Children who are always late for school

[RoadArt]

OK, I am following on from the holiday in term time post and a valid point that someone has just raised about the message we are portraying to our kids that its ok to take time out of school and how this will affect their mind set when they are older and they will think its ok when they are working.

On this point, I am amazed at the number of parents who allow their children to be late to school, some every day, others maybe once/twice a week. It tends to be the same parents, the same excuses and the children get marked in the late register every day.

Isn't this just as bad? Its disruptive for the teacher/class when a child walks in late, and it teaches the child that its ok to be late, so as they get older, they never meet their friends on time, they get a job but dont arrive on time - because mum said was ok when they were little.

Timekeeping is really important, so why do parents think its ok for their children to be late to school on a regular basis?

There is no excuse for a child to be late for school. Everyone knows the starting time.

mrz as I've explained:

Two children of school age, two schools, can't leave home until first child leaves on LA transport. Second child is late every day, unless my Mother drives to my house, and takes DD2 to school. Mum is fantastic, but I can't expect that of her every day.

Fortunately, her teacher understands that I just can't do anything about it.

But presumably once the road works are completed the transport will be on time

But it gets on my nerves. Seriously. Life is hard enough without people judging. I managed to get DD2 to school on time on a particular day - the bus for DD1 had been about 2 minutes earlier, but that makes a big difference to the journey time for DD2.

A woman I knew from DD1's preschool days saw me and said 'Hi Lougle. So that's why I never see you. I'm on time every day and you're late every day . She had the good grace to look a little sheepish when I said 'well I can't leave until DD1 does, can I? '

The fact is though, that she thought I was either lazy, disorganised, or just couldn't be bothered to get DD2 there on time.

And actually, when you have 3 children under 7, one of whom has significant SN, getting the children ready is a military operation. Getting DD1 dressed; encouraging DD2 to get a move on; helping DD3 with anything she can't quite manage; Writing in DD1's home-school book about whatever incident she has had or what's making her anxious today; two different school systems - to then be judged lazy and disorganised by the smug parents who were able to get their child to school on time, is quite gutting.

It is quite possible that in these financial times, there will be more parents juggling jobs to make ends meet. I think on these threads before, people have explained that one parent has done a night-shift then returns home to take the DC to school, so the other parent can work during the day. The turn-around means that they are a little late.

No, Mrz, it won't. It doesn't work like that.

Every May/June the Local Authority puts the transport contracts out to tender. The various companies compete to fulfil the contract.

Once the tender is decided, the contracts are issued.

The relevant companies then look at the areas they cover, the locations of the children, and decide which children can be 'grouped'. If there are only a few children in a wide area, they tend to pick up from the doorstep. If there are a number of children quite closely grouped, they establish a meeting point.

In late August, Parents get a letter informing them of which company will be contracted, and when/where they will pick up on the first day of term. At that point the parent has no idea how many children will be picked up, etc.

You don't get a choice, you don't get to book a 'slot'. You take what you are given.

DD1's school has 110 children; the vast majority have transport and because they all have SN, their first 'lesson' is to go out in the playground - to expect them to sit down after sitting down for up to an hour on a bus would be highly unrealistic.

The logistics of getting 110 children (many of whom use mobility aids such as Kaye-Walkers, wheelchairs, etc.) into one school at the same time is tricky. The transport can't all arrive at the same time. They do their best, and all staff are allocated between collecting children from transport (one escort can't safely manage 6 children with varying levels of complexity and mobility needs, plus their bags, etc.) and supervising the children within the school.

The upshot is, I don't get to choose a time that's convenient for me, and the driver can't change the route to fit DD1 in at a more convenient time.

On the way home, the driver drops DD1 off last, becasue DD2's school finishes at 3.10pm, so I can't be home in time to receive DD1. It means that DD1 has to sit on a bus for 1hr 10 mins though.

So you are now saying it isn't the road works that are the problem Lougle? Sorry but that was how I read you first response.
We have a parent who has a taxi firm that actually does the runs to the local special school and his wife is a chaperone they drop their daughter off with us just after 8am to get around the problem of lateness.

No, mrz, I am saying that the roadworks have made the difference between 'might just get there on time' and 'will definitely be late.'

DD2's school opens the classroom doors at 8.50. School starts and gates shut (promptly) at 09.00. Parents can come to the playground with their children prior.

I can't drop DD2 off at 8am.

What I was trying to say, in explaining the transport system, was that each and every year we will be at the mercy of the contractor that the LA chooses that year, and the intake of DD1's school. The two combined will determine where she gets picked up, and when she gets picked up.

DD2's school are thankfully understanding, and they know that I get her there as soon as I can, get her bits put away (parents aren't encouraged in the cloakrooms at drop-off routinely) and slip her into carpet time as discreetly as possible.

