Is this not bizarre mum behaviour?

Can’t you block an individual on WhatsApp? If so, that’s what I would do. You don’t need her input to see the gist of postings on there.

You should definitely screen shot the pictures and send them to the school. As a primary teacher we always make it very clear to parents that they cannot photograph other people’s children. And certainly never then share them. It’s totally inappropriate. Once they’ve been posted on there everyone has access to them and you never know which children might be under some kind of protection which could then be violated if the photos are shared elsewhere

I used to think it was annoying as hell but I kind of feel bad for her now, like she just really needs that little bit of connection/attention even if it’s total strangers

I would assume this too, you have no idea what her life is like really or what is going on. So I’d do nothing.

I’d also add that when someone’s Mental health is bad, it’s hard for them to make good decisions.

I’m a Leader too - one of my parents took it on themselves to start her own parent WhatsApp group for my unit without consent or asking . I had the same issues and it’s an utter nightmare so I had it shut down. I do the reminders , news and info - not them 🙄 WhatsApp groups seem to be nothing but trouble. I’m glad I never had to be in any class one.

Op Is right to be raising concern with these blurry photos. Massive safeguarding breach.

@Calmascannotbe I was just wondering OP if you have read the novel
"The VANISHING OF CLASS 3B"
By Jackie Kabler?

Which led me on to wondering if this thread might be a case of

'life imitating art' or maybe 'art imitating life', or perhaps 'art imitating art, but pretending to be life'?
(sorry for the second "or" as grammatically I don't think two in the same sentence are allowed!)

Of course it may well be none of those, although I personally fall into the category of the group of people who think that coincidences happen far less frequently than many people seem to think they do.

I am mystified why your friend is going to tell the school anonymously. If you think it's not right just tell them

I would email the photos to the school anonymously and say someone is taking photos from afar .. you could leave it at that. They might send out an email to all parents saying don’t do this etc without highlighting who it is.. the first part of what you said in op is just daft and id ignore it. But not the photos etc

I think we may be on the same group! There is a woman on my middle son’s class WhatsApp group that regularly uploads so many photos of her child doing random things all the time. No one else on the group does this and there is very little response to all her photos / messages. A recent one was 32 photos of her child making some elaborate creation of the solar system for the child’s homework- when the homework was to draw a picture of your favourite planet. So attention seeking.

I definitely agree about reporting them regarding the second point, that’s extremely weird.

The first point wouldn’t bother me other than being slightly annoying id just ignore it.

Can you link to the law that was broken please, or to anything that states this is definitely illegal?

I'm not sure just naming the village is illegal, but after Googling, I can't find anything specific.

I'm not saying it's right btw, I'm just wondering if UK law has definitely been broken.

A bit un-related but I stuck my neck out once when the class WhatsApp group became Covid dominated - it was an over kill of information as most of us were already getting information from the school, where I worked, news etc - I did a very polite message acknowledging that the information might be needed but could we have two groups , once just school based with relevant bits on it, and another one for Covid where those that wanted could post. I got a LOT of likes and yes let's do that so I was certainly to the only one.
Maybe suggest a separate WhatsApp group where pics / more informal chatter can be placed - you can say that it is not to clog up the WhatsApp, makes it easier to find dates etc, and then those that want to have general chatter can have a group for that.

You can't block people on group chats on WA unfortunately. If you block them privately messages will still appear in groups. It's very annoying

Yes it is situation specific I believe. So in my example you are publicly sharing a child's personal details, where they live.

Tbh I found the first part weirder than the second but can see I’m in the minority!

Birthday parties in a whole class WhