Being regularly late for school

[Posey]

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.

my dd has been going to this particular school for 18months. one of her friends is late everyday. when they have school trips the teacher has to ask them to arrive on time. they actually live closer now than when dd1 started there, so in theory, if they stuck to the same schedule they should be on time. even when i oversleep by half an hour we still get there on time.

School bus drops them inside main gate about twenty yards (meters) from door, in view of heads office (they are quite little yr 4 and reception)
Education authority not worried about lateness in coach children (especially as they provide the coaches)but I suppose they have to have figures

We have a late book, so the secretary can update the registers & we also put in those who are having school dinners so the kitchen can get the numbers right.
We could pretty much pre-print the book with the names of the ones who are late every day.
One child is always at least 10 minutes late, & the secretary asked why, when he only lived a few minutes away. He said - 'no, I come from X (the next town) on the bus' Turned out the parents had given the grandparents' address in order to get him in to the school....

I see a girl (5) in my dd's class is always the cow's tail, the thing is, she doesn't have a parent with her in the morning, really feel for her, she goes and plays in the playground away from where the class lines up and she just trails in eventually after the bell rings

Posey - our school gates open at 8.30 too.

It's a 4 mile drive to pre-school from the primary so DS1 is usually 10 minutes late (except when it's raining because DD1 can go straight into her Reception class from 8.40). Fortunately, the pre-school delays it's registration until about 9.15/9.20 so those with older children at the outlying village schools don't miss out!

And it seems quite common that parents who live in the same road - and even nextdoor - to the school, are always late!

Same here too. The usual suspects late everyday, any thing up to half an hour. Mind you it's better than them having the whole day off because they slept in, which happens on a regualr basis too.

I feel sorry for the little ones who are late. It just means they start the day on a back foot.

Our teacher specifically asked us to ensure that they were at school 10 minutes before the bell goes so that they can sort out bookbags, have a drink of water and if time permits a little time on the playground with their friends before school.

DS1 gets very frazzled if he's late so I make it a priority.

Several of his friends have parents with a much more relaxed attitude who figure they can roll up whenever they like i.e. if they have a late night they'll get there when they can. Damn unfair on the child, teacher and others in the class if you ask me.

Lateness for school disruptes everyone involved and can be upsetting for a child especially when they are small.

The only person it doesnt appear to be bothered is the lazy, disorgnaised adult who needs a good kick up that backside.

I can say this as all the late adults will only just be dropping off!

Certainly it sounds as if there is a very toght window between gates opening and the bell going. At ds's school the playground is supervised from 8am. Bell goes at 8:15 but you're not "late" until 8:20.

Mind you, even with that there is quite a lot of lateness in infants. It get much stricter in Juniors when the children are penalised for being late (and for some reason lateness isn't such a problem when the children are treated as being responsible?)

Like Posey, I find it strange that the school gates don't open earlier.

Our school gates are open from before 8.15, to allow kids to go the (free) Breakfast Club.

The Breakfast Club closes at 8.45 (last entry at 8.35) and the janitor supervises ther school playground until the bell goes at 9. Parents could leave kids in the playground before then - they just wouldn't be supervised.

This is in Scotland, where an arrangement has been made that playground supervision is part of the janitor's duties.

I have have also noticed that it does tend to be the same people who are late though!

I am the opposite some parents. I hate being late for anything and would rather be too early. My son's school opens their gates early. The children can got to the playgrounds relating to Key stages they are in. The parents for the younger children ie Reception, Yr1 and Yr2 and go up to the playground with the children if they wish. But the school insists that at 8.45am the parents must leave the playground as there will be a teacher on the playground by then to supervise the children. Surely, if all perents took this advantage there would bo very little lateless and the parents gets to have an extra 10 minutes t5o themselves.

I can't imagine the sheer luxury of my children starting school at 9am.

In South Africa the school day starts at 8am (bell goes at 7.50). Admittedly they finish at 12.50pm.

In our house whoever is doing the school-run has to:

Rise and shine at 6am
Pack lunches, suitcases, lay out uniforms
Have children out of bed and breakfasted by 7am
Breakfast eaten by 7.15
Face, teeth, shoes and hair by 7.30am
In the car for 7.35
DS1 in Yr1 by 7.50
DS2 in Nursery by 8ish (not so strict in nursery).

dejags what time do your children go to bed?

and i am talking about infants school. Most Juniors dont need as much supervision i imagine (exceptions for those with needs etc), and most secondary children will be ablt to get to school on their own. My dd certainly wont want me taking her in September!

please dont shout i still have 1dd off from school ill and had to get other to school.

7pm wotzasname. Any later than that and we have trouble on our hands next morning.

This can be tricky in the light summer evenings. However, my childrens' rooms are blacked out like nothing on earth

I think it's done to ensure the real littlies are finished school early and can escape the heat of the day at home.

I think how draconian the school is about lateness should be tied in with how helpful/flexible they are with arrival times and scheduling difficulties.

DS's school has supervised playground time from 8.10am. It is supervised by the (male) teaching assistant from DS's class who they all adore and is generally seen as "fun" to turn up early. Bell goes at 8.30am, register is at about 8.40am. So there is quite a large window for getting there and even people with "structural" difficulties - eg children at other schools - should be able to fit into that. I have no problem with them getting extremely shirty about lateness when they have effectively given a half hour window. I would, however, be cross if there was only a very small window that didn't allow for other arrangements.

Also, either the head or the deputy stands at the entrance every morning and every child has to make eye contact, shake hands and say good morning - the teachers know every one of them by name (about 160 in school). That means the head also eyeballs the parents every morning as well!

We are sometimes late for school, although I'm constantly trying not to be. I have three children aged 10, 8 and 7. We walk to school as I don't drive. It's 20 minutes each way. On a good day, they're usually there 5 mins before the bell goes, but usually we're rushing to catch the gates before they close. My youngest, in the Infants, gets away with it more, as the Infant gates don't close until 7 - 10 minutes after the bell, as all the parents gather on the corner of the playground, so by the time the Head, who mans the Infant gate, has made sure everyone's lined up, and shepherded the gazing parents out (that I find irritating, drop them off, and bugger off FGS, or at least, 'gaze' at your little one from outside the railing.) There's time for any stragglers to get in through the gate. The Junior gates annoy me though, as from the direction we walk, we have to get right to the other end of the school, and there's always the huddle of gossiping Mothers to nagotiate on the narrow pavement. I've seen kids dart into the road to get round these eejits. Move out of the feckin way and go gossip elsewhere!! I think the Junior gate teacher should take that into account, that there are kids legging it down the pavement, but they shut it the second the bell sounds. One teacher in particular is a nightmare for doing this, I don't know how she hasn't beheaded someone.

I've seen the amblers too, like they've got all the time in the world.