Travel to school - private vs public

Discussion of all things non-11 Plus related

Moderators: Section Moderators, Forum Moderators

11 Plus Mocks - Practise the real exam experience - Book Now
BucksBornNBred
Posts: 1031
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2015 4:01 pm

Travel to school - private vs public

Post by BucksBornNBred »

I have just been reading another thread (which I didn't want to hijack) but it got me thinking.

I drive my DS to school and know that if he is late he will get a black mark and if it continues to happen he will get a detention. When we are stuck in traffic and it is "a close call" I drop him as near as I can, but when I drive away from the school I see lots of students, who take the school bus, sauntering back from the sweetshop (gosh, the junk they buy!).

I am guessing they know they won't get a black mark, so are playing the game? Sometimes I am sure there is no physical way they can make it in on time - do they have a "get out of jail" card because they use school buses or are schools more savvy than that? These aren't 6th formers either I am referring to.

Just curious really.
Tinkers
Posts: 7240
Joined: Mon May 16, 2011 2:05 pm
Location: Reading

Re: Travel to school - private vs public

Post by Tinkers »

The schools will likely know if there’s an issue with local transport (tree in the train line or a major road closed) so I don’t think the wool can be pulled over their eyes really. I know I follow our local bus company on Twitter so could easily see if they have any routes delayed.

Regular offenders are going to be noticed. Plus the school will also know who lives near who.

ETA f it’s an official school bus thhe School are even more likely to know if it turned up on time.
BucksBornNBred
Posts: 1031
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2015 4:01 pm

Re: Travel to school - private vs public

Post by BucksBornNBred »

Thank you Tinkers. That is what I don't understand... we have cut it fine a few times (even had to sign in late once - only by a minute or two) but there are still school-bus children milling around. Obviously I don't know if they are getting black marks or have had to do the four minute mile to get in on time, but it just made me wonder.
piggys
Posts: 1636
Joined: Wed Jun 29, 2011 9:29 am

Re: Travel to school - private vs public

Post by piggys »

Some dc don't really mind about getting detentions.
Dollydripmat
Posts: 332
Joined: Mon Oct 13, 2014 8:19 pm

Re: Travel to school - private vs public

Post by Dollydripmat »

I know with our schooo bus it arrives very early. Not ideal as DD1 has to get up earlier than I would like. The school buses do this to avoid getting stuck in traffic. On the odd occasion this happens , they do not get in trouble as they know they school bus has been delayed due traffic. From our area you can also get the public bus which gets in later , however it’s sometimes is delayed in traffic , I’m not sure if those students are let off too. Dolly x
kenyancowgirl
Posts: 6738
Joined: Mon Oct 21, 2013 8:59 pm

Re: Travel to school - private vs public

Post by kenyancowgirl »

The school buses have contracts with the school (via the County Council) and, therefore, if they are later than the published times, let the school know that they are running late. Our school does not mark children late if they have come in on the school bus (or a public bus that is a nominated school service) and that was held up for whatever reason. If you have a busload of children all turning up at the same time (popping into the sweet shop) and then trailing into school, the assumption is they have all turned up together I suppose, and they are unlikely to be marked in late. But, as someone else said, some children don't really care if they are marked late, if they don't really care about sanctions.
BucksBornNBred
Posts: 1031
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2015 4:01 pm

Re: Travel to school - private vs public

Post by BucksBornNBred »

kenyancowgirl wrote:The school buses have contracts with the school (via the County Council) and, therefore, if they are later than the published times, let the school know that they are running late. Our school does not mark children late if they have come in on the school bus (or a public bus that is a nominated school service) and that was held up for whatever reason. If you have a busload of children all turning up at the same time (popping into the sweet shop) and then trailing into school, the assumption is they have all turned up together I suppose, and they are unlikely to be marked in late. But, as someone else said, some children don't really care if they are marked late, if they don't really care about sanctions.
Do you think the schools use common sense when it comes to privately driven students being late? I have no evidence they don't but just curious. When some poor DC was knocked over by a bus on Marlow Hill (I hope she recovered) it took us about 2 hours to find a route to get back to the school (and that was being a local knowing all the back roads!). I don't think he got a bad mark for it but I can't tell as the only way I would know is if he got detention for being late a couple more times.
Tinkers
Posts: 7240
Joined: Mon May 16, 2011 2:05 pm
Location: Reading

Re: Travel to school - private vs public

Post by Tinkers »

I know DDs school gives leeway to those who travel by public transport but not those who get driven. The view being that the parent has control over their own destiny to some extent, can listen to traffic news, and doesn’t have to be at certain stops at certain times to pick people up. They have made the personal decision to drive their DD to school for whatever reason. There are no specific school buses for her school, so it’s public transport, walk, cycle or parent driving them.

However they would only start taking any action if there was a regular lateness problem and that would involve the EWO at some stage I would guess, after discussion with the parent. They wouldn’t do anything for one off lateness. The parent always gets informed when their DD is late, I think. Since DD has never been late I can’t say defintely.

As an aside, a couple of weeks ago, due to a weird set of circumstances I won’t go into, we had no choice but to drive DD to school, otherwise she would be late. It was The first time we have done so since she started there and she is in year 12 (apart from when she needed to be early for school trips).
Reading is a nightmare at the best of times, and DH and I both agreed we are not ever doing that again. DD can get a late mark instead.
kenyancowgirl
Posts: 6738
Joined: Mon Oct 21, 2013 8:59 pm

Re: Travel to school - private vs public

Post by kenyancowgirl »

BucksBornNBred wrote:
kenyancowgirl wrote:The school buses have contracts with the school (via the County Council) and, therefore, if they are later than the published times, let the school know that they are running late. Our school does not mark children late if they have come in on the school bus (or a public bus that is a nominated school service) and that was held up for whatever reason. If you have a busload of children all turning up at the same time (popping into the sweet shop) and then trailing into school, the assumption is they have all turned up together I suppose, and they are unlikely to be marked in late. But, as someone else said, some children don't really care if they are marked late, if they don't really care about sanctions.
Do you think the schools use common sense when it comes to privately driven students being late? I have no evidence they don't but just curious. When some poor DC was knocked over by a bus on Marlow Hill (I hope she recovered) it took us about 2 hours to find a route to get back to the school (and that was being a local knowing all the back roads!). I don't think he got a bad mark for it but I can't tell as the only way I would know is if he got detention for being late a couple more times.
I would imagine, in the awful circumstances you describe, your child was unlikely to have been the only child caught up in the traffic - it was an extraordinary event - and would have been reported by a number of children - and probably the school bus companies as well. They might still have been marked late but I would hope sanctions would have been held off. However, as Tinkers describes - it is patterns of lateness that are an issue - especially when being driven in by a parent.
BucksBornNBred
Posts: 1031
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2015 4:01 pm

Re: Travel to school - private vs public

Post by BucksBornNBred »

LOL.... I wouldn't drive into Reading either! Wycombe is a doddle compared to there (though I guess being a local I would say that). I know parental drivers are not given leeway for being late... that I find understandable, but if the school is made aware by school buses that there is a problem on the road does the school extend some sympathy and allowance to the parental-driven children? We allow an hour for what is, on a normal run, just 20mins (and on most school runs is only 30-40 mins) so we are not late but I am just curious.
Post Reply