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Original poster

Letter for being late at school

118 replies

MsMarshmallow · 07/05/2014 22:26

Little one brought a letter home from school today. Apparently she has been late 10 times since the beginning of the school year (Code - L: late arrival before the register has closed) and now they are asking for the reasons.

To be honest, there is no especial reason! Most of the days we just missed the gate for a couple of minutes because [insert reason here]. Maybe one day she was crying because X or I had to stop to tie up my shoe lace or we forgot her book bag and had to go back... who knows! FGS we are talking about being 2-minutes-late! Oh yes, the rest of the days we were on time, phew! ;)

Anyway, what I would like to know is: is this a normal procedure? What will happen if I don't reply to them? And what otherwise, should I make up the reasons for each day (since I don't remember)?

Thanks for reading and for your advice, if you have any.

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pointythings · 07/05/2014 22:34

It sounds pretty normal to me, and 10 times is a lot. It really is. It disrupts the start of the day when people are late. I wouldn't make up reasons, I'd write in saying that you will do better from now on. And then I'd do it - leave earlier, set book bag by the door so it can't be forgotten, that sort of thing. Just give yourself some wiggle room for when things go a bit wrong, it isn't rocket science.

evertonmint · 07/05/2014 22:35

Sorry but being late 10 times with mo solid reason is ridiculous. I can't believe you're so blasé about it.

Always drives me insane at school when it's the same few parents rushing in late when 95% of parents manage to get their DCs there on time every day.

You should take the school's request seriously, answer as beat you can and start leaving home 5 or 10 mins earlier to account for tantrums, dawdling, forgotten bags etc like most of the rest of us manage to do.

Original poster
MsMarshmallow · 07/05/2014 22:35

2 minutes late. That means we were there at 8:57. I can imagine that is a great disrupt of everyone's day. :S

OP posts:
pointythings · 07/05/2014 22:38

If you are arriving after register has been taken then yes, you are disrupting the start of the day. Most people manage to get their children to school on time. Don't minimise it, deal with it. You know what the school's timetable is, it is up to you to adapt to it.

evertonmint · 07/05/2014 22:38

Well if you don't give a toss about being late, there's not much we can do to help is there?

Why is it ok to be late for school? What would be the cut off of unacceptability for you? 3 minutes, 4 minutes, 30 minutes?

Original poster
MsMarshmallow · 07/05/2014 22:38

Sorry pointy, did you read my post? Code - L: late arrival before the register has closed

OP posts:
drLu · 07/05/2014 22:39

Leave 2 mins earlier then? It matters being late - regardless of by how much or how little.

Original poster
MsMarshmallow · 07/05/2014 22:39

what I want to know is what can the school do if I don't get back to them. Thanks.

OP posts:
5yearsandcounting · 07/05/2014 22:39

You're missing the point. The vast majority of parents get their DC to school on time. Why can't you?

RandomMess · 07/05/2014 22:40

It really is!!!

That means they are arriving after the bell has gone, after everyone else has gone in, sat down and the register has been taken Confused

How difficult is it to be there before the bell goes?

Zingy123 · 07/05/2014 22:41

If it carries on they will contact the education welfare officer who will contact you.

SoFetch · 07/05/2014 22:42

I think they can fine you.

Apologise, leave 2 mins earlier, and you can move on from the letter.

Sallyingforth · 07/05/2014 22:43

Yes it's only two minutes late, not much at all.
Two minutes is nothing.
So it won't hurt you to get ready just two minutes sooner will it?

Original poster
MsMarshmallow · 07/05/2014 22:43

Yes, £60 fine, I read it here too www.parentdish.co.uk/2014/01/23/late-for-school-parents-could-be-facing-a-60-fine/

Thanks.

OP posts:
Forgettable · 07/05/2014 22:44

Hec wrote out a thing a while back about getting to a place by a certain time iirc

it went something like this:
Work timings back from the end point
so - need to be at school for 8.50 means out of the door at 8.30. Which means breakfast, teeth clean, shoes on, bags picked up starts at 8.00. Which means up at 7.30 to wash, dress and put book bag by door.

Chunk it down and stick to it

IwishIwasmoreorganised · 07/05/2014 22:44

School may not be able to do any more about your repeated lateness, but you can.

