Guidelines on employing parents in school

[RagingAnger]

Are there any official guidelines? In my experience parents are not employed in their own child's year group due to conflict of interest / confidentiality.

[Sleeperandthespindle]

If the new staff member can't be trusted with confidentiality then they shouldn't be employed in the school. They must work under exactly the same conditions as everyone else.

I don't think there are any official guidelines. It would be important to take the child's best interests into account - if they are likely to be adversely affected by a parent being around then the parent should be working in a different part of the school.

[RagingAnger]

Thank you, just as I thought. The inability to adhere to confidentiality has already been proven. Any tips on broaching this so it doesn't become a 'he said, she said' debacle? And I am assuming correctly that the parent's presence should not affect children connected with their child adversely either?

[Sleeperandthespindle]

Are you a parent or staff member. Either way, broach this factually with the appropriate line manager, without sharing it with other staff or parents first.

[RagingAnger]

I'm another TA in the class. Parent involved has been v unpleasant towards a little girl in the class after her own child bullied her. SLT aware, I think, happened over a year ago but little girl visibly nervous around her.

[bumpetybumpbumpbump]

Seems to me that the guidelines are nothing to do with parents but the fact that a TA would display a general lack of care and professionalism by being unkind to another child, or being biased and displaying favouritism.

In my experience professional members of staff do not have a problem teaching in their own class.