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Original poster

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

117 replies

Givemeallthechocolate · 04/11/2017 17:11

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?

OP posts:
StealthPolarBear · 04/11/2017 19:45

London lass you can't think of any reasons despite some being described on this thread?

JonSnowsWife · 04/11/2017 19:54

Pengwynn

No, saying "IF you were in a Job", is rude and insulting. It's the presumption that a person doesn't have a job which makes it so.

It's a common myth that some 'professionals' have adapted. That the woman is always at home. Nothing wrong with being a SAHM of course. We had it when DDs HT called me in for a meeting during an incident which happened at their Dads once (DS got violent with DD - both okay but DD reported it to school which is fair enough).

When I asked why they didn't call Dad in to discuss what happened what with me not being there, I got "oh well we thought he was at work". Followed quickly by a 'besides it's easier to deal with you'.

I was at work too I was on contract at the time! DCs Dad has always come to meetings with me so they knew he would have made himself available somehow.

It was the presumption that I was free and he wasn't that irked me.

wannabestressfree · 04/11/2017 20:07

@raisinsarenottheonlyfruit if you have a ‘solid work history’ of 20 years then I would judge you as your child’s teacher if they were repeatedly late. It’s annoying. And more importantly the children who are dragged in late every morning are generally embarrassed by their Slattern parents.

So if you are indeed a consummate professional give your head a wobble and set your alarm earlier. Pack the bags the night before. Get a move on.....

Coconutspongexo · 04/11/2017 20:08

Off topic but people think Cinderella was being serious yeah? Okay.. Grin

Littlewhistle · 04/11/2017 20:12

I have kids in my class who are late every single day - 10/15 minutes. The register is done and I'm explaining the task to the class and these 2 trail in and everything is distupted.

Spoke to the parents (sisters) who claim they leave the house in plenty of time and the girls must be dawdling on the way to school.

If a fine stopped this, I'd be happy.

ProfessorCat · 04/11/2017 20:21

I find it very, very hard to get worked up about children being late in my class. They come in, sit down, end of.

ProfessorCat · 04/11/2017 20:21

Also, the reasons given in the late book ate a great read in the staff room at lunchtime Grin

Athome77 · 04/11/2017 20:25

My kids have a two week timetable at school, every other Tuesday one is out late due to a certain teacher. Would love to fine him as it makes me late for getting home and back to work (work from home for last few hours of work on certain days).

raisinsarenottheonlyfruit · 04/11/2017 20:25

So if you are indeed a consummate professional give your head a wobble and set your alarm earlier. Pack the bags the night before. Get a move on.....

ODFOD.

You can pull those judgy pants up as high as you like. It won't make a bit of difference. Nor will personal insults, thanks for that Hmm.

As I said upthread, I'm currently being assessed for ADHD. Being on time is something I really struggle with. However the flip side of having ADHD can often be inteligence and a creative streak, and it's that I get paid for, not turning up on time.

DP can get the DC to school on time, and he does. But he has health issues that can hit without warning, and when he drops the ball I stuggle to pick it up.

You can judge, tell me what I should be doing, but all I can do is carry on struggling and trying to find my own way.

Luckily I have a thick skin as comments like yours can be pretty counter productive, especially to someone who does have ADHD but doesn't realise it and has internalised all those messages of "you're just not trying hard enough, you're a slattern, you're an embarrassment to your children (oh yeah, thanks for that one too Hmm), just set your fucking alarm clock earlier (oh, what a revelation, I hadn't thought of that one. FFS.).

These kind of comments attack the self esteem of someone who genuinely does struggle with this kind of thing. Doesn't make them get places earlier, but can make them feel shit about it. Is that your plan? Are you genuinely trying to help or do you just like a good chance to stick the knife in and feel morally superior while doing it?

Hmm, let me think, evidence points to the latter I reckon.

raisinsarenottheonlyfruit · 04/11/2017 20:26

the reasons given in the late book ate a great read in the staff room at lunchtime

I must try harder on this one then! I just write late.

ProfessorCat · 04/11/2017 20:27

People who say "give your head a wobble" sound so ridiculous.

PortiaCastis · 04/11/2017 20:29

Hear hear, yep lost count of the times I stood waiting over 15 minutes for dd to be let out!
Can we fine he school a £1 per minute or do these things not work both ways

lalalalyra · 04/11/2017 20:30

Fining people isn't going to work because it won't bother the people that are repeatedly late due to not giving a fuck about their child's education. The fine won't be enforcable and therefore they won't pay it.

