This can't be right?! School are fining parents each time a child is late?

[Givemeallthechocolate]

One of DDs friends mums has told me today that our school has started charging parents each time if their kid is late for school.
Apparently if a child arrives after 9am the school are charging £2.50 each day.
Apparently a parent was in tears because they couldn't afford to pay it that week as they had 0.30p until the next week.

This isn't something I heard about through school channels but we have missed a fair few letters due to DD being off having had an operation a week into term, which meant missing a further 2 weeks for recovery... so this may be something I've missed,

But surely this isn't right, or legal?

[HolyShet]

They've no right to do that.

Anyone who has paid should be reimbursed.

Being late is really poor but it fucking makes me MAD that schools think they can extort money from parents for made up reasons.

[Aderyn17]

MrsPear, they can't make you see their welfare person either.

[ZigZagIntoTheBlue]

I think it's a great idea for the repeat offenders. I see the same families wandering to school with no sense of urgency as I'm walking home again literally every single day.

[Givemeallthechocolate]

Cinderella- it is a great school. I'm not denying that, I'm having a discussion here about what I've heard. Will be going to ask if this is something that is in fact implemented this year... out of curiousity.

Think it may be you, with the problem and gin.

[Glumglowworm]

I don't believe for a second that it's true

But there's no excuse for persistent lateness with primary age children. If fines are what it takes to get parents to get their act together than isn't that sad?

[JonSnowsWife]

Dont know about the legality of such a charge but yes you can get fined for being late. DS was a school refuser at his last school (his ASD & ADHD were undiagnosed at this point & the school were woefully unsupportive). I remember getting a lecture from the attendance officer that if he was late 5x they can register it as an unauthorised absence and then I'd be fined £60. Then went on to tell my DS that it'll be extremely unfair if he didn't turn up on time as Mummy would have to pay lots of money she couldn't afford. Which was extremely helpful to a child who's anxiety levels were already through the roof

Told the attendance officer to go ahead and do what they needed to do.

Never did hear from them.

[MrsTerryPratchett]

As with all fines it disproportionately affects poorer people. No doubt since laws aren't made by or for the poor.

I like Finland's theory of means testing fines. Then everyone is in the same boat.

[Givemeallthechocolate]

Ladies (and gents!) I'm really not sure if it's true, but I thought it was sad given the story that one parent was virtually patted down in tears.

I hope it's not true for that reason, because our area is very mixed with v poor and also v rich families. £2.50 is probably a very big chunk for the less well off.

I feel silly for having brought it up, because I may just be being wound up (I can be quite gullible)... but I just can't wait until Monday to discuss it!!

I also want to point out we don't have any issue with lateness, otherwise I'd know if these fines even really existed!

[raisinsarenottheonlyfruit]

We're often late. DP has health issues that can kick in without warning and I really struggle with organisation (currently being assessed for ADHD). We can't afford a car. DP gets the DC to school on time but when he drops the ball because of his ill-health, I really struggle to manage it.

No amount of fining me, disapproving or telling me I should just do better is going to make a bit of difference.

Fining would going to make things harder and potentially damage our relationship with the school. So, what's the point? To punish me?

[JonSnowsWife]

But there's no excuse for persistent lateness with primary age children

glumglowworm we were repeat offenders. We were persistently late. You know that woman that carries their child in kicking and screaming every morning? That was me. No amount of fines would have made DS get there on time.

A change of school did though. Now he's the one telling me to hurry up he's only ever been late at this school once, but that was because mummy here thought she'd found a shortcut and got lost instead

[PyongyangKipperbang]

The kind of parents who see no issue with being late every day tend to place little to no importance on education so will probably simply call them in sick. It will make attendance worse, not better and create a very bad atmosphere between school management and parents. I can just imagine the reaction to a letter asking for payment towards a trip or even after parents have been charged for this.......

I would not pay and would go to the LEA about it.

[PyongyangKipperbang]

*event

[raisinsarenottheonlyfruit]

YY there are fines for unauthorised absence.

We've had to go talk to the patronising woman from the council (no idea what her actual job title was) because of lateness. Although, they record it as absence, not lateness, so her first question was "why isn't your child in school". Answer - he is in school. (WTF?)

We were threatened with fines but it never got that far.

[JonSnowsWife]

Givemeallthechocolate Is the school an Academy?

[Bluelonerose]

In theory I agree but in practise I think it would be better if they only started fining if you were late x amount of times over x period.

Everyone's late once in a while but I do think the persistent offenders should be punished.

[JonSnowsWife]

raisins it weren't an education welfare officer was it?

I remember being one sent to my DM because I was missing so much school. DM had just nipped home to get some clean clothes when they knocked on the door. I was in hospital having my fourth brain operation in about six months. Apparently someone hadn't passed the message on

[Givemeallthechocolate]

Johnsnowswife- no just a run of the mill primary

[theduchessstill]

There's a big difference between docking money from staff who are being paid to turn up on time, and taking money from people who are turning up late to use the service you provide.

FFS, school is not a service and pupils and parents are not customers, as you imply above. You are not doing 'school' a favour by turning up, you know. Rather, you are fulfilling your legal obligation to allow your child access to an education. For the vast majority of people taking their children to school is the only/best way of fulfilling that obligation.

Lateness is immensely disruptive, both for the late child, who then has to play catch up, and for the other children who will often have to lose the teacher's attention so they can work with the late-comer for a while.

However, I'm not sure I agree with fining people as I agree with the pp that it may result in more absenteeism.

[multivac]

It's not legal; they cannot do it. Fixed penalties for unauthorised absence - including lateness - are issued by the Local Authority, not schools, and there is a strict process.

State schools are absolutely forbidden from demanding money from parents - as you will probably be aware, they are not even allowed to insist you pay for trips and visits.

[ShoesHaveSouls]

I don't think they can enforce this.

[LondonLassInTheCountry]

A one off ok or a very good reason

But if a child is constantly late, it isnt good for them, and is distruptive to the whole class, i dont understand how a parent can be late all the time..

Maybe this is a trial to deter parents stridding in whenever they feel like it

[Givemeallthechocolate]

Multiracial- thank you, you've given me what I needed from this post.

So what I've been told can't really be true....
To be fair I was told by someone who's just taken their child out of the school

But from what you've said there's no chance that the school are patting down parents there and then, which is good to know. Im not sure why I was concerned, it just didn't seem right or fair.

[BonjourMeDarlin]

If you don’t pay the fine they start chopping your kids fingers off and send them to you in the post.

[Givemeallthechocolate]

*multivac not Multiracial! No idea why my phone corrected to that!

[HolyShet]

tbh if it is true, someone should raise a serious complaint