Teacher odd interaction

He's asking children to keep secrets about behaviour that singles out pupils and breaches physical boundaries? He needs fired.

The whole point of safeguarding reporting protocols is so people who are not fully trained in assessing risk have a process for raising concerns to people with a higher level of training, who can investigate and assess properly.

I am more experienced in health and social care (adult) safeguarding than child (although you do have to cover both). Even when I was technically safeguarding lead as registered manager of a care home, I would absolutely be referring to the safeguarding team, and if at all unsure on investigating concern, I would get their advice first.

Report it. Then leave it. Do not question the child-if you are not confident on even reporting a concern, you definitely should not be under taking your own investigation.

It isn't your child so I wouldn't say anything

Eh? So school staff should not report any safeguarding concerns about any children as they are not ther parents?

Also.op, dont address this with the teacher, it is not your role to question or tackle this, or risk tipping off - again, all safeguarding concerns about staff should go to the head

ilovesooty

Sorry, I think we're at cross purposes. I thought you were asking whether the teacher followed the same uniform rules as the pupils.

No worries!

🙂

Whether or not the OP is jealous, sanctimonious or misreading the situation is irrelevant, she has concerns so she MUST report them. Motivation doesn’t enter into it and the safeguarding lead can decide for themselves whether it is a misunderstanding or indicative of something more. All the “nothing to do with you” comments are exactly WHY all staff in schools are safeguarding trained - because for years people got away with inappropriate behaviour as it was explained away by saying things like that!

Thank you - yes.

Sorry, I think we're at cross purposes. I thought you were asking whether the teacher followed the same uniform rules as the pupils.

This. You sound sanctimonious.

No, even if she turns out to be wrong, staff should report any concerns. That's safeguarding 101.

The pupil is having fun in the class, he hasn't said he's being targeted. Has he?

Sounds. Like he has a good relationship with him tbh

It isn't your child so I wouldn't say anything

I think this is the issue with how the comment was phrased, different people can take it in different way.

completely agree that OP has spent more time posting on social media than a knock on the HT door would have taken.

No, I think the question related to whether the teacher was simply telling the boy to tuck his shirt in (which is absolutely fine) or was touching him.

I'm also concerned about a member of staff who doesn't understand her school's safeguarding policy (which will be much the same as any other school's) and spends more time posting about it on social media than the few minutes it would take to report it to the school safeguarding lead.

I don’t think you were paying attention enough in your safeguarding training. It’s always very clear that you should report everything as it could be the last piece of a jigsaw. Go to your DSL. Tell them that you don’t understand what safeguarding is and what you are supposed to do and can you be retrained. Read the policy and read KCSIE.

In conjunction with this, do what you are supposed to do. Report to the DSL your concerns. DO NOT ASK CHILDREN QUESTIONS ABOUT SAFEGUARDING ISSUES! You are not supposed to ask questions or direct communication at all.

oh-and stop posting shit on social media.

I think this poster assumed that they were asking if the teacher was tucking his own shirt in, not if he was tucking the child’s shirt in. Thats how I read it anyway

Any concerns - report. You should know that.

However to me it really doesn’t sound like anything and the most important factor for me would be the boy in question. If he is particularly distractable, or under confident, or clever, or needs a bit more attention aimed his way in order to stay engaged …there are a million reasons why it might appear that he is singling this pupil out. The karate kick thing sounds completely silly and innocuous to me but let your SLT decide.

*ilovesooty" · Today 08:52

- Is the teacher tucking his shirt in? -

Irrelevant.

Really? Are you saying that a teacher picking a pupil out regularly and touching them is irrelevant?

Why don't you as the TA just say to the teacher that you've noticed they focus on child X a bit and maybe involve the other kids a bit more (if you feel he is being singled out) i agree the teacher shouldn't be teaching the kids to not tell names when someone's done something wrong but I can see how this could have been meant in a jokey way. Is the child in particular very confident or jokey themselves?

As previous posters have said ypu need to follow safeguarding policy- read it again if you're not sure. Being new is no excuse for not reporting something you found uncomfortable, go see ypu ht or safeguarding lead. The don't tell anyone thing would be mote of a concern for me as this is highlighted in safeguarding training as something school staff should not be saying!

Safeguarding training is mandatory and so is that you have read KCSIE. It also is very easy, report to DSL. Low level concerns are just that, mostly and usually nothing but if everyone reports to DSL they may have an overall picture that you do not.
If you are not clear then ask for more training ,

If you have a concern then talk to the safeguarding lead. They will decide if it’s important or not.

Your safeguarding training has been inadequate if it hasn't included what to do if you are concerned about a member of staff. Like other posters I am concerned that you are posting about this online rather than raising it at work but this is a criticism of your school rather than of you because it should have been made clear what the procedure should be. Speak to your line manager or the DSL (assuming you know who that is) on Monday. If this teacher is not being monitored then he should be!

Anyone who does direct work with children in a school is supposed to have read at least part one of KCSIE. My advice to you would be to make sure you have, as being new to the job is not an excuse. It’s on the DfE website, but your school really should have given you a copy to read and sign that you’ve read it. The part about reporting low-level concerns is on page 87. It’s awkward, but if you have a bad feeling about something you should report it. Hope this helps!

It sounds like you haven’t been adequately trained in safeguarding. The section you need is on Page 20:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1181955/Keeping_children_safe_in_education_2023.pdf

If you had a concern you should have gone straight to your DSL . There is lots about reporting concerns about staff in safeguarding training .

You should not be questioning the child or teacher yourself , that is the DSLs role ... this is very clear in the training as you could be leading the child into making declarations based on your input .

All your other little observations sound like jealousy, looking for problems , reading into things . I think you are allowing your own personal opinions on how teachers should behave interfere in your judgement.

Also , very unprofessional of you putting this on social media . There will be a policy in your school about how staff use social media .... coming on here to talk about sensitive matters is breaking the guidance in the policy !!!

I’m an ITT so I’ve just done this training. You must report any concerns about another member of staff to the headteacher. DO NOT report/mention it to any other member of staff in the school.