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

Would you regularly miss a weekly staff update? It sounds like the young person in question regularly misses assembly which is rude and would be equivalent to staff not bothering to turn up to a staff update or meeting.

Have you considered a career in the Civil Service? Looks like you’d fit in admirably! 😀

If a person needs “more time in bed” then they can go to bed earlier, so getting their extra bed time without inconveniencing other people. Because someone coming in late to school does unconvenience other people, for example the person has to be registered at reception or they may miss important announcements or information.

Just because you think you are more entitled to special treatment than everyone else doesn’t mean you are.

It is a bit rude.

The issue really isn't what op thinks of it; it's the fact the tutor has raised it.

None of us can dictate what the school feel about it, and they provide the UCAS report so I'd be playing safe.

Should’ve gone to college if they didn’t want to follow school rules any more. The policy is there to cut students some slack if they’re running late. It’s not there for students to take the piss. Turning up late is disruptive to everyone else. It doesn’t matter how much homework is done and how great expected grades are, regularly turning up late is rude and gives a very bad impression, which has been pointed out at parent’s evening. When it comes to references will this student be happy if the school includes continual lateness?

Bit young to be turning into a jobsworth!
Go on time. Being late is not respecting someone else’s time, and cause unnecessary headaches in this case and wasting adults time having to deal with it/ talk about it.
its immature, but perhaps you are just immature for your age.

Read about teenager circadian rhythms. Its not necessarily to do with going to bed earlier.

Why are you encouraging this? I'd drag mine into school in my pyjamas to embarrass them if they pulled this with me. Do as you're told.

Dear teenager

What do you think would happen if everyone at your school did the same? Or does that not matter because you’re so special?

If you want to spend your life peeing everyone off by pushing everything to the absolute limit of what is allowed, just to make a point or because it suits you better, feel free. See how far it gets you in the real world and whether people will respect you for it or just think you’re an immature idiot.

40+ years ago, I worked in a pub five nights a week and setup a market stall two mornings a week - that was the only money I got for anything beyond food/ housing. My headmaster knew my situation and I went in when I had lessons, with an informal acknowledgment from him; by 6th form I already had a reserved place at Naval College, so was highly motivated and achieving. However, as I moved into the upper 6th, a bunch of kids who then moved up into the lower sixth started to arrive on their bus then hang out in a cafe until lessons started. When challenged they referred to me. The end result was the HM and I had a chat. He couldn’t let me have flexibility, so… nett result was I left before the end of the year and reapplied (successfully) to the Navy based on my O-Level results.
I suspect that at some point the formal privilege in place for everyone will be removed if your child is seen to abuse it and others follow - because why wouldn’t they?

I find that a slightly pointless question, what if everyone did this? This child has, rightly or wrongly, decided there is no benefit to assemblies and missing them causes no issues (this certainly tracks with my memory of school assemblies - important announcements were emailed, the assemblies were just wittering). So presumably this child would think that if everyone missed one a week, it wouldn’t matter. You may disagree, I assume you do, but I don’t see why you think that question would make the child see the situation differently.

My DD could have written this.

Her school allows 5 lates per half term. The 6th, she get an hour’s detention the following Friday. This morning she was leisurely getting herself ready and when I shouted up that she’s going to be late, her response was that she’s skipping assembly today as she’s only on 4 lates and it’s half term soon.

Oh come off it. this isn’t about “ teenage circadian rhythms” , it’s about a rude, snotty kid thinking they are getting one over on the school.

If you can’t see any value to group gatherings other than the giving out of announcements, and can’t see the logistical problems of hundreds of students arriving at school and having to be registered there at different times, nothing I can say will persuade you.

If I asked mine that they would be fine with everyone doing it.

They are still immature idiots sometimes. Lots of teens are.

Realistically how do you drag an 18 yr old bigger than you though?

You come off it! There’s just no need to resort to insults. You’re free to disagree with the OPs position on this but does this really sound like a ‘rude, snotty kid’ to you?

“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.”

I never went to sixth form tutor group.
No one batted an eyelid as my grades weren't affected by me missing half an hour of sitting about doing nothing.
I think your daughter's attitude shows great judgement.

I’d hate my kids to pick up that attitude. Doesn’t bode well for life being willing to do the minimum to get by. I particularly hate lateness.

Sorry if you think I was insulting you. I was probably raising my eyebrows a bit higher than normal at the idea that a teen managed to deal perfectly well with their “ teenage circadian rhythm” issues on four days of the school week and one day of the weekend, but once a week had a relapse.

And who knows why the child is doing all the voluntary stuff with younger children and keeping up with their grades, perhaps they are a child who knows which side their personal statement bread is buttered, but also wants to sneak a bit of jam on there once a week , not because they particularly like jam but because the jam is free and the best thing is you can leave the sticky jam spoon out for someone else to wash and put away.

Mine just had a system to sign in office if they missed registration so it didn’t inconvenience anyone.
I’m usually a people pleaser and go to stuff but I couldn’t think of any reason for her to go to ‘Applying to uni’ first thing Tuesday when she’d already submitted her application to uni as a handful who did early entry. They weren’t permitted to do class work in the time. I honestly couldn’t think of a decent argument why she should go to the class.

I guess if see the reason to get to school on time is to value your education and your relationship with your teachers, and therefore not to be a pita to them!

Only sticking to rules because of a fear of punishment is quite an immature stance, and if a teen was still in this mindset I'd assume they needed their parent to be more hands on in getting them up and taking them to school, like you would for a younger child.

I think the value of good will shouldn't be underestimated. If you do your part by trying to be a part of a community, generally you will have more allowances made in other ways. Ultimately, you get out what you put in at school.

The child is year 13, old enough to make his choices regarding this...

Accepting that sometimes in life you have to follow rules that you don’t necessarily agree with is part of being a functioning adult. It reflects badly on you to be gaming the system to your advantage, and makes you seem quite arrogant (as if the rules are below you). Doesn’t bode well for the future world of work, imo.

The same way my own Mum did with her five boys when they were trying their luck