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Original poster

To not know what to do about my son who pretended he went to a different school?

312 replies

chasethebear · 16/09/2018 21:37

My son started year 9 this September. He has a lot of friends at the other secondary school. They started a day earlier than his school did and thought it would be hilarious to go into school with his friends. Apparently they spent most of the morning trying to figure out which classes he was in and caused an uproar at the school. They ended up putting him in classes and telling him they'll sort him out on the system ASAP. DS then obviously never went back and attended his actual school. I have no idea what to do about it. I haven't been contacted and no other word has been said but I hate to think what the other school have done.

OP posts:
5foot5 · 16/09/2018 22:33

"I just said his school's first day was for year 7 & 12, but yes both schools are year 7-13.*

Yes DD's old school always did that. Sounds quite believable to me.

I also found it funny. I am surprised at the po faced people on here who don't. Of course if he tried to make it a regular thing he should be stopped. But as a one off it sounds a good lark to me

GreenTulips · 16/09/2018 22:34

Courtney555

Do you think OPs DS is stupid enough to use his real name and address?

OP clearly said her DS schools first day is only for years 7 and 12 with the rest of the school starting a day later - so DS had an extra day off

He pulled a prank

NellieBee · 16/09/2018 22:34

I work in a secondary and find this hilarious! The staff would have hated it

Courtney555 · 16/09/2018 22:35

@worraliberty yes, yes and yes

And when they asked him the name of his last school so they could contact them (which is the first thing they'd do), what did he say?

It's a school, not a youth club. They don't just let strangers hang around for a day without trying to find out who they are.

Especially those points

ThisCollie · 16/09/2018 22:36

I did this in 2000 when 'my' year at a nearby split site secondary moved from one site to the other. Nobody noticed - as far as I know - and I got away with it. I remember being very smug with my secret when my parents told me i would always be caught misbehaving. Oh and I am a law abiding, quiet adult - I won't be walking into your workplace impersonating a lawyer or a surgeon!

OP please don't worry!

Somerville · 16/09/2018 22:36

This happened in one of my children’s schools. It came out because groups of teenagers who pull of a prank boast about it. An employee at the school was disciplined over it, and the parents who had been unconcerned that they didn’t know where their 14 YO was all day were also in trouble.

BoneyBackJefferson · 16/09/2018 22:38

GunpowderGelatine

You don't say loudly that they're not on your register for fear of embarrassing them.

You really don't ask them where they should be? for a timetable?
Look on whatever registration system you have for the name that they have given you?

first day at all the schools that I have worked in have been registration the giving out of timetables etc.

Brand new children to the school would see that HoY for information and induction.

Schools no longer have paper registers where pupils are not tracable.

DaphneClark · 16/09/2018 22:39

How and why did he tell you OP?!

I would have a word if he lied about his name etc. but not be too upset, it’s quite clever!

GunpowderGelatine · 16/09/2018 22:41

I think some people need to get the sticks out their bums. There is a thread running right now about the 13yo son of an OP who is violent towards his parents and constantly breaks things. This OP has a son who is cheeky and a bit cocky but clearly honest with his mum, hardly the worst 13yo going. Teenagers are imperfect creatures, they can't all be Hermione bloody Grainger and not every event in their life is a moral lesson that has to be taught - this talk of writing a letter to the School? Pffft, relax, this is one for the wedding speech, no harm done.

Original poster
chasethebear · 16/09/2018 22:42

It started with "oh my god mum you'll kill me but I just can't not say"

OP posts:
RomanyRoots · 16/09/2018 22:42

Greyhound

No boggling required, my dear.

It's gall, sheer gall.

Dogmatix34 · 16/09/2018 22:43

I am a teacher in a big comp and can totally see this happening. We have new kids arriving all the time and if a kid arrived in full uniform and other kids assure me he’s the new boy I’d just sit him somewhere and apologise for not expecting him. I think it’s really funny and as long as he didn’t disrupt the lessons, no harm done at all.

GunpowderGelatine · 16/09/2018 22:44

You really don't ask them where they should be? for a timetable?

I assume he followed his mates round the school and said "Yes Mrs Harris I am meant to be in this Schoenberg class" - like I say admin fuck ups happen all the time and subject teachers don't always have registers., or time to sort the issue in the lesson - ours for example are only 35 minutes long. I think this is entirely plausible for one day.

