Lateness at primary school - what can they actually DO to the parent?

[charliecat]

My friends school are hounding her for being late.
They have said the EWO officer will be involved next time.
So if she pretends they are sick for the WHOLE DAY nothing happens and they miss a day at school.
But if they are 5 mins late shes hit on like a ton of bricks...anyway, what can they do about lateness?

they only involve EWO officers if she's late a lot

why is she late?

don't you think you should be convincing her to be on time, rather than taking her side in what is after all simply lax behaviour

is she really only five minutes late? Suspect it must be significantly more to get the EWO involved.

It is sooooo disruptive for the child (and of course the rest of the class) when they are late. They start the day feeling a little bit left behind and not a part of the rest of the class. This is why they are not impressed.

she's a-fibbin

The class is disrupted

The child misses out on teaching

It's embarrassing for the child to be late

The register has to be faffed with

School lunch order might need amendment

The list goes on

Poor child

[judgey judge judge]

She has improved MASSIVELY since last year, she was depressed and the kids were rarely going to school.
Now, they are attending, but late, 5, 10 mins. I can see how its disruptive, but its better, IMO for them to be late than to miss the whole day.
She lives a 25 min walk from school. If she drive she could get theres in 4-5 mins but she doesnt.

what boysarelikedogs says.

The EWO will be involbeved because of the whole pattern of lateness/missing days

they can decapitate her

it's true

Why should I get up at six bloody thirty to get my dcs to school on time so that they have to miss four minutes of teaching and learning time while your friends children shamble in?

She can be fined for persistant lateness just like she can be for absence. If the EWO is involved she's either very late or it's very regular.

what the hell are you doing getting up at six thirty?
Im not saying being late is ok, what im asking is what can they actually DO. i know they have powers for attendance, but lateness, is it the same?

It's not better for my kids if her kids are five minutes late rather than missing the whole day.

She needs to leave the house five minutes earlier if she is five minutes late.

Ah ok...eek. Can see why she would keep them off for the day then if its gonna cost her 50 quid to take them in late

If a child is too late for registration it has to go on the school record as half a day's unauthorised absence. It will go in the school's truancy stats. Heads are obsessed with stats these days, for good or ill.

For an EWO to be involved, your friend's children would have to be too late for registration (so not just 5 minutes) quite often.

It is a pita for the school, the class, the dinner staff and most of all the late children.

Yes. Tis the same.

If you wake up lte you cannot rewind time. And she has alarm clocks, two of them, sometimes she sleeps through it.

Charlie, glad she's turning things round. Sounds like she does still have a little way to go, though. Is there any way, as a friend, you could suggest some top tips to her? I dunno, setting out clothes/breakfast stuff and getting bags ready the night before and so on?

What time do you get up? That's what time I need to get up to leave the house at 8.15 to walk to school to get there for 8.45 for them to go in at 10 to.

But if she keeps them off they probably won't authorise it then she can still be fined.

Mind you, the EWO would still get involved if she kept them off altogether.

(Schools like to threaten with EWOs, but they can be very helpful in this kind of situation and might be able to offer some ideas to get the kids out of the door in time.)

Good call edam.

Any other ideas for charlie to suggest that might help her friend ?

She does get stuff ready the night before, but she sometimes wakes at 8.15, and even stuffing toast in the toaster and having them eat breaky walking ...well sometimes she is late.
I ring and ring and ring her mobile....if she hasnt text me in the morning and then ill get a text saying Shit! meaning she has just woke up.
Might say to her kids to go in and keep on at her till she gets out of bed.
I personally get up at 8. Leave at half 8.

Might be a good idea if she does speak to the EWO, they are there to help not just punish.

some people are just late people aren't they, i have a sister who is constantly late for everything..always has been/always will be. When we are arranging to meet her (me and rest of family) we tell her to be there about 30-40mins before the actual time to meet, so then she will usually be on time. IYSWIM

I, on the other hand have a problem with NEVER being late, that is the only time i will have a mad 'oh my god' moment if i think i may be heading down the 'late' route....and of course i still won't be late..........it can actually be quite horrible being far too early for something.

It has rubbed off on my children too they are far too 'ready on time'...for children. sorry children

however.....yes, she needs to be out the door 5 mins earlier by the sounds of it, if i can do it with 8 and all that!...lol

Is she friendly with another mum nearby? Maybe someone else could take them in if she's not good in the mornings and she could collect for the other mum later.