But, who knows, next year she may be with different children, on a different route, or even with a central pick-up point. The good thing is that it can't get much later than it is.

We open at 8.45 Lougle school starts at 9.00 but have made an exception for this child rather than her education be further damaged by continual lateness (she had lost the equivalent to a year's school at that point)

That's fantastic mrz . But I think that DD2's situation, at this stage, whilst not ideal, doesn't warrant that sort of accomodation.

Would you say it did if she was falling further and further behind her classmates

For 5 minutes per day, when they are confirming lunch arrangements, and the order of the day? Unlikely.

I'm lucky though. DD2 is 4.7, reading well, writing well, spelling well (for her age) She loves school, skips in, skips out, and relates her learning to every day discussions.

If it was avoidable, I would be upset. But after many many apologies to her teacher, the teacher stopped me and said 'DON'T worry. I know you are doing what you can.'

So I won't worry - it's wasted emotion when the situation can't be changed.

In my school we start teaching immediately so even that 5 mins would make a difference

Antevil...Didn't mean to be inflammatory. I was just trying to point out to another poster that a classful of children is not always easy to get out exactly on time. And I would therefore re-inforce to you that you are not a problem,as obviously you care that your children have got everything. I wish more people were like you. It's just that a year 3/4 (i.e. age 7-9 agegroup) class ought to be able to organise themselves well enough, when asked ,to get everything they need for home. There are, of course, exceptions to every rule.

I've been reading a great deal of this thread and would like to shed some light on the matter. I'm frequently late getting my kids to school and here's why; Every day I have to wake my daughter at least FIVE times. I eventually have to bring the consequences. My son will not go downstairs without his piggyback and then goes back to sleep on the couch. Attempting to prevent this insights him to violence. I have several doctors and agencies I am either working with or waiting on to deal with him. Sometimes the situation is exacerbated by the fact that the kids would not go to sleep the night before, and so I got no sleep. I can't get up because when I'm that tired I don't even hear my alarm. Some days I have to do everything for my son while he fights me and then physically force him into the car. He the attempts to beat me up from the back seat. He is not even 6 yet! My daughter is frequently ready ahead of her brother, but will not walk to school without someone. We live close enough for her to walk, but far enough that a kindergardener can't. I know that not everyone has such a problem child, but you may wish to consider that some do, and you don't know which ones. I am at wits end with mine!

Here are some other reasons people are late; www.sheknows.com/living/articles/3677/are-you-always-late-reasons-why-you-might-always-be-running-late

We have been offered a school that is not our closest but is just short of 3 miles by car. By the time we have dropped all the other kids to school it is around 0930 - 0945 when we drop our child to this school. The same applies in reverse, ie we have to pick him up 30-45 mins before normal school closing time as we have to pick up the other children. Now this is a genuine reason for regularly being late !

BTW RoadArt's comments are very narrow - you cannot generalise on a subject like this. There shall be situations that fit into this bracket but there shall be some that do not ! So you may want to revise your "no excuse" one liner.

with reference to ; mrz Tue 03-Apr-12 20:52:42 - did you teach the same subject the whole day every day ??? Agreed the child may have suffered for that particular subject but not for the rest of the subjects to follow for the same day.

My dad was late for everything. As a consequence I am always early. We are frequently the first at the gates. I think late parents often have punctual children. I HATED being late. It's probably the one thing that sticks out over everything else from my childhood.

No AnilGill I don't teach the same subject all day but that doesn't help the child who has missed huge chunks of phonic or number teaching ... they may have been there for PE and Art and ICT but that didn't really help with the reading and writing or maths they hadn't been taught.

One of the teachers made free breakfasts before this week for all the Y6 children and it made everyone smile to see the child who has been late everyday for the past 8 years standing first in the queue

I was going to post on this thread, but then I saw that I already have -two years ago, and under a different name... This is it's second revival!

I had the same thing this week, one of my persistent latecomers was first in for breakfast club every day!

Lougle I don't think five mins late every day is the same as half an hour late everyday. Plus you have an arrangement. I fully support teachers who get frustrated with half hour late every day for no good reason. And later.

No one judges you, and I am sure your friend meant it purely in that you are at school later than her usually it came out wrong. I too suffer from foot in mouth. Don't judge her for that.

Oh didn't see the date!

We are generally on time but occasionally late by 5 mins. I teach my children not to rush and not to be stressed getting to school, it is more important to have a happy, stress free start to the day then a white knuckle ride. If I am a few mins late here and there, it doesn't seem to matter as my boy slips into class seamlessly while things are only starting. He doesn't cause disruption.