To be late for school once a week?

[Latelateshowz]

(Writing this from DC POV.)

I am in year 13 at school. My school’s late policy is that you can be late once a week without any penalty. If you get two lates you get put on a report and have to turn up early for 2 weeks.

I don’t see the point of getting in on time just to sit around in form time or to go to an assembly. So I choose to make the most of the system that is in place and deliberately go in late once a week.

In case it is relevant, I have the second highest voluntary service hours in the school (this is for things like helping younger students, doing clubs etc) and I am predicted the highest grades. I’ve never had any detentions for behaviour etc.

My form tutor mentioned my punctuality in a recent parents meeting and my parents think I should just be on time. My view is that I am just making the most of the system the school has set up.

YABU: get yourself to school on time
YANBU: fair enough, be late if you want

Punctuality is showing good manners and the willingness to abide by a reasonable rule. So you want to take advantage of the leniency in allowing one late attendance a week? Well, I should imagine this facility was to prevent pupils who were late due to unforeseen circumstances from being penalised - it's not there to enable you to go in late because it suits you. If every pupil adopted your approach, this facility would probably be removed. You aren't being a rebel, you aren't showing intelligence and initiative by doing this. You make yourself sound selfish and entitled.

Yabu to choose to be late when you don't have to be. If you was late to work once a week without good reason they'd not be impressed so treat school the same way. It's good that your behaviour is good and that you are set to get good exam results but ultimately you'd not get away with being deliberately late in the adult workforce so don't do it now. Lateness should only happen if something happens that you genuinely cannot help/control.

DC isn’t hanging round on street corners. The school also obviously has a signing in system so the school is aware at all times of who is and isn’t on site.

My DD is regularly late, but only by 5 minutes or so… if she missed the whole of tutor they actually get marked out for the whole morning. If they go in after tutor it gets marked as authorised absense so affects attendance score.
It is a silly rule for your child’s school to have… they need to say they have to be on time everyday, (exceptions always apply for certain medical conditions etc anyway, so your DC isn’t ‘ruining it for everyone’ at all!
This is an issue school need to deal with tbh, if you leave for work before DC gets up then there isn’t much you can do, school need to change their policy!

Honestly, the school should expect this to happen if they set things up that way. They need to have a better way of dealing with persistent lateness that doesn’t give everyone a free day each week,

shows poor work ethic and lack of team work if you turned up to work late one day a week because you felt like it you would not last to long in a job regardless of your precieved credentials

In 2018 my husband (48) was made redundant - he found work quickly but was often turned down for younger workers. The industry he is in slowed down and was made redundant yet again in 2024. He was 51 - people were calling left and right for him. 3 - yes 3 employers said they are desperate for experience and are sick to death of younger employees- they do the absolute minimal and work to suit themselves.

So, corporations are proactively avoiding people that cut corners and do what’s asked an no more. However, I think it’s the way forward, why should we do extra for free? I love the mentally of the younger generations and hope you change things but it can be at your disadvantage is what I’m trying to say. Surely you want a glowing reference for uni?

Oh, and you're needlessly nasty and opinionated, as well as passively (at least) encouraging bad behaviour and rule breaking in your DC.....

The student does lots of volunteer work, has a weekend job, has really good grades and already has the glowing reference for uni. But people aren't getting pissy about the student bunking off one assembly per week because they are genuinely concerned for this young person's prospects - it is, indeed, quite the opposite.