Keeping a child after school

[Lindaaelizabeth]

My grandson was late home from school, he has just started secondary school in September. My partner goes to meet him a road away. He came back and said there is no sign of him. My daughter and I went out looking for him. He wasn’t answering his phone. I was getting really panicky. My partner found him walking home about 30 minutes late. Apparently the school had kept him back to finnish some work. We were furious at not being told where he was. My daughter wrote a snotty message in his year book and the reply was, we can keep a child back for 15 minutes without letting you know. What is that about. In this day and age you are entitled to know where your child is at all times. He was in effect missing. Surely this can’t be right

KnopeforAmerica I wouldn't assume my child was at school if they hadn't started staying back for clubs yet. I would have expected a phone call if they were kept back.

My point was that rather than panicking and going out to look for him, a call to the school when he was late would have established where he was alot quicker and saved some upset. Given that was the last place he was known to be, it seems the obvious place to start.

The rights and wrongs of keeping him back in the first place is a slightly separate issue IMO.

By the time my DC would be "late home" the school switchboard wouldn't be answering. Anyway in a school of 2000, reception staff would have no idea if a single pupil was kept late (it also stretches almost 1K in length).
What might be possible in Junior school is ridiculous in senior school.

Bekabeech That's a good point, you are likely to be kept on hold while the office staff try to find out where the child is. If the teacher just called the office and asked them to contact the parent then that could be avoided.

...and our school office is not open very long after school finishes, that wouldn't work here either.

The child is entirely at fault for not letting you know that he would be late, and not answering his phone when you rang him. Freedom comes with responsibility. My DC both have "answering the phone when parents ring" as a condition of having one. They also both have "telling parents where they are" as a condition of their independence.

Your child should have texted to explain lateness.

School is perfectly within its rights to keep them back up to 15 minutes without notice. Any longer there's normally 24hrs notice.

If I were you I'd focus more on why your son was kept back ie the fact he hadn't done the work in lesson.