Given detention for lateness on tube strike day

[Longingdreamer]

My child was given a detention today, despite there being a tube strike in London, which has caused travel chaos. They early but were apparently still late: roads are almost at a standstill it seems.

They get very upset by detentions, due to underlying neuro diversity.

Aibu to think that the school shouldn't give these on a strike day for minor lateness?

They usually give them, even if a child is only 1 minute late, but it seems wicked when it is out of their control.

I hate schools like this, but sadly more and more are going this way. My DCs school is not an academy, but now has a head who has brought in a zero tolerance approach to things like uniform infringements, with completely disproportionate consequences. It’s not preparing kids for work, it’s causing them to lose respect for adults and “leaders” who behave completely unreasonably.

Everyone I work with has struggled hugely with getting into work this unless they are close enough to walk. It’s been a nightmare. This school should be ashamed of itself.

You have a child who suffers from anxiety, yet you send them to a school you know is incredibly strict about things like lateness- that seems a strange choice, schools like this do not make adjustments for these kinds of problems- it interferes with their results, which interferes with their ranking, you need to find a school with a more appropriate environment for your child, if this is a big issue.

I agree with you op ( wicked perhaps the wrong word) some things are unavoidable, I find schools to be run by little demi gods at times

Op has already said, the school was not her choice. She was allocated it.

Like I already stated, I did not choose this school. I didn't have an option, and had no joy with waiting lists either. I also appealed but it was refused.

I wish I had succeeded in getting an appropriate school place.

If they were really being prepared for adulthood, they probably would have WFH on tube strike day. Your lack of empathy for a parent of an ND child is astounding.

We had a school like yours, they were big and strict but sold us on their capability and experience of helping SEN kids. We ended up taking them to tribunal, and he eventually was moved after a period of Alternative Provision, to a more suitable school. They seemed to say anything to get new pupils through the door. They also said he didn't have any needs, even though he received an ASC diagnosis shortly after starting, but his new school helped us secure an EHCP and he'll hopefully be moving out of school and into EOTAS soon. Some schools are just not helpful at all, and it felt like they were gaslighting us.

I suspect that very few people were given the option to work from home.

Don’t be a nob. It’s impossible to never ever be late. You can leave some contingency time but it won’t always be enough. Sometimes there are extreme circumstances such as in this case. The school should have taken that into account. While it’s important to have discipline and standards, it’s also important to model reasonableness, fairness, empathy and flexibility. Rigidly followed rules often lead to unfairness, as in this case.

Exactly. I left contingency time on Monday and was still 10 minutes late. Since then have increased the contingency time and been about half an hour early each day - so my employer is overall 50 minutes ahead, and because they were reasonable on the first day I don't mind them 'being ahead'.

If they had made an issue of 10 minutes the first day I might resent those 50 minutes. As it is, I am very happy with the situation, a bit of give and take makes for a far more positive result for everyone.

Irritatingly on Monday, DD was supposed to leave contingency time on Monday, but didn't because she left everything to the last minute and then still faffed around. Her journey was almost unaffected, and she was on time for College... 😡

It was really just down to luck, especially the first day when it was impossible to predict the impact.

Even 35 years ago in Greater Manchester the roads could be gridlocked in the morning. Most kids went on the school buses. If the school buses were late we never got detention.

HAHAHAHAHA.

If only nearly all schools were not run on exactly the same lines. Parental choice is an illusion.

Actually, for most jobs, it's not a big deal if you're a few minutes late. Detention for occasional lateness is unnecessary source of stress.
Most office workers in London don't even have to come to the office this week.
Not everyone is a surgeon. Don't know about surgeons but I have friends who are GPs or consultants and they are definitely a few minutes late from time to time. 90+% of office workers can be also late coming to the office - important meetings usually don't happen first thing in the morning to allow for latecomers. Similarly, schools could very well make the 15 minutes more relaxed to allow for (occasional delays).

I would tell the school no.
End of.

A colleague of mine left home an hour early and the buses were full at 6.30 am. She was due to start work at 9, and was 30 minutes late.
Everyone saying get up earlier needs to have a think.
I live outside the M25 and felt the effects of extra traffic.

That sucks for you @whoopdeedoo. Just wanted to send good vibes as I've recently had an ankle fracture and know how frustrating it is.

OP YANBU.

My husband forgot his pass again this week, the one that gets him into the college building. I just told him according to this thread he should be put in detention or isolation!

Depending on where he works that would be a formal warning and he wouldn't be allowed in to the building.

But it is good to know how lackadaisical some (most) colleges are about security.

No, he just has to get a temporary pass. A formal warning would be laughable. It was for two days as he has to lodge away from home part of the week.

As I said depending on where he works.

You know that a school failing to make reasonable adjustments for a SEND pupil is against the Equality Act of 2010?

Now I am a bolshy so and so, but I would be making a massive fuss about the failure, going directly to the Head and then to the Local Education Authority. Then the Law. Don't waste time with those who have no authority to make changes. There is no point in having these Laws which protect Disabled Adults and Children against discrimination - and failing to make reasonable adjustments is discrimination - when schools are not challenged for ignoring them.

I fought schools when the Act became Law and have continued to take on discriminatory workplaces since - I would have hoped that by now parents would not still be fighting for their children's rights.

And you choose to take the job knowing the constraints. And in general the constraints are due to the security levels needed on site, so have a valid reasoning behind them.

Unfortunately many people, such as the OP, don't have much choice in the school their child goes to, and cannot afford an alternative e.g. private or home school.

So neither the parent nor the child has chosen the draconian policies. Nor is there a valid reason for schools to be so draconian, consequences for a pattern of absence is reasonable (it's disruptive), but a one in the context of massive travel problems is just something that happens occasionally.

Basin basin

Obviously one of the 17%😂

Thank you. I have quoted this legislation in my email to the head... We will see.

Why do you suspect that?
I had 2 in-person meeting days rescheduled to another time because of the strikes. I did still go into the office for 1 of them but adjusted my working pattern to take account of the slower journey (walking half of it).
I suspect that most office jobs that operate on hybrid model would have done similar. That's a lot of people, not just a few.