Like the attendance letters they'll only be harming the people in aposition through no fault of their own.

raisinsarenottheonlyfruit · 04/11/2017 20:32

ProfessorCat you sound like a teacher with a great attitude. I bet your class is a lovely place to be.

user789653241 · 04/11/2017 20:40

"One of DDs friends mums has told me today"

This doesn't sound right at all to me. If the school is doing something like this(I am not sure if it's legal or not), they would tell all the parents, by letters, email, website, text messages, etc. in advance, aren't they?

mumoseven · 04/11/2017 20:47

I have little doubt that I would have been diagnosed with ADD if it had been a thing back in the day (was called scatterbrained etc in the 70s). My children have never been late, I had to get myself a strict routine in the mornings so I could get myself to work on time. I dread being late.

BoneyBackJefferson · 04/11/2017 20:49

the links contain two different stories.

one about schools fining for being late the other schools charging for after school clubs, the first I am not sure that they can do the second I approve of.

Awwlookatmybabyspider · 04/11/2017 20:53

I'd have told the bullies, and it is bullying to go and sing for the money.
I mean what were they going to do that mother.
So much for them caring about the welfare of children. Leaving a mother with just 30p to feed her family.
Id be going to the press and twitter and be making a right cunt out of them.

BoneyBackJefferson · 04/11/2017 20:58

Awwlookatmybabyspider

The school didn't leave the parent with 30p she only had 30p left.

But its the little details that often show these stories for the myths that they are.

wannabestressfree · 04/11/2017 21:30

@raisinsarenottheonlyfruit I am having a bad pain day today as I am seriously ill. I should have read the thread properly so I apologise. I need to step away when feeling arsy....

raisinsarenottheonlyfruit · 04/11/2017 21:36

wannabestressfree fair enough, thanks for the reply.

(Although if we all stepped away when we were feeling arsey MN would be a whole lot quieter and possibly less entertaining!)

I'm really sorry to hear you're ill. I hope your pain level improves Flowers

raisinsarenottheonlyfruit · 04/11/2017 21:36

wannabestressfree fair enough, thanks for the reply.

(Although if we all stepped away when we were feeling arsey MN would be a whole lot quieter and possibly less entertaining!)

I'm really sorry to hear you're ill. I hope your pain level improves Flowers

Original poster
Givemeallthechocolate · 04/11/2017 21:51

Irvine- I did mention we have missed some time this year due to having an operation, so as I did say in my original post there may have been a letter that we missed.

I don't know for 100% if this is real, I tend not to jump to the conclusion other adults are lying, but I don't have any proof myself that it's happening at the moment, and even if it is the circumstances may be quite different to what I've been told... maybe the mum who told me understood the situation to be different to what it was.

I probably shouldn't have started the thread, but I heard and I couldn't wait until Monday to discuss it.... and I'd also prefer to find out via mumsnet if this kind of thing is done in any school in the country instead of wandering into the office on Monday morning and risk the receptionists being a bit ShockConfusedGrinHmm and knowing my luck if they aren't doing it, I'd come across as someone recommending it- such are my communication skills, and I quite like that the office staff don't think me that weird (yet!)

OP posts:
BoneyBackJefferson · 04/11/2017 21:57

Givemeallthechocolate

I wouldn't jump straight to lying either but I have seen far to many rumours started by people that are then passed on to others, who don't check the facts before they pass it on to those that do go in and ask (or in some cases create hell), whilst the first person stands back and enjoys the drama that they have created.

MaisyPops · 04/11/2017 22:01

There needs to be something in place for persistent lateness like persistent absence. I'm not sure that the fines are the right way though.

Parents have a responsibility to get their children to school.

I had 1 child in my form who was late to school at least 3 out of 5 days a week. Their reason was 'traffic was bad' or 'we had to stop off and drop my brother off'. Traffic is the same most days. Every other child was in on time (on days where there are real issues we'd expect most kids from the outside the immediate town to be late and we don't give them late marks).

The child and her mother took the piss.
Some days mum dropped the middle child off for a before school club and yet eldest was late. Eldest has left and now middle child strolls in as and when they can be bothered. Seemingly the family pick and choose when they can be bothered.