1 hour detention at school...

minimoneysaver

You could ask to see the schools policy. You are within your rights to do that. It may even be on the web site.

valk_scot

How old is he? When my DS went up to secondary school he got a couple of detentions for this sort of thing in his first term because of falling foul of the difference between primary and secondary school when it came to handing in homework on time. And yes, it was a one hour detention plus lines to do during this hour, both times. I rolled my eyes a bit, it seemed like a bit of a waste of time to me but you know what? He's never handed a piece of homework in late since then and he's in fifth year now. Good life lesson...and, incidentally, has saved me a lot of nagging time over homework, lol!

fannyadams

DS#1 (aged 12 in year 8) gets 1 hour detention when he fails to hand in homework on 2 occasions. there is no leeway and as his parent I am responsible for ensuring he is transported from school to home safely. it's in the home school contract that I signed on his first week there. There is no negotiation unless you have an extra special reason why he can't have detention (one of DS#1's friends has autism and is excused detention).
It's really inconvenient to me too as there is no bus when detention finishes so I have to drive to the school to pick him up.

Lunar_Eclipse

I think it comes down to indiviual school policy. At our school, it works like this:

1) Black mark for forgotten/incorrect homework or uniform (mainly PE)
2) Three black marks results in a lunchtime imposition (detention)
3) Three impositions equals an after school detention

A few pupils get black marks. They are normal but uncommon; we all make mistakes and forget things sometimes, which are treated matter of factly but not unkindly. A few get lunchtime impositions. I've heard of one detention.

Personally, I'm not a fan of after school detentions (although I say this as a direct reflection of my own children, who tow the line. Thus they might genuinely forget something, but not deliberately not do homework.)

After school detentions are too potentially disruptive to transport arrangements, working parents and sports matches, in addition to being outside hours & thus the jurisdiction of the school. There are other ways to achieve the same thing: miss a sports game or club, extra homework, lunchtime detention, special projects etc. I understand why detentions are given, but personally, on the basis my daughter takes 3 trains each way to school, I wouldn't be overly happy for her to do this completely alone (there's always someone on the train she knows even if they're not in her year) in the dark. Plus, I collect her from the station, as the majority of parents do with kids at our school. This could be why not many after school detentions are being issued.

Brighton_belle

victory wrote: »

so he has to cycle home in the near dark

This is the bit that would concern me. I think the punishment shouldn't result in added risk to the child like this.

pinkshoes

I think his chance was handing it in to the correct maths teacher, which he didn't do.

If he gave it to the other maths teacher who agreed to give it to the correct teacher, then I would argue that he did do exactly as was asked, therefore shouldn't have a detention, as teacher 2 should have given it to teacher 1 if (s)he was asked to do so and agreed.

We often get kids bring late homework to the science staffroom, and if the teacher they wan't isn't there, we'll make sure the homework gets given to the right person.

balletshoes

moomoomama27 wrote: »

At my eldests school it is 1 hour for detention after school. Standard for forgetting homework ( aka not doing it!) or misbehaving in class.

yep, at secondary school here its detention after school (parents are notified in advance), not during existing school hours.

milliebear00001

You've probably agreed to the policy by signing some sort of home-school agreement. Even if you haven't, this is clearly school policy (and isn't uncommon for a secondary school sanction).

Getting him home from school safely is your responsibility.

A lunchtime detention will necessitate a teacher (or other member of staff) supervising your child, and probably missing their own break (I do this myself in my primary school for children who have missed homework/misbehaved). An afterschool detention will be a scheduled weekly event that is staffed and timetabled accordingly.

I doubt your son will 'forget' again; hence, lesson learned. Remind him of that and support the school. He will be better off for it.

Mara69

Brighton_belle wrote: »

This is the bit that would concern me. I think the punishment shouldn't result in added risk to the child like this.

So the school should ask what the child's chosen method of transport is before setting a detention? If the child cycles then what? They shouldn't have the same punishment as the child that walks? Or gets the bus?

If the parents are happy for the child to be cycling, surely it is for them to decide if the child should cycle when it is dark?

no-oneknowsme

I work in a Secondary School (Im not a teacher though) and I also have 2 Teenagers who go to the same School.

Detention in our School is 40 mins given with at least 24 hours notice.

This is usually only given for more serious reasons that forgetting one homework.

Forgetting one homework would usually warrant a breaktime (15 mins) detention .

Repeatedly forgetting a homework for the same teacher would however result in an after school detention (40 mins)

Cheekiness to a teacher or other member of school staff , fighting , smoking , abuse of school propery , bullying etc would mean an after school detention.


OP , Im not doubting you , maybe your schools detention works differently to ours but are you SURE you are getting the full story from your child? Would it be possible that the homework was more overdue than he is telling you?