To tell my DD's school she isn't doing a detention for this?

[Krank]

My daughter leaves for school every day at 7.30am to get the bus to school. Today unfortunetly the bus was late, and she ended up being 10 minutes late. They've given her a 30 minute detention for tommorow. I am going to phone her school tommorow, and have a calm word, apparently even her tutor thinks its stupid!

AIBU?

I can completely sympathise, when I had kids at school not that long ago in London we had a year of difficult public transport issues and very early starts for DD and the school had to be flexible about it because there was nothing she could do. She walked sometimes despite it being really too far and a heavy bag on her tiny back but she was so stressed about getting there on time. We didn’t have a car but it wouldn’t have made a difference as it was an issue with the bridge. Such a pain. Call and discuss it.

If she'd normally be there 20 minutes early and the bus was only 10 minutes late where did she lose the other 10? Was there traffic?

Local high school gives detention for three tardies in the same semester. If you keep on being late despite detention they start investigating why (pastoral intervention).

This used to happen to me sometimes. I lived over 5 miles away from the school and there was only one bus an hour, so getting an earlier one wasn't an option.

YANBU

It was most likely a routine detention.
When you sign in late it automatically registers a detention.

But definitely have a word with school.
If this isn’t a common thing and others were also late then I’m sure they’ll cancel it.

I’m a teacher and have been late myself due to traffic or my car breaking down etc it can’t always be helped.

If this is likely to be a reoccurring issue, you need to encourage her to either contact the school herself or contact you to inform school before she is late.

I'm sure teachers have heard 'the bus was late' many a time. It is always better IMO if they are told beforehand.

she ended up being 10 mins late not the bus

@MossGrowsFat duh yeah of course 🤦🏼‍♀️ thank you!

I agree with your first point - definitely no detention.

But there's a limit to how many earlier buses you can expect a child (or indeed employee) to get. 20 minutes should be enough time. Presumably she's only late for registration and not actual lessons.

I also wouldn't be hoping they let her off, I would be very clear that she is not doing a detention for something that is outwith her control.

Does the pastoral intervention include sorting out the bus company?

Bus services are increasingly shit, so no.

Son missed his bus home yesterday and was an hour late as there was a false fire alarm last period and they were all delayed leaving. Can I put the headmaster in detention?

YANBU. Speak to the school, it's not on and not the children fault at all. It happens here a lot too, school have stopped punishing the children for lateness.

my children (4) all went to schools (4 different ones) that relied on non school busses. If the bus was late no detention.

Absolutely speak to the school in this instance. DD2 once got a detention for being late because the driver of the school minibus overslept.......

Buses are a nightmare in our area at the moment. There is only one bus that gets DS to school on time, and it has been cancelled twice already since term started, meaning DS has arrived 20 minutes late (bus would normally get them in 15 minutes early)

Fortunately the school are aware of the bus problem locally and have already made it clear that in the event of the bus being cancelled delayed, pupils will not be penalised for being late to school. Your DD's school is being unreasonable.

Are there other pupils that take the bus with your DD?

Yes there’s been a train strike today so extra pressure on buses

I think the bus was half hour late?

Her dd was 10 minutes late rather than 20 minutes early?

And yes OP I'd ring.

You want to put the headteacher in for a detention for ensuring all children are safe and out of a building that is potentially on fire.

You need to get a grip.

If it is a route which has electronic indicator boards she could perhaps in future take a photo when it is delayed. Or somehow track her journey so it is clear that the bus was at fault. Sometimes school like solid evidence to justify the lateness.

Yanbu.
My dds get a bus to school. They leave the house before 7am as sometimes the bus is full and they’re not allowed on, it’s a public bus.
I’d be cross for that too.

Buses are bastards. They turn up late, get cancelled without notice... it's hard when you have to rely on them.

Normally I'd say 'Don't interfere with school discipline' but this is something they need to know about and take into account. Put in writing to tutor, head of house/year, leader in charge of pastoral care, everyone they've got who might vaguely be useful. An accommodation needs to be made for your child who is already doing her best to be at school on time.

We have the life 360 app so if needs be can prove when she left etc.

I've emailed her tutor.

The same happened to my daughter, I sent in an email and they still gave her a detention 🙄

I've told her to just walk out of school as normal.

It's not a school bus, its public transport. There is no school bus here.

We have the same issue. DC gets the bus at 7.40. It's a 20 minute journey + 10 min walk. There are 3 buses an hour. School starts at 9, so theoretically they could get the next (later) bus, but they're unreliable. I would absolutely refuse a detention on the grounds of lateness when the bus was to blame.