isn't late?

[AnArrowToTheKnee]

DS1 starts school at 8.50, we got there at 8.51 and were told we had to sign in at the office. AIBU to think that we weren't actually late?

But the clocks in school don't just jump forwards overnight when no ones looking to make the time really 8:54 when your watch/phone is still saying 8:48.
You know you were late.
Try holding your breath for one minute and then tell me "it's only one minute".

echt

You forgot parking in disabled bays if they're "only going to be a minute and it's raining."

Home school?

Echt
None of those. I am a 'late apologist' in that I apologise for being late. I know I'm late. I don't make excuses or deny it.

In my defence my dc have never been late for school (yet). I am trying to make up for past sins...

Think yourself lucky - the door to our primary school is physically locked with a key at 8am (can be opened from inside without a key - fire regulations obviously) and the "school office" is shared with another school (we are technically a satellite rural site) and is located in that school 5 miles away so you actually cannot get in until break at 9:30am (unless you are one of the volunteers who does safety patrol once a fortnight and has access to a key, but using that would be frowned on :o ) We are abroad.

Strangely nobody is ever late :o

Oh God. You're right, Santas :o

This reminds me of my friend who used to insist her house was five minutes away from our office, when it was definitely more like 15 minutes. She could never understand that she was always ten minutes late either.

I minute late is one minute late - you cannot dispute that - what you need to ask is why does it matter if my child is 1 minute late?

Generations of teachers have coped very well with children rocking up 1 min, 10 min 1 hour late - apparently modern day teachers can't. Schools in the past quite simply did not enforce late policies so rigidly - nor did it matter if your child was late occasionally.

But of course it has absolutely nothing to do with todays teachers, your child's education or anything else. It is all because of record keeping, statistics, Ofsted and league tables - if schools do not rigidly enforce these types of policies they will be slated - and the schools Ofsted report is by far the most important aspect of your child's education.

Blimey 5moreminutes where on earth do you live ?

Generations of teachers have coped very well with children rocking up 1 min, 10 min 1 hour late - apparently modern day teachers can't. Schools in the past quite simply did not enforce late policies so rigidly - nor did it matter if your child was late occasionally.

But of course it has absolutely nothing to do with todays teachers, your child's education or anything else. It is all because of record keeping, statistics, Ofsted and league tables - if schools do not rigidly enforce these types of policies they will be slated - and the schools Ofsted report is by far the most important aspect of your child's education.

That was also back in the day before pupils coming in late demanded to know what they'd missed.

School starts at 8.50. Did you arrive after that? Yes. You were therefore late.

We've missed the line many times over the years, school is clear that missing the door = signing in through the office. On the off chance the teacher has done a super quick register, they need us to sign in in case of fire etc.

9 times out of 10 the late child has reached class before the register and doesn't get a "late mark" on their attendance.

1 minute late walking into the building, but then by the time children sort out their peg etc then a few minutes late getting into class - by which time they would have probably missed register and lunch register etc. So yes, office staff would need a log to record attendance, lunches,etc.

Being late was certainly frowned upon when I was at school in the 80s

No, you have to go by the school's clocks the same as if you were catching a train, you go by the station's clocks, you can't roll up when you please.

I can't remember the last time I caught a train that left on time, TBH!

Yes it is quite OTT.

However, I guess if we view schools as a big part of the process in preparing children for the world of work, then they have to draw a line.

Would it be more or less acceptable to be a minute or three late for work?

Genuine question, I can certainly appreciate how nauseating this must be I really do, but also feel for schools trying to accommodate everything these days.

Our primary used to have leeway but they have stopped because too many people were taking the piss.

School has always officially started at 8.50 for juniors and 8.55 for infants. The doors used to open at 8.45 and then close at 8.55 and 9.00 respectively. So many people were just turning up for 8.55/9.00 which is technically 5 minutes late that they have had to start being strict with the doors.

Sometimes you have to take a stand. In our school now it is if the doors are shut you are late. In your circumstance they might let you in if they hadn't actually closed the doors but if you were someone often late they wouldn't.

I don't see it as preparing children for work, though it could have that pay-off.

Safeguarding of the children is sufficient reason.

Being late doesn't make you a criminal - no-one is saying you're a terrible person, OP. But if the latest time you can drop off is X and you arrive a minute after that, of course you're late.

DD High school has a timed door/gate.
At 8:30 it closes and the pupils have to buzz in.
Once its locked anyone arriving even 1 second late gets an hours detention.
And the detention is silent, no smart phone or even reading books aloud. They have to sit there totally bored for one hour.

I agree that late is late. If there was a grace period, people would start quibbling about being a minute or two after the grace period and then where does it end?

Ours open the doors at 8.40 (straight to cloakrooms, no bells, lines or staff at the door after Year R). The expectation is that the children will arrive and settle at their tables within a couple of minutes of then, the vast majority are settled by 8.45. They don't actually shut the doors till 8.50 but anyone coming in after 8.45 will find most pupils already at their tables starting on worksheets. After 8.50 is definitely late, and signing in at the office is required. Aim for 8.40 not 8.50 in future.

I went to school in the 80's and had detentions at secondary school for been late because I waited for my friend who was always late

Anyhow yes you were late. School gates are open for at least 10 minutes. We aim to get there for gate opening time. If we were 5 minutes late to our usual arrival time we would still be 5 minutes early.

The door shut means they are trying to get the children in the classroom and start register. So yes you are disrupting the morning. I don't know if you are regulary late but ime it tends to be the same people late all the time ( don't know if you are one of them or not) so yes I do support them been made to sign in. If there are a genuine reason why it is impossible to get to school on time, that is for the school to deal with not me as a parent but if not then yes I am glad people are made to sign in.

There should be a minute or two leeway

There is. It's called 8.48 and 8.49.

Here first bell goes at 8.25. Children line up and go in. At 8.30 the external doors are all locked and you have to go via the office. Office staff will ask late children why they are late. It's one method of safeguarding - persistently late children may indicate problems at home and require support.

Yes, it is late. However, most primary schools I've known only ask you to sign in after the register has been taken. So you can be in a bit later than the required time, but still not late enough to have to sign in.