Working at same secondary school your child may join in Y7...would you do it?

[Iamaworrywart]

Hi All,

My friend has asked me to post this message for her. She works in the office of a London secondary school and her DS will be starting secondary school next year. The school that she works in is the nearest to her home so it should be one of their choices but her DS lacks confidence and she is afraid he will rely on her too much if he's at the same school.

Also she's worried that she may not be able to speak her mind to teachers if she's not happy about something because she is a member of the support staff.

Would you let your child go to the school you work at?

[LawrieMarlow]

My experience is of having parents teaching at the school I went to. They were both maths teachers and my dad taught me from year 9 to year 13, my mum just in years 12 and 13.

It was fine - I wasn't treated any differently and they were both good teachers. There were amusing moments for my mum and dad at parents evenings - in year 7 they arrived to see my geography teacher who until then hadn't realised I was my dad's daughter .

I personally wouldn't teach at a school where my children went to, but I don't think that most children would tend to rely on parents at a school - they would be more likely to try and be as far away as possible . I am also pretty sure that teachers would have enough professionalism that the fact she was a member of the support staff would not affect the teacher/parent relationship.

[Clary]

I work at a secondary school and the member of office staff I deal with on a daily basis has a DD in yr 7.

It's totally fine. Nobody pussyfoots around her - any issues are discussed quite openly to her as to any other parent. In fact she knows what's what so has a very realistic view. Her DD is a sweetie tho she can be a bit chatty too - again mum knows this so it's no problemo.

Don't think her DD relies on her at all. Mum has to come to school earlier than her etc so it's not as tho they see each other all day long or anything.

[onceamai]

Personally I wouldnt' want to work at a school my child attended. If there was a problem and I had to see the head I would want to do so as a parent and an equal not as a subordinate.

[Iamaworrywart]

onceamai - I think that's what my friend is concerned about.

[mummytime]

When I've been in schools, lots of staff have children there (a bit awkward if you are very junior and have to teacher your bosses blue-eyed daughter). In most secondaries this would be quite normal.

I would suggest that she trains her son that she is not there available during the day any more than if she were somewhere else at work. But to be honest it won't be long until he is trying to deny her existence.

[Boobaddum]

At DD's school there have been lots of students whose parents work/ have worked at the school, including the Head, teaching and support staff. There are also a lot of children whose parents attended the school (me included) and a fair amount of teachers who attended the school themselves. This is a north London comp with a broad range of ability children, reasonable but improving GCSE results and a great pastoral care system in place. It reassures me that so many staff do send their children to the school!

[cardibach]

I teach at my daughter's school. It's common, as it's a rural area which does restrict options: she's not even the only child in her class with a parent on staff. I rarely see her, so there is no problem with her depending on me.

The other staff are professional about the parent/teacher relationship, and there havve been no awkward moments. It probably helps that there are no memebers of staff I would feel unhappy teaching her - it's a good school (in my opnion) with a great staff.

If you are happy with the school, if it is what you would have chosen all things being equal, then go for it.

[Happymum22]

I would say it wouldnt be much of a problem as she is only support staff, and unlikely to see DD much. My mum was a teacher but never at my school. Im a teacher but not at DDs school. I would not want to actually teach in their school as i feel its a place for them to have space from family like and discover who they are and I know from experience having a parent as staff was fine for most but many miss out on opputunities or feel they are treated differently, less strict with them, more pressure, cant be head girl or main part in play because mums the one directing the play etc...
But this is rarely a problem, many children love it and its something which makes them have a special bond as they have so much to share and they are really involved in each others lives.
I worry my DDs wouldnt go for a teacher for help if they were upset or struggling, my DDs school has an ethos where they are encouraged to get help and most of them do when they are in need, go to a teacher for support. I dont think my DD would do this if she knew that teacher knew me or would tell me etc.