So your dc is 2 minutes late, johnny has arrived a minute before and Nancy arrives 30 seconds later. That's all happening while the teacher is trying to take the register. 3 disruptions. Why should the teacher out up with that? They shouldn't.

If you're 2 minute late get more organised. Shoes and all bags for the day by the door and leave 5 minutes (minimum) earlier than you are at the moment.

You have to take responsibility for this. It's not on to keep being late.

evertonmint · 07/05/2014 22:44

If we say the school can do nothing, which seems to be what you want to know, I assume you will just carry on being late then as there are you no consequences. I don't know the answer but I actually hope (though doubt) it is a bloody big fine.

Parents like you drive me insane! If you can't stick to the school rules, you should be home educating, not just shrugging your shoulders.

sonlypuppyfat · 07/05/2014 22:44

Here's an idea set your alarm 5 minutes earlier!! Wow problem solved no need to thank me.

Wolfiefan · 07/05/2014 22:45

The letter ought to read "your child being late so often is disrupting the rest of the class. Please sort your life out and make an effort to get here on time FFS."
That's what they really mean!

LemonBreeland · 07/05/2014 22:49

I'm also surprised at your blase attitude to this. There is supervision in our school playground from 8:45 am. My children will always be there by then. That is because we live 10 miles away, so allows for most eventualities on the road, and it also gives them time to play with their friends before school starts.

I could never leave it that late. I would be stressed and my DC would be incredibly upset at being late.

steppemum · 07/05/2014 22:52

Marshmallow - the 'before the register has closed usually means this:

eg school starts at 8:40, registration has to be done in the classroom and fed back to office computer by 8:55. Registration is done in class when children come in, ie 8:40, and the class then begin their first lesson. Anyone who arrives in that 15 minutes between 8:40 and 8:55 is code L.
Once the 15 minutes is up, registration is closed. If you arrive after that time, you are marked (in terms of official attendance) as absent for that session.
This if is the Ofsted/legal/whatever version of what it means.

So if you are there before the registration has closed, it just means you were between 1 and 15 minutes late
(I may have it wrong, it may only be 10 minutes)

If all the children trickle in over the first 15 minutes it basically delays the start of the day by 15 minutes every day. That is 1 hour and 15 minutes less teaching time per week. It really does start to add up, and the ones who were there on time miss that time as well, as the lesson can't properly get under way with a trickle of children all coming in the door.

They will probably continue to ask if you don't do anything, and if you continue to be late, they will ask you to come in, explain why it matters and help you think of ways of being there on time. Eventually (and I have no idea how far down the line this is, or how late you have to be how often) eventually they will ask the EWO from the council to visit you.

LiberalLibertine · 07/05/2014 22:53

It really is less stressful to just be a bit more organised, and I'm speaking as a natural born 'leave it till the last minuiter'

There's a saying that goes... 5 minutes at night saves 10 in the morning...and it does seem to be true.

It is up to you to sort it out though, YABU Grin

JWIM · 07/05/2014 22:54

What will happen, most likely, is that your child will increasingly notice that they are late, will be anxious when entering the classroom with head down - not the best start to their day.

School may well continue to monitor arrival times and you may be invited to discuss how school might help to ensure your DC arrives on time.

You, at this stage, can determine whether or not you leave sufficient time to allow for any delays.

Our school has been following up with late arrivers, gently but persistantly and I have seen lateness habits (of several years standing) changed.

Gileswithachainsaw · 07/05/2014 22:57

Put book bag by door.

Do a double knot.
It's summer uniform time what takes so long to put a dress on?

Set alarm five mins earlier

Problem solved

WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes · 07/05/2014 22:57

They are asking for the reasons not because they want to know them but in order to get you to take a look at the reasons yourself and hopefully do something about them. Or, to find out if there are genuine difficulties (eg two children to drop at different schools, disability, unreliable public transport etc). Do you have a very long or difficult journey?

Really, you must be cutting it very fine if stopping to tie a shoe lace is making you late. Is there any good reason why you couldn't leave 10 mins earlier to give yourself contingency time? We leave by 8.35 at the absolute latest for a 5-6 min walk to drop off by 8.50, never been late in 6 years at the school, but appreciate that the short distance helps.