School/home contract...

[TaperJeanGirl]

Dd1 is starting secondary in September, I have just had the school/home contract through the post...and I don't agree with all of it! Some of it is common sense like making sure they are in school in correct uniform and on time, and similar, the part I don't agree with is the detentions, they want me to agree to them being able to keep her up to 15 mins after school without notifying me, this will cause problems on the 2 weekdays she does an outside school activity, and also cause me huge problems because I will be collecting her at 3.15 and then going on to nursery and school for my younger dcs..they also give out Saturday morning detentions..can't they even do this? Again, this would mean her ( and possibly 3 more of my children ) missing an out of school activity, that's paid for in advance, I suppose what I'm asking is did anybody else disagree with the schools contract? The after school detention is easily sorted if they could just text me or let her text me to tell me she will be 15 mins late and I could do the other pick ups first, but the Saturday morning detentions just won't be happening...can they withdraw her place if I don't agree?

It all sounds pretty standard, tbh. Presumably the idea is that she won't be getting any detentions?

Is it standard? She's my eldest and she's coming from a school where there's no homework, no uniform, teachers are called by first names...so I am fully expecting her to get quite a few detentions in the first few months...

Basically the same set up as when I was at school, except detentions could be 20 mins.

Might you run into issues if the pick up is that tight? 15 mins could go very easily with chatting to friends, being a few mins late out of class, getting something from a locker and whatnot.

Does DD have an alternative way of getting home - bus or walking or whatever?

Well, she just needs to be very careful not to get detentions won't she!

I'm afraid you won't get far with the detention bit, the Education Act 2011 gave schools the right to impose no-notice detentions without telling parents so even if you don't sign to that bit they (and any other state school) could do it anyway.

Maybe you would be better just asking how often that tends to happen and hope that your dd doesn't get any. For what it is worth my children have had 7 years of secondary education between them and never had a detention so just because a school can, doesn't mean it will happen.

I would add a footnote to the contract saying that you don't agree to the last minute or Saturday detentions. Or just don't send the form back at all. It's not legally binding anyway

We are in walking distance of school but I will be dropping off and collecting for at least year 7, I hadn't considered the tight time frame for collecting the younger ones, it may well work out that I collect them first ( 2 different schools in the same road) and then come back for dd1, if that's the case the 15 mins could be over by the time I get there anyway...

I would also imagine that Saturday detentions are reserved for pretty bad behaviour, rather than forgetfulness/minor stuff.

If you don't like their rules then send her elsewhere. Of course schools set detentions.

And yeah, school contracts are pretty worthless. But they can legally give detentions, so you not signing wouldn't make any difference.

Sounds standard to me.

Ds1's school have a very clear discipline policy, which includes 30 mins detentions and Saturday morning detentions. The 30 mins take place the following day, and you can see them in the parent portal.

It is made absolutely clear that these take precedent over any after school club, private or otherwise. That is the point of the detention! This includes Saturday mornings.

Just to also say that ds1 rarely gets out exactly on time. He finishes at 3.20pm, but can be out anytime between 3.30pm and 3.50pm, depending on which class he's in. If he has games last period, he's at the other end of the site, so never gets to the car until 3.50pm.

Just in case you need to factor this in to your arrangements.

Old boots thanks that makes me feel better, hopefully she won't get any, they sent a chart with a list of behaviours and the resulting punishment, they say they issue detentions for not concentrating in class and forgetting equipment...she's not a bad kid but is very forgetful and away with the fairies most of the time!

Pretty standard and the same as all high schools I've worked in.
If you were ever in a pickle, ring the school and they'll put her on for the next day or even lunchtime, usually.

I agree with others - why are you expecting detentions ?
I've had 3 dc go through secondary (youngest is at the end of Yr9) and they've never had a detention between them

I think I'll just ignore the contract then, I accepted the place before I was given the contracts, and I of course knew secondary schools had detentions but I didn't realise they give them out on Saturdays too, I'll have to cross that bridge when/if we come to it

I also hadn't considered she could be so late coming out, she will be finishing at 3.15 so I just assumed she would be straight out, we might have to re think pick ups!

Of course she should miss after school activity/extra sleep/whatever it is she likes on Saturday. It's a detention, it's not meant to be convenient.

Tbh secondary might be a shock to the system but a lot of kids cop on and get their heads out of the clouds once they're away from spoonfeeding in primary (and I say that as a primary teacher, based on my secondary teacher friends thoughts).

You might want to rethink picking her up and dropping her off. Unless you're driving, it's pretty embarrassing for your mum to take you to school.

I am expecting detentions at first because she's likely to mess about on her way to lessons making herself late, she's ultra disorganised and her primary school was the absolute opposite to this school, I think that during the first few weeks she will learn the hard way to follow the rules and that's no bad thing, I'm just hoping they can be flexible with the detentions as it will not only cause me to lose money, but it will cause her younger siblings to miss out on the activity they all do, I really do hope the Saturday morning ones are only for serious behaviour!

Noblegiraffe, we drive to school, she's already told me I have to drop her a bit of a distance form the gates

I can't imagine any teachers wanting to rock up on a Saturday because she's forgotten her pencil case

Saturday detentions are meant to be a big deal. We only give them out for serious or repeated offences (there are held by the headmaster).
Hopefully their disciplinary policy shows a series of warnings as well before detention.
We are entitled to keep the students without notice, I rarely do as so many get contract buses.
A disorganised, head in the clouds student will definitely not be straight out at 3:15, think 3:30 if you're lucky. The ability of year 7 to faff never ceases to amaze me.

Also not sure why siblings would miss on their activities if she's in walking distance of school I assued you must be somewhere very rural at first.
If she gets a detention, then she walks. Sorted.

Faff is this kids middle name!
We aren't rural, we are in a huge city but I don't want her walking home and being home along till 6.30 ish when the activity finishes, well specifically I don't want her walking alone in the area we live in.

You don't want her walking home at 3.30? Where do you live, Beiruit?

Secondary kids never come out on time- or the same time two days running.