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Primary education

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

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Original poster

Being regularly late for school

44 replies

Posey · 01/02/2007 18:11

Following on from the subject of sick days at school, our school is trying to tackle lateness. I don't know how it compares with other schools but I'm always amazed at how many people are wandering along after I've dropped kids off and the bell has rung etc.
I'm not knocking occasional lateness, there are reasons, but every day?
Dd got a certificate at the end of last term (and the end of last school year) for never having a late mark.
Just wondered what other's opinions are on the subject.

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Saturn74 · 01/02/2007 18:15

Persistent lateness must be extremely irritating for the teachers, and embarrassing for the children concerned.
Lots of parents have a lot to do in the mornings, but getting your children to school on time is very important, IMO.

fannyannie · 01/02/2007 18:19

I know at our school a few children are reguarly late because of the school start times - and the times the gates open at the schools.

Our school is Reception-Yr2 - the school up the road is Yr3-6. Lots of parents have to drop chidlren at both schools - so drop the older ones at the school up the road - wait until the gates are opened and then walk down with their youngest - unless the two schools can agree (which they've never managed to do before LOL) on changing the 'gates opening' times to make it easier for parents to drop off then some parents are going to continue being late.

Nixz · 01/02/2007 18:26

Some children at our school are regulary late (almost daily) and when i ask them why they always give a reason like "My mum made me go the shop for ciggies first" or "We slept in"
We have children who the welfare person has to ring up to get the family out of bed!!!!!
Some schools are just pleased to see the children actually AT school me thinks

blossomhill · 01/02/2007 18:28

I think the parents of children who are always late are just damn lazy.
If I can get 2 children to 2 different primary on schools at time then there is no excuse

ItsMeMellowma · 01/02/2007 18:29

I don't think there is any excuse for persistant lateness.

I understand it may be difficult when you have more than 2/3 children but surely not every day...

I mean, buy an alarm clock, get up earlier...our school has to send out little reminders on newsletters that the dc attendance and lateness records are all recorded etc.

No excuse imo.

fannyannie · 01/02/2007 18:30

blossom - how long before the register is taken/bell goes do the gates open at your DC's schools?

fannyannie · 01/02/2007 18:32

oh and do you drive???

DimpledThighs · 01/02/2007 18:32

a friend of mine who is a teacher did phonics first thing in the morning. Parenst who were consistenetly late were told at parents evening that she was concerneed that they could be doing better but they are missing 10 mins of phonics every morning which amounts to almost an hour a week.

Parents in her class are rarely late!

OrmIrian · 01/02/2007 18:33

Hmmmmm.....I don't understand it myself. Speaking as someone who for a period of time had to get one child to CM, one child to nursery and one child to school and still managed to get them all there on time and myself to work. Of course I am perfect....

There was one mum whose DD was in my DD's class. She always turned up at least 10mins late. On one occasion she was walking through the office as I was filling in a form for my DS. The secretary asked her why she was late this morning (have to admit it was a slightly sarky tone) and the reply was "oh you know, just 'cos we are"...

misdee · 01/02/2007 18:33

everyday i see the same people arriving late for dd1 school. every bl*ody day. Tomorrow i will be pushing it getting there on time, as dh carer isnt arriving till 8.30am, and i am normally out of the door at 8.30 on the dot.

fannyannie · 01/02/2007 18:34

ha - they tried that at DS1's school at the beginning of this school year - problem is they still don't open the gates early and after a few weeks of parents eagerly turning up for 8.50 on the dot they gave up - as they still weren't getting into school until 8.55 or later

Sobernow · 01/02/2007 18:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SparklyGothKat · 01/02/2007 18:53

I am shocked by the amount of parents walking in their children as I am walking out. DS has Cerebral palsy and we manage to get all 3 of my kids in school on time, even though it takes DS about 10 minutes to walk from the carpark to the class.I had to sign DD1 in at the office a few weeks back after a hospital appointment and the excuses in the signing in book were classic. One that sticks in my mind was 'he didn't want to come to school today' This child was signed in at 11am!!!! My kids don't want to go sometimes, but I make them go... I;m the parent and they do what I say...

fannyannie · 01/02/2007 19:01

well I'm afraid in a couple of years time one, or more, or my DC will be regularly late for school. I'll be on foot - and I'll have to drop DS1 at the junior school up the road - gates open at 8.50, DS2 at the infant school next door (gates also open at 8.50) and DC(S?)3 at the Nursery - opposite direction from the Junior school at 9.00. I don't drive - and even if I did it would actually take longer to get there driving so unless I'm prepared to leave on of my children standing outside the school gate on their own (which I'm not - although once DS1 is a little older I will probably relax a bit) there's no way they can all be got there on time.....

misdee · 01/02/2007 19:04

but FA, thats beyond your control.

year 3 is 7/8years old?

fannyannie · 01/02/2007 19:09

no yr3 is 8/9 (I think) - DS1 is in Yr1 now and they're 5/6yr olds.

I wouldn't mind him walking to school at that age (8/9) if it wasn't for the fact that the Junior school is on the corner of 2 of the busiest roads leading into/out of Town.

unknownrebelbang · 01/02/2007 19:10

Yep. yr 3 is 7/8.

Tommy · 01/02/2007 19:21

I would hate Ds to be late for school - I think he was late once in the 5 terms he was at nursery...

I'm alwyas amazed at the amount opf parents I see bringing their children late to school and just ambling along as though they're on a country walk - they don't even seem worried thatt hey're late

Miaou · 01/02/2007 19:31

I have a friend who is like this. I have known her since we were in school together. I gave up calling for her on the way to school because she made me late. When she was at Uni she regularly missed lectures or turned up late. Her kids are (by her own admission) always either late or "just in time" rushing in to school. She just seems to have no concept of time at all! We don't live near each other now and she is a really good friend, but I really couldn't cope with seeing her regularly because of her chronic lateness. I know it drives her friends round the bend.

julienetmum · 01/02/2007 20:51

I have to admit that we are quite often late although usually I manage to just catch dd's class as they are taking their coats off.

Most children drive in from quite a distance so any traffic problems mean lateness.

Original poster

Posey · 01/02/2007 21:11

I'm amazed here how many people say the school gate doesn't open til 5 mins before the bell goes. I think if lateness is a problem at these schools then they should be letting the kids come into the playground earlier. I will happily leave dd (9) in the playground early but not out on the street. Our school gates open at 8.30 for "casual" waiting (any earlier and you have to go to breakfast club).
Lateness is much less to do with circumstance than attitude. I know a woman with 4 kids: 2 SN and 1 newborn. She was always at school on time. Then others who just need to get their arses in gear.

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astronomer · 01/02/2007 22:38

I was surprised to see on last years report my DC's had been late for school several times - and they use the school bus every day, what was even more surprising was that the two boys had different number of lates recorded!! couldn't even be explained by absences

fairyfly · 01/02/2007 22:41

i think sometimes people get caught in a whirlwind of disorganisation, i don't think it's a reflection of how good a parent they are. Sometimes chaos takes over. Usually people get back up to speed. It really drives me mad when people get smug over the slightest thing.

RustyBear · 01/02/2007 22:42

How long do they take to get from the bus stop to class? Is one of them lingering on the way?

singersgirl · 01/02/2007 22:43

We had to sign the late book for the first time the other day - the level crossing we go over had stuck, and we waited for 10 minutes before being told by the police to walk round by the footbridge - another 10 minutes. One of the excuses in the book was "It was too cold"!

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