Dogmatix34 · 16/09/2018 22:44

I should add, I teach over 300 kids a week. I may not even remember to mention a new kid turned up, it’s so common place.

GunpowderGelatine · 16/09/2018 22:45

Schoenberg?! I meant science ConfusedGrin

BoneyBackJefferson · 16/09/2018 22:48

GunpowderGelatine

What bothers me isn't the OP's son, its that teachers are apparently not going to ask pupils questions about where they should be on the first day of school due to embarrassing them.

Its that teachers don't ask for timetables on the first day of school.
Its that teachers don't know how to use the computer system that records all the details about who should be in your class and in the school.

the safeguarding holes in some of these schools must be immense.

WaxOnFeckOff · 16/09/2018 22:50

hardly the worst 13yo going

I don't think anyone has said he is?

Personally it's the attitude and pride in it that would annoy me as much as the action itself. And no, you don't want to discourage them from being honest, but imo he needs knocking down a peg or two. And I have no stick up my arse, I'd just rather I wasn't the parent of someone who thinks it's fine to have adults chasing about after him and his "prank".

BoneyBackJefferson · 16/09/2018 22:51

GunpowderGelatine

Where are you working that you don't have registers?

RedDwarves · 16/09/2018 22:52

This is brilliant.

GunpowderGelatine · 16/09/2018 22:52

BBJ I'm not actually a teacher so it wouldn't be in my remit to understand the ins and outs but I know how the system work. If it's a form group where there's 30 pupils I doubt that there's a head count first - you wouldn't miss one child out of 30 not saying 'here miss'. And it would be even easier for subject teachers to miss it. Like a PP said schools are very well equipped to safeguard their pupils, not random pranksters who wander into the school!

Girlwiththearabstrap · 16/09/2018 22:55

I'm not shocked and appalled or anything, but I'll admit to not really getting why it's hilarious? Its just a prank, kids do stuff like this all the time! I also don't get all the talk of the school not knowing what to do. If a random kid appeared in my department I'd look up the name on our regi database whilst I was doing the register. When I couldn't find them anywhere I'd contact the office who would ask for parent/guardian details. If they couldn't give any they'd be sent to welfare or pastoral care and the child protection officer would probably get involved as we'd wonder who the unidentified child was. No flapping or panicking or assigning random classes... but mildly irritating for a few people who have had their time wasted.

as for what you do, I don't know really. I probably wouldn't do anything and just admit that I wasn't really bothered by it!

GunpowderGelatine · 16/09/2018 22:55

BBJ not all subject teachers in my school have electronic registers (sorry I can see how that's confusing) so they use paper ones and log it later when they get access to a PC.

Biscuitsneeded · 16/09/2018 22:59

Boneyback , unless you've ever been a teacher you might think that way. But if a child is brand new and it's a sudden move due to family upheaval or worse, the child might be in lessons well before the office staff have got him added to all the class lists. You've got 30 kids in a room and you need to crack on with your lesson, not be making a poor new arrival feel bad because their name isn't on your register while the other 30 kids in the room start climbing the walls and misbehavingvwaiting for the lesson to start. I have had kids show up who have moved away from a violent parent, or been put into care, or a different type of care. As a teacher you have to tread carefully. You can't be asking them for home address, previous school etc because you don't know why they have arrived so suddenly.

Member869894 · 16/09/2018 22:59

I don't know why it's as funny as it is but it is - I think your son will go far

BoneyBackJefferson · 16/09/2018 23:01

Like a PP said schools are very well equipped to safeguard their pupils, not random pranksters who wander into the school!

Not if they let a random prankster in to the school. Your statement contradicts itself.

I'm not actually a teacher so it wouldn't be in my remit to understand the ins and outs but I know how the system work.

You may know how the system worked but not now.

If it's a form group where there's 30 pupils I doubt that there's a head count first - you wouldn't miss one child out of 30 not saying 'here miss'.

I know all the pupils in my form group, I would know if someone just rocked up, especially if I was giving out first day paperwork.

There is a posibility that this happened. But if it did it wasn't in the way that the OP's son is describing it.

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