Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

lateness at school

46 replies

sereka · 02/08/2010 15:45

My daughter is due to start reception in september.

The school is a train ride away and in another borough. I just read their prospectus and see that they take coming in late very seriously even reporting you to social services, but i guess that would be in extreme circumstances.

I thnik I am cursed where late is concerned, but i will try my best to be on time everyday as kids are very unsettled if they arrive late to class.

Doesnt it seem OTT though that they would send your name to the authorities just for being late .

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Goblinchild · 03/08/2010 10:21

Much further down the line, when my daughter went to college several of the students were caught unawares.
They were used to sanctions, detentions and the like. They didn't fully understand that if they were late on a regular basis, the college just wouldn't let them come back.
Splat went their A level chances.

Original poster

sereka · 03/08/2010 12:28

Thanks for all your input guys....

I choose the schol as we were living close at the time then had to move away for personal reasons. I am trying to get a flat much closer to the school in due course.

I am not laid back when it comes to issues of lateness.. far from it to be honest just thought it a bit extreme to involve social services.

My DD and i will be fine. She attended a nursery attached to a private school and i was only late 2 mornings for the whole school year and one was because i had to take her to the doctors.

OP posts:

BollockBrain · 03/08/2010 13:13

no, not proud at all. Just persistently late.

montmartre · 03/08/2010 13:18

Why? Seriously, how can you let that happen?
I am trying not to judge, I'm sorry, but I don't understand how this can be.

BollockBrain · 03/08/2010 13:19

wh ome?

BollockBrain · 03/08/2010 13:19

who me?

montmartre · 03/08/2010 13:31

Yes- if you're late everyday, surely you can adapt your routine?

BollockBrain · 03/08/2010 13:59

I do try, and it's not as if I am having a lie in. Far from it, up by 6 getting everyone sorted and off in their different directions, then a car journey to school. It doesn't seem to matter what time i leave or intend leaving, there is some sort of delay, or traffic, or parking etc.

It is not that I mean to be late and certainly not proud of it.

Just reading somewhere higher up the thread about OFSTED not liking schools with lateness, and wonder if this is why i do not get that many 'lates' on the school report? Perhaps they daren't have too many?

sayithowitis · 03/08/2010 22:05

In our school, registration is at 8.55 and lessons begin promptly at 9 am. Every class in school does guided reading at that time, so, if a child is persistently late, even by just those few minutes, it does have an impact on their learning and on the learning of the rest of their group. Once in a blue moon is one thing, but to be persistently late is very unfair to your own children and the others on their class.

Ineedsomesleep · 03/08/2010 22:09

I'm usually late for everything but make a real effort with school, just for DS sake really.

You do see people though who turn up late every single day for no apparent reason. Obviously they may have problems at home but one is a Mum who jsut admits she doesn't like to talk to anyone on the playground. Her poor lad is left with the teacher every afternoon until the Mum turns up. FFS.

ShoshanaBlue · 03/08/2010 23:05

We are in a similar position and after 2 years of school, we've only been late once.

Oddly enough the only pupils that are in trouble over persistent lateness are ones that live about 2 minutes walk away from the school.

Malaleuca · 04/08/2010 00:22

We had a child who rgularly turned up even later than our relaxed entry permitted. He arrived either during or just after a whole class teaching session.

He did not know what to do so sometimes he cried, other times he became disruptive, demanding to know what to do immediately. Explaining the activity in a cursory manner separately was the best I could do( and something of a nuisance), and clearly, he missed the full lesson where the other children had had the opportunity to contribute and ask questions.

Some parents think this is ok.

Malaleuca · 04/08/2010 00:24

I have to add, his parent did not think it was ok and after a few weeks she changed his appointment which was making him late.

mrz · 04/08/2010 13:17

I've had a child in my class this year who rarely made it on time for my input, even on a number of occasions arriving just in time for lunch. Reason ? according to mum - he wouldn't get ready according to him - mum wouldn't get out of bed The bottom line is lateness like absenteeism has an impact on your child's education.

spanieleyes · 04/08/2010 15:56

We have a similar little chap in Reception, he is very rarely here before playtime, as "Mum doesn't like to diusturb him in a morning" overlooking the fact that apparently he doesn't go to bed until 11 pm as "he likes to stay up"]. I appreciate that the circumstances are different for you, but the effect will be the same, he is well behind the rest of his peers and will continue to be so.

BollockBrain · 04/08/2010 17:36

oh bloody hell @ last 2 posters, i am certainly not that bad, in making it in for break time or just before lunch!

chocolateorange · 04/08/2010 18:31

bb, how come you're persistently, say for arguments sake, 10 mins late? If you can get there at 9.05am every morning, why can't you put your clocks forward 10 mins so you then get there on time?

I genuinely don't get it. Mother at dds school is always 'just' late. Makes me wonder why the hell, for the sake of 10 mins, can't she always be on time.

Soups · 04/08/2010 19:24

I think passing on details after a certain number of lates to the council is pretty standard, know it is around here. Whatever school your child is at, If you hit the magic number you receive a formulaic letter.
They wag their finger and offer advice on how not to be late.

I know because I've received one despite living less than a 5 in walk from the school . I have 2 primary school children at different schools several miles apart, that both started at the same time. With the best will in the world, arrangements with friends it was impossible for me not to be late fairly frequently. I spent last year alternating which school I pissed off!

montmartre · 04/08/2010 22:47

We have a 40 minute journey to school, but I can count on one hand the number of times we were late last year (and 3 of those were because of major RTAs). If I was late every day getting up at 6, I would be getting up at 5:30.

I just don't understand how you can personally accept being late every single day. BB- if/when you worked, were you late to work too?

Soups- that is a horrible situation to be in, and a big problem in our LEA where school places are so difficult to get that many families are struggling with this. I know of a family who arrived halfway through the school year, who have children at schools 3 miles apart... just impossible really.

BollockBrain · 05/08/2010 08:01

MM - nope never late for work. You do seem to be taking this personally about by lateness.

Do I know you? Are you a teacher at our school?

montmartre · 06/08/2010 11:23

not taking it personally! I am just fascinated by the detail of other people's lives... particularly when they seem so different from my own, and mn is great for that

Flip

1 2