Ten Lates In One Term...

[ummmm]

Just read a message from my sons school. Apparently if a child is late 10 times in 1 term the parents will be fined £60.

Do you think this is acceptable?

[corylus]

Who gets the £60 ?

[boxtops]

Surely it depends on the reason for the lateness. It's important to learn punctuality - I've not heard of this before. At least it makes the parents aware that the child is constantly late?

[ummmm]

The text doesn't say who gets the money.

I find it really pretty annoying considering my son has only had supply teachers for some of his subjects.

He's never late btw.

[Sycamore3House]

Glad my son has left school. He was late every morning. We lived opposite the school. He was dyslexic and did not want to go. No one from the school every asked why he was late. I knew why.

[gness]

Ummmm.....I agree with Boxy about punctuality....but apart from who gets the money... and how is it spent.....
What do they do to you if you won't pay?

[sherrardk]

This will be a money spinner off the back of fining parents for term time holidays (the fine for that is also £60). The LEA gets the money and does the fining and it rises sharply if not paid and if still not paid it goes to court. There are other schools doing it too.

[ummmm]

I don't know. It's a new thing coming in in 2015.

I agree about punctuality. They can't be late in working life so school is training them for that.

Like Syc says though....what's the reason?

[factor-fiction]

I think the idea is that nobody gets it- because it puts people off having 10 lates in a term

[sherrardk]

This school in Milton Keynes does it - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2544033/Headteacher-imposes-60-fines-parents-child-minutes-LATE-school-fine-DOUBLING-120-not-paid-21-days.html

[factor-fiction]

I disagree with sherrardk on most school issues- which is surprising as we have both been teachers. I don't think it's done to raise money. It's done to discourage absence and lateness. The administration costs of chasing up money and accounting for it will offset most of the money collected

[paul1763]

if its the parents fault there should be some sort of punishment, if its the childs then detention, late to school=late going home, but ten times a term = what? about once a week? i dont think theres any excuse for tha sort of lateness.

[ummmm]

FF...I'm sure many parents have to leave for work before their 14/15/16 year olds have to leave for school.

[factor-fiction]

So, ummmm, are you suggesting everyone should just accept nothing can be done regular lateness of 14/15/16 year olds?

[sherrardk]

FF - I'm obviously far more cynical than you.
At our primary there is a hard core of parents who are late every single morning, I don't understand how they can be late by the same amount of time every day.

[factor-fiction]

I'm sure I typed '...regarding regular... "

[Mamyalynne]

I think it needs to be thought out a bit - have they first tried to find out if there are any problems and it isn't just a slapdash approach to punctuality.



A boy at my school was constantly late and often caned or placed in detention , it took weeks to discover he was caring for his sick mother and her care made him late.

[novalis]

It could also depend on the reason why the student/pupil is late. Many of the pupils at the school at which I taught had no alternative but to catch a bus. Service cancellations, sheer volume of traffic and the occasional accident were not uncommon causes of late arrival no matter what time they set off. But yes...I agree with the idea of youngsters being taught the importance of punctuality.

[ummmm]

FF...No...of course not. Punctuality is vital but sometimes it's out of the parents control.

[tamborine]

Yes, how else can teachers avoid pupils strolling into class & disturbing others.

[factor-fiction]

In a case like that, Maya, I think the reason would be more likely to come to light if there was a fine letter sent out.
In my experience though the schools nowadays know far more about things like this- for example such a child will probably attract a pupil premium.
I agree though that the matter needs to be dealt with sensitively and there may have to be some exceptions