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Original poster

After school detention every time they're late...

136 replies

OhBitchPeas · 09/01/2023 08:21

Is that usual for secondary schools? If you're 2 mins or 2 hours late it's an after school detention every time.

Is that the usual? If

OP posts:
Notsa · 09/01/2023 20:41

My daughter's school gave them out for anything and everything. I refused for my daughter to do after school. It is not safe. They didn't challenge me on it.

Detentions for everything except bullying. That they couldn't give two shits about.

Needless to say none of my other children went to that school.

lbnblbnb · 09/01/2023 20:41

This reply has been withdrawn

Withdrawn at poster's request

LimeCheesecake · 09/01/2023 20:42

@Westernesse - when our dc started secondary, part of the welcome pack when we were asked to accept our offered place included the discipline policy and we were asked to sign something to say we’d read it and we agreed to send our dc to that school. (It isn’t a comp so slightly different).

when we looked round schools, we were told about discipline policies and guided to where they were on the school website. I really like that way of making sure everyone knows where they stand and what you agree to in advance.

for my dcs school, lateness without reasonable excuse (reasonable ones are like train didn’t move or bus was late etc) that will be a loss of part of break/lunch, for after school detentions, they get a warning and after 3 warnings in a week, a detention. The parent gets an email about each warning.

lbnblbnb · 09/01/2023 20:43

This reply has been withdrawn

Withdrawn at poster's request

Notsa · 09/01/2023 20:47

My daughter's school gave them out for anything and everything. I refused for my daughter to do after school. It is not safe. They didn't challenge me on it.

Detentions for everything except bullying. That they couldn't give two shits about...

Kennykenkencat · 09/01/2023 20:49

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Kennykenkencat · 09/01/2023 20:53

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Kennykenkencat · 09/01/2023 20:54

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Kennykenkencat · 09/01/2023 20:55

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lbnblbnb · 09/01/2023 20:55

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Avrenim · 09/01/2023 20:57

I'm guessing the school isn't in the north west where the local transport companies seem to just make up the timetable as they go along and it isn't unheard of for a journey of 4 to 6 miles to take more than 2 hours by public transport....

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 09/01/2023 20:58

Pterrydactyl · 09/01/2023 20:17

This is tragic. And this sort of scenario is one thing that worries me about potential after school detentions at my DC’s secondary school.

There’s a lot of pupils who get school buses in from outlying villages.
There are “late” buses for the outlying villages, that the school provides for pupils participating in after school clubs, but school policy is that pupils doing after school detentions aren’t allowed to use these late buses.

Which you’d surely think is a safeguarding issue, as the pupils on the school buses to these villages are typically coming in from 3+ miles away, on routes that are along roads with 60mph speed limits and partly without pavements. And public transport isn’t great round here either.

We have a car, so it’s not so much of a safety issue for us in the event of our DC getting detentions, but not everyone has access to a car.

Show quote history

This is horrendous, I’m so sorry.

I do agree there are all kinds of reasons why lunchtime if anything makes more sense.

Kennykenkencat · 09/01/2023 21:02

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Kennykenkencat · 09/01/2023 21:09

Sorry no idea what happened I have reported the multiple postings

Westernesse · 09/01/2023 21:10

lbnblbnb · 09/01/2023 20:38

@PollyEsther
No, lateness would lead to warnings etc and then potentially sacking.
School is an incredibly protected environment trying to prepare them for the real world.

I'll say it again: the vast majority of secondary kids get to school on time, day after day after day.
I agree with reasonable adjustments if there is a genuine issue,
If it is a case of just can't get organised to get there on time, make a choice: get better organised, or do the detention.

It isn't imposed, it is a choice. If you don't want to do the detention - get there on time. Like most students do.

No.

WyfOfBathe · 09/01/2023 21:21

At the school where I teach, arriving after morning registration (so 15+ mins late) is an automatic detention. Arriving late but still during morning registration earns a demerit point, and 3 demerit points gets a detention.

Personally, I only give demerits for lateness if I've already finished the register, so that gives a couple of minutes' leeway.

Columbina · 09/01/2023 22:13

Fondly remembering my school days when my sixth form teacher used to mark me present at morning register as he "knew I'd turn up eventually" 😁

Westernesse · 09/01/2023 22:25

LimeCheesecake · 09/01/2023 20:42

@Westernesse - when our dc started secondary, part of the welcome pack when we were asked to accept our offered place included the discipline policy and we were asked to sign something to say we’d read it and we agreed to send our dc to that school. (It isn’t a comp so slightly different).

when we looked round schools, we were told about discipline policies and guided to where they were on the school website. I really like that way of making sure everyone knows where they stand and what you agree to in advance.

for my dcs school, lateness without reasonable excuse (reasonable ones are like train didn’t move or bus was late etc) that will be a loss of part of break/lunch, for after school detentions, they get a warning and after 3 warnings in a week, a detention. The parent gets an email about each warning.

Tough. School policies such as detention cannot be enforced lawfully. They anre dangerous, mean spirited and harmful. They will not be applied to my children by any school.

lbnblbnb · 09/01/2023 22:33

@Westernesse so, do you home school? Or are you happy to accept all the benefits of a school, all the effort that is put into education by the staff, the contributions of other students etc but in effect put two fingers up to the behaviour structures? Having you cake and eating it comes to mind.

Westernesse · 09/01/2023 22:38

lbnblbnb · 09/01/2023 22:33

@Westernesse so, do you home school? Or are you happy to accept all the benefits of a school, all the effort that is put into education by the staff, the contributions of other students etc but in effect put two fingers up to the behaviour structures? Having you cake and eating it comes to mind.

I’m happy to accept all the benefits of a school, all the effort that is put into education by the staff, the contributions of other students etc but in effect put two fingers up to the behaviour structures if the behaviour structures are stupid. Yes, you are correct.

I pay for schools through taxation. Always have and always will after my kids have left school far behind. And I am happy to do it. That’s my contribution and, in return, the school in my local authority catchment area are legally obliged to educate my children.

if the school has a stupid, dangerous, harmful policy such as detention then yes, two fingers will be stuck up and the policy will not be applied to my children.

echt · 09/01/2023 22:54

If the school has a stupid, dangerous, harmful policy such as detention then yes, two fingers will be stuck up and the policy will not be applied to my children

In what ways is detention stupid, harmful and dangerous? You haven't made any arguments.

lbnblbnb · 09/01/2023 22:55

@Westernesse I am genuinely interested in what research you have found that shows detentions are harmful? It seems such an extreme reaction

Itisbetter · 09/01/2023 23:00

Not normal here at all. My children are late several times a term and have never been in detention.

Westernesse · 09/01/2023 23:06

echt · 09/01/2023 22:54

If the school has a stupid, dangerous, harmful policy such as detention then yes, two fingers will be stuck up and the policy will not be applied to my children

In what ways is detention stupid, harmful and dangerous? You haven't made any arguments.

There have been plenty of arguments made on the thread which align with my view so there is no need for me to do so. Have you ignored those?

Westernesse · 09/01/2023 23:09

lbnblbnb · 09/01/2023 22:55

@Westernesse I am genuinely interested in what research you have found that shows detentions are harmful? It seems such an extreme reaction

It prevents children from accessing school transport and they need to make their own way home. Some children have died as a result. In our case there is no public transport to where we live.

and I think I have also mentioned that detaining children is generally frowned upon in most settings and that schools have no legal standing for such policies.