PARENTS are fuming over plans to slap them with a “draconian” £6 fee if they are late to pick up their kids from school.
St Peter’s Church of England Primary School in Folkestone, Kent said tardy parents stop teachers from getting on with their work.
Google MapsParents have spoken out over St Peter’s Church of England Primary School’s warning[/caption]
Any students left waiting for Mum and Dad will now be placed in an after-school club – and their parents could be charged.
Headteacher Toni Browne warned parents about the possible charge in a newsletter to parents.
She said: “An increasing number of children are being collected late at the end of the day, without the office being informed or any apology to staff.
“Staff have work to complete once children have been dismissed.
“Arriving late to collect your child prevents staff from being able to get on with their work.
“From Term 2, children who are collected late from school on more than one occasion will be put into after school club – and a fee of £6.00 will apply.
“We understand that occasionally lateness can’t be avoided.
“In these cases it is important you call the school office, so we know you are running late.”
The school said that lateness has stopped since the warning went out and that it has not yet had to hand out fines.
A spokesperson added that no parents have complained to the school about the mooted charge.
Dad-of-two JL Casey said: “I think it’s a bit harsh. Families who tend to have those issues also have other stuff going on in their lives.
“Hitting them with a financial penalty is a bit rough.
“I understand that they’ve got to make sure teachers can get on with marking and stuff.
“But there’s always extenuating circumstances.
“The likelihood is that parents who are late are trying to deal with other stuff which will include financial burdens.
“Giving them another one to worry about is not going to be great.”
The dad added that not everyone is able to ring up the school if they’re running late.
He said: “Not everyone is allowed to use their mobile at work.
“If you’re on a shop floor or something, and you’re just not to get in trouble.
“You’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t. There are two sides to every story.”
CLASS WAR
One mum-of-two, 38, blasted the primary school’s “draconian” new rules.
She said: “I think it’s so unfair. Sometimes parents can’t help being late.
“Every parent wants to pick their kid up from school on time. If they can’t, there’s a genuine reason for it.
“Some people can’t afford these fees. It’s too much, especially at the moment.
“£6 is a lot of money to some people – especially if they have to pay it more than once.
“They should try and be a bit more understanding. With the cost of living crisis, we’re paying enough for stuff.
“Everything is going up – and now if you’re late picking your child up from school, that’s more money.
“That money could be spent on the children, for food and clothes and stuff that’s actually needed.”
The school has been contacted for comment.
FINE BY ME
Other parents backed the school’s crackdown on tardy mums and dads.
Dad-of-two Danny Wilkinson, 49, said: “If children are constantly being picked up late, then teachers have to stay behind.
“They have their own lives as well. They might even have their own children to pick up.
“Obviously if you phone in with a reasonable excuse as to why you’re running late – an emergency or something – then it’s different.
“I think there should be a bit of leniency if that’s the case.”
School governor Mark Champion, 54, said: “The problem is not people coming late, it’s the fact people aren’t notifying the school.
“Kids are sat there after school saying to the teachers ‘Where’s Mum, where’s Dad?’ and the teachers don’t know.
“The kids are getting really upset. And we don’t know if anything has happened to the parents.
“If you’re going to be late, it’s common courtesy to tell the school.
“And a requirement, I feel, to let your kids know where you are.
“There were a few people who were consistently turning up late and that has stopped, so it’s worked.”
SCHOOL STATEMENT
In a statement, the school said: “We do not plan and have never planned to charge our parents who fail to pick their children up on time.
“We run an after school child care provision for those families who need it, for which there is a charge of £6.00.
“The provision runs daily from 3.15-5.00pm and includes a light meal.
“We had a very small number of families in term 1 who were regularly significantly late collecting their children – over 15 minutes late, sometimes up to 25 minutes late.
“These children were placed into after school club free of charge until their parents or carers arrived.
“We are always very happy to support families who notify school on the rare occasion when they are running a few minutes late.
The school added: “We would never charge for those genuine occasions.
“However, where parents are regularly significantly late and the children have to be placed into after school club, the school informed parents that they would be required to pay for the provision.
“After sharing the information in the newsletter back in October, regular, significant lateness without notification has ceased.
“We have not charged any family for the use of after school club due to unnotified significant lateness.
“We have not received any concerns or objections raised by parents and carers in our school community in relation to the information shared in the newsletter in October 23.
“We have good relationships with our parents and the pastoral support offered at St Peter’s is recognised as being excellent.”
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