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Secondary education

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Original poster

Detention after school. We weren't informed.

26 replies

OrmIrian · 13/05/2009 13:20

Is that worth making a fuss about? DS#1 was trying to insist they don't have the right to give him a detention when they didn't inform us . I told him that may well be true but he was still going to do it! He 'forgot' some hw so I have no sympathy.

Should I contact the school or will I be a neurotic over-protective parent?

OP posts:
LaurieFairyCake · 13/05/2009 13:21

surely they expect him to tell you?

Original poster
OrmIrian · 13/05/2009 13:23

Yes they do. But he insists the school should inform us too. I have a feeling that he is right there. Mind you he was just trying to deflect our righteous ire I suspect

Not that we were that irate. I called him a muppet and told him that it would be the last time he got one.

OP posts:
risingstar · 13/05/2009 13:35

seems to me he has a bright future either as a barrister or a politician

bruffin · 13/05/2009 13:38

At DS's school they give DS a form for us to sign to say he has detention,we are not notified seperately.

Original poster
OrmIrian · 13/05/2009 13:39

Didn't get that either bruffin. Mind you I might need to search his bag

OP posts:
Original poster
OrmIrian · 13/05/2009 13:43

risingstar - I would be delighted ! Atm he is dithering between a pre-skateboarder and a drummer/guitiarist...

OP posts:
Original poster
OrmIrian · 13/05/2009 15:46

But seriously.

Does anyone know if there are obliged to let us know beforehand? I mean if you had a dozy child who rarely remembers anything you might be concerned at them not turning up at normal time.

OP posts:
plug · 13/05/2009 15:48

How old?

Original poster
OrmIrian · 13/05/2009 15:50
  1. At times much older, at other times much younger . He walks or cycles home alone or with friends.
OP posts:
PrimulaVeris · 13/05/2009 16:08

Is there a school's policy on this on their website or in your dcs homework diary?

At ours lunchtime detentions given out at will, but for after-school ones they have to inform parents.

Original poster
OrmIrian · 13/05/2009 16:10

Thanks. I just had a look primula but can't find anything. I guess I'll just leave it for now. No harm done I guess as he told us in time. Might mention it when we go the parents evening next month

OP posts:
Original poster
OrmIrian · 13/05/2009 16:42

Hmmm. DH has just rung. DS arrived home at normal time. Because they couldn't get hold of us they cancelled the detention. As they have DH's mobile and my work number I don't think they can have tried very hard.

We have rearranged this evening to accomodate DS#1 being an hour late home and that was all a waste of time Not to mention the fact that if he didn't walk home he'd have been hanging around at school for an hour waiting for us.

ho hum.... DH is going to write a restrained letter asking them to clarify their policy.

OP posts:
PrimulaVeris · 13/05/2009 17:30

I think a letter is good idea. There should be a policy and it should be available to pupils and parents. (actually maybe ring to check they've actually got the right tel nos for you just in case - suppose they needed to contact you urgently if he had an accident or something?).

No idea how 'standard' our policy is, but I think with after-school dets there is something like a week's notice to parents, partly because of issues of buses/transport home. Also because of tendency of pupils, to, er, 'forget' too ...

lottiebunny · 13/05/2009 17:41

My school had 2 types of after-school detention. One was a full hour and you got a message in your homework diary to give to your parents so it could be scheduled and the other was only 15 minutes and could be given on the day.

School got around this by setting the end of school as 3.45 rather than 3.30 and letting us go 15 minutes early every day.

katiestar · 13/05/2009 18:12

At our school the child is sent home with a detention card for parents to sign.
We haven't had one yet touchwood !

foxytocin · 13/05/2009 18:27

I think in England the DFeS guideline is that teachers can keep children back for 15 mins without prior parental permission. For any time longer, they must have 24 hrs notice in writing. This can be in a planner, as a note or letter. A lot of parents are happy to accommodate a detention on the same day with a phone call. But a call is not necessary as your ds seems to be suggesting. Only for a same day detention that is longer than 15 mins.

Original poster
OrmIrian · 13/05/2009 21:52

But we got no notification in writing foxy. Nothing at all.

OP posts:
foxytocin · 13/05/2009 23:14

remember that all children will lie. notes get 'lost' and 'forgotten' all the time ime as a teacher and parent.

if i am putting a few children om detention at omce i don't do indiv. notes. i write it on the board, they copy it and i sign it.

call the teacher and nicely ask if a notification in writing was sent and take it from there. it is an opportunity to have an informal review of child's progress.

LissyGlitter · 13/05/2009 23:32

We used to have a note stuck in our homework diary. My mum was more likely to be surprised that I DIDN'T have a detention-I was undiagnosed dyslexic and dyspraxic, so found it very hard to keep up with what was expected when, and had detentions pretty much every night. I didn't mind them really, it was a chance to do some reading or whatever and avoid having to go home in the crowds.

With my sisters, who were much better behaved, if they were late home my mum would just assume they were doing some kind of after school activity or nipping round to a friends-at secondary school age, they would have to be missing for longer than an hour before anyone got worried!

TheFallenMadonna · 13/05/2009 23:36

We sed home detention slips. I bet parents never see most of them.

Does he really insist on you being informed by the teacher instead of by him via a detention slip. Or did I misread it?

stillenacht · 13/05/2009 23:42

I think we can do a ten minute detention with no warning home but a fll hour has to have 3 days notice i think. I don't deal with detentions i pass them to my line manager (my DH!)

Original poster
OrmIrian · 14/05/2009 13:04

No, he didn't insist. But he obviously knew the protocol better than we did. According the school we should have been informed by phone which was why it was cancelled.

OP posts:
katiestar · 14/05/2009 13:45

Couldn't a 10 minute detention result in children missing their bus and being stranded

Original poster
OrmIrian · 14/05/2009 14:15

It could katiestar. Hence the school's policy of informing parents personally. It just failed on this occasion.

OP posts:
butterflymum · 16/05/2009 15:20

Hopefully the document at this link will help clarify matters.