Can school force my child to stay in during lunchtime

minxtress

As above, My 16 year old son is in his last year at school and has always left the school premises on lunchtimes to go to his grans house two streets away as he didnt like the atmosphere in the school lunch hall.
This has worked well until this year they have a new headmistress who has said all children must pay for food in the school canteen and stay in school all lunchtime.
This came into effect today and my son tried to leave school to go to his grans with a letter from myself saying I gave him permission to do this, his head of year who was patrolling the school perimiter grabbed him telling him if he tried to leave he would impall him on the school fence for doing so, and the school has taken legal advice and are well within thier rights to keep all children in.
I am furious at this as I now have to find on average £15 a week to pay for school dinners aswell as having my choices as a parent taken away from me.
I have a good mind to seek legal advice on this myself as I do not want my son to stay in school on lunchtimes, going to his grans works for myself, my son and his gran.
Anyone know what my legal rights are regarding this. I cant believe I even have to ask this, as a parent my say should be the final say.

alyssa_liss

i know when i was at school you were not aloud off the premisis unless you had a special pass thing, never stoped anone going out though but you had to be careful not to get caught

can he not get a pass??

and to add i can understand the school not letting him out , techinally he is under there care when in school time if anything was to happen they would be the first to get the blame for hi not being at school

hense why we had passes

gill_81uk

I'm sorry I can't give any advice, but just wanted to say that I find the school's attitute shocking!

I can understand them needing to know where children for fire and safety reasons, but if you are providing a letter stating where your son is going to be then this shouldn't be an issue. It's disgraceful saying that you 'have' to buy lunches for him as well -what if you just can't afford that money?

Hope someone who can give some proper advice is along soon

minxtress

I have three children and the other two are younger so do stay in school for lunch, to have to pay for my eldest also will take my monthly school lunches bill to £150, I struggle as it is.
I am annoyed at the cost and the lack of parental control.
I always left the school premises at lunchtime whether they said we could or we couldn't, think we all did back then!
It is just his head mistress laying down the law, I think it will seriously backfire as a lot of people are up in arms about it. You cant let them out for four years then when in his last year of school, keep him in, and not expect some sort of action.
Its the law side that will be the interesting part to know.

poppasgirl

My daughter has a lunchtime pass and is allowed home and to her friends whos agreed that she can go there, my son oth doesnt and often goes to the chippy at lunchtime or home, i give him permission in a letter form and he can produce it when necessary, the school feel it necessary to keep all children in school which i understand for safety reasons they cant have kids wanderig around. I would give him a packup if its expensive to give him lunchmoney it will save you money in the long run, either that send his granny to collect him and then they can see hes not bunking off when he chooses

kindofagilr

When I was at school you were not allowed out for lunch till you were in sixth form.

I can't see how they can force you to purchase their dinners as opposed to taking bait in?

Susan_Frost

I hope someone can give some legal advice too.

He can legally get married and have kids, but hey, cannot go 2 streets away to grans house.

And be forced into buying school food.

It does sound doubtful to me, especially as he has been doing it for years.

I feel the new Head has imposed this, but LEGAL, try your LEA for advice as a starting point.

Good luck, and let us know how you get on.

jackieb

Is no-one allowed to go home for lunch at all? What about the children who live close by - are they also forced to buy school lunches?

minxtress

kindofagilr wrote: »

When I was at school you were not allowed out for lunch till you were in sixth form.

I can't see how they can force you to purchase their dinners as opposed to taking bait in?

They have never allowed packed lunches at school hence going to his grans, he is a very fussy eater and was made to feel inferior for this the first year of school when he did go to dinners the odd time. I hoped seeing everyone else eat, that he would try new things but he ended up starving, so I asked if he could take a lunch box in but was refused.
It is all coinciding with the new multi million pound complex thats been added to the school, and makes me feel it is to get some cash back for the school.

minxtress

jackieb wrote: »

Is no-one allowed to go home for lunch at all? What about the children who live close by - are they also forced to buy school lunches?

NOBODY whatsoever is allowed off school premises. There were 11 teachers and mentors patrolling the gates and exits today

laurel7172

Are you sure you have to pay for canteen food? Has the school genuinely banned sandwiches? I think you need to ring the school and find out from them exactly what is going on, because that bit of it doesn't sound very plausible to me.

I think some secondary schools do forbid leaving the premises at lunchtime-they are in loco parentis during the school day, and if enough kids make a habit of coming back late or shaming the school (and their parents) with their behaviour during lunchtime then it wrecks it for everybody else.