School fines for being ill or late

jackieblack

iammumtoone wrote: »

I totally understand lateness should not be tolerated but do not feel it should not be given the same 'punishment' as an absence, surely it is better to turn up 5 minutes late than not at all? Maybe a system of 3 lates = one absence or something like that would be fairer.

It depends on how late the lateness is (IYSWIM)
Schools 'should' allow a period of leeway which should mark the difference between being recorded as 'late' or 'absent' and this should be detailed in the school's prospectus


eg if school starts at 8.50 and registration is 8.50-9.00, with the first lesson starting at 9am, it should say something like



'Children arriving after registers close at 9.00 am will be marked as ‘late’ and this will be reflected in attendance figures'


N.B. 'arriving' will mean arriving in the classroom, not in the school office

SeduLOUs

Guest101 wrote: »

I know this isn't quite what you mean, but to put it into perspective - Average Annual Leave allowance is 25 -28 days (+ bank holidays) - So really you could be off every 2nd Monday for the whole year very easily.

Fair point, but let's compare that to average school holidays for a second...

scooby088

I have often wondered how a parent could get a doctors note when they are loathed to issue them, i know that my gp wouldnt issue such nots for a school let alone for work.

Guest101

scooby088 wrote: »

I have often wondered how a parent could get a doctors note when they are loathed to issue them, i know that my gp wouldnt issue such nots for a school let alone for work.

Get a new GP?


They don't issue for work as you can self-certify for upto 7 days.

Guest101

SeduLOUs wrote: »

Fair point, but let's compare that to average school holidays for a second...

That's not the point I was making.


Most people do book leave in blocks, just like school holidays, but in theory nothing stopping someone booking a long weekend every fortnight.


I don't think parents actually want to be at home with a poorly child - it's tiring, stressful and frankly I'd rather be at work.

benjus

Guest101 wrote: »

That's not the point I was making.


Most people do book leave in blocks, just like school holidays, but in theory nothing stopping someone booking a long weekend every fortnight.

But no-one gets to take BOTH school holidays AND 28 days (or whatever) distributed as they wish - it's one or the other. In this hypothetical scenario for a child to take a long weekend every fortnight they would have to attend school during the school holidays.

SeduLOUs

scooby088 wrote: »

I have often wondered how a parent could get a doctors note when they are loathed to issue them, i know that my gp wouldnt issue such nots for a school let alone for work.

The reason they don't issue notes for school is because the note itself is a "statement of fitness for work", which is entirely irrelevant for a young child in education. They may very well issue a letter if required by the school, but I would expect this would be classed as private work, and would be subject to a fee and a likely 6 week turnaround time.

GPs are loathed to issue notes for workers for less than 7 calendar days of sickness absence because the guidance says that they shouldn't be issued. The GP system is clogged enough already without people requesting a fit note every time they have a couple of days off work with a minor illness that doesn't require any medical intervention.

Guest101

benjus wrote: »

But no-one gets to take BOTH school holidays AND 28 days (or whatever) distributed as they wish - it's one or the other. In this hypothetical scenario for a child to take a long weekend every fortnight they would have to attend school during the school holidays.

No-one? You sure about that? Bold statement.

There's days off and there's annual leave.

Days off are unpaid. Typically these are weekends, but obviously not in all industries.

Annual leave is paid.

Individual contracts are just that.

As for the child- no.

88% is accurate whether talking about 2 weeks, 20, or 200. It's missing approximately 1 day every two weeks.

Potternerd

Get your child to school on time, only keep them off if really ill or contagious and always inform the school if they are absent. How Ill were they?

It may sound like the school are being heavy handed, but if a school's attendance falls below a certain level, it can trigger an Ofsted inspection.

Savvy_Sue

carolwat wrote: »

What you should actually do is get your butt into gear and get your kid to school on time. Its not as though it starts at some unearthly hour, around 8:50 - 9am isnt that hard to achieve so instead of creating more work for anyone or facing threats of fines avoid it all by setting your kid a good example and be on time.

You make it sound sooo simple. And bits of it are, but Jojo's experience is one example of when it is not quite so simple.

When the head asked me why we were always late, and said the EWO might want to visit, I said that would be fine, they should come at 8 am and see what I was up against! My youngest, a pre-schooler at the time, was NOT cooperative!

TBagpuss wrote: »

Schools do keep track of this - quite apart from eveything else, chronic lateness can be an indication of a chaotic or disrupted home life

That'd be me then ... suffering from postnatal depression and 'difficult' children!

foolofbeans wrote: »

I did talk it over with the school and they were supportive but did say I had to get child to school even if they were only dressed in their undies!

Ah yes, the day I marched DS3 to school in his pyjamas! Followed by the day I marched him to school with no trousers on!! He learned, after that ...

Jojo_the_Tightfisted wrote: »

(I'd had a patronising letter about neglecting her safety by leaving her to walk to school alone at the age of 10 on the day I'd let the older one walk in through the school gates without me

Seriously? You can't win, can you.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted wrote: »

The next time we got a letter like it was in secondary (year 7) when she had hospital appointments following a dislocated knee and chest pains/diagnosed with scoliosis. Despite sending in the appointment letters every time, it was worded as though I was deliberately keeping her off school. I didn't even dignify that letter with a response. They never got in touch again.

I think my best one was when DS2 said "DS3's tutor asked me if I knew why he wasn't in school." DS3 was in France, on an exchange trip, organised through school. Apparently I should have sent a note in ...