Can I check the credentials of a teacher ?

[PLux]

My ds's teacher has just changed and I have some concerns with the replacement (very shouty without actual control of the classroom, swigging pepsi in front of the kids all day long, sweating profusely, irritable etc etc). I am due for a meeting with the head teacher, but I was wondering if it is possible for me as a parent to check a teachers' credentials (qualifications, track record etc) ? Thanks in advance

[ArkATerre]

No, you can't check their qualifications.
Raise any issues that affect your child I.e. The alleged shouting and irritability but don't expect anything else to be discussed with you.

How do you know all this?

[sugar21]

Crikey a sweating shouty teacher who swigs pepsi all day. Never come across one like that.
You need a meeting with the Head Teacher

[TheSecondOfHerName]

Do you suspect that their Certificate of Non-Sweatiness might not be genuine? Perhaps you could contact the National Board of Sweat Regulation directly to enquire?

[weebarra]

Oh come on Second, putting aside the sweatiness, having a chat with the Head seems justifiable in this situation, don't you think?

[Shutthatdoor]

[icklekid]

Well if it's an academy the teacher doesn't even need to be qualified thanks to the government's genius ideas!

[ArkATerre]

Might not even be allowed to open a window or turn off the heating in their classroom

[Notonaschoolnight]

There's not place in the world hotter than a primary during the winter, it's a nightmare you need a tshirt only for indoors but then suffer when you only put a coat over it for outside

[TheSecondOfHerName]

Yes, I might request a meeting with the Head of Year or Head of Key Stage to discuss my concerns about classroom management.

I probably wouldn't bring up the sweating though...

[buffymum]

Surprised that a teachers qualifications can't be checked . Nurses registration /qualifications are checkable I think .

[ArkATerre]

What would be the point? Passing a PGCE is no guarantee of being able to teach.

[Iggi999]

Buffy you can check a teacher has GTC status online, but then they wouldn't be working in a "normal" school at all unless they had this.

[maybebabybee]

What's wrong with the Pepsi and sweating?!

[bojorojo]

Qualifications are checked, by the Headteacher, sometimes the Governors or Local Authority (as employers or agents of the employers) and especially if there appears to be a discrepancy or they are unsure regarding appropriate qualifications of an overseas qualified teacher. Sometimes their qualifications are not recognised by us as qualified teacher status. References are also required. Even if the teacher is a supply teacher, via an agency, the school must satisfy itself regarding the qualifications of the teacher and if they meet their requirements regarding qualications for the position they are offering, irrespective of its temporary nature. Qualifications are not checked by parents as they are not the employers. However, schools can employ "teachers" who are not yet qualified or indeed have no intention of qualifying if they believe they can do the job, eg ex services personnel.

Lack of classroom management should be the focus of any discussion but I would also ask if the school has a healthy eating policy. Drinking Coke may not fit into the school's expectations in front of young children. The teacher is not setting a very good example and I would not be happy with a teacher drinking Coke in the classroom. The school should also be monitoring the quality of lessons routinely and shouting and poor classroom management should be noticed by the SLT as they do the monitoring or even as they walk round the school. If enough parents are concerned and make their feelings known, something should be done to help the teacher improve their classroom management and, hopefully, a managed conversion to water!

No solution to the sweating! DD had a housemistress once who totally smelt of her dog! We thought she must sleep with it! Having said that, if she smells, other staff will notice!

[spanieleyes]

Surely that's the point!
If they work in a state school, they have to be a qualified teacher, so no point in checking.
If they work in an academy/free school, they don't have to be qualified, so no point in checking!!

[bojorojo]

Actually "normal" schools can employ overseas teachers who are not qualified by the list of accepted qualifications for overseas teachers. They do not just teach in academies.

[BoboChic]

LinkedIn is a useful resource for checking teacher credentials. Failing that, Facebook. You of course have every right, and every duty to your child, to check out teacher credentials.

[BertrandRussell]

"Surely that's the point!
If they work in a state school, they have to be a qualified teacher, so no point in checking.
If they work in an academy/free school, they don't have to be qualified, so no point in checking!!"

Absolutely.
I don't think a teacher can be disciplined for sweating though. Who told you about the swigging Pepsi and the shouting?

[Iggi999]

Bojo, wouldn't the overseas candidate still have to be accepted by the GTC?
(In Scotland, they would here)

[ravenAK]

OK, so assuming you could establish if this teacher has QTS (you can't): either they do have - but are still arguably rubbish - or they don't - but the school are exercising their newish right to employ any old warm body.

Then what?

Re: Facebook - every teacher I know switched to Firstname Middlename or similar years ago, to stop nosy students & their even nosier parents snooping into their private life.

We get regular INSET reminders about it, invariably with much brandishing of a story from the Daily Fail about a group of primary teachers who went on a pole dancing hen night.

[noblegiraffe]

So you find out that they got a third from a poly and no teaching qualification. What then? There's nothing you can do about it if an academy. The head knew their qualifications when they hired them.

Focus on stuff that actually matters. If you think there is problem with behaviour management, then talk on that. I expect if the class are pissing around, then a sweaty, irritable, shouty teacher is probably to be expected. If he gets support with the class, then he might sweat less.

[BertrandRussell]

And, if you ever have, remember never to vote Tory again!

[mrz]

The GTC no longer exists in England

[Shutthatdoor]

LinkedIn is a useful resource for checking teacher credentials.

If they are even on it.

Failing that, Facebook.

All teachers I know either aren't on it or if they are they aren't on it under their 'known' name.

[Feenie]

sweating profusely

Oh my good God, call the police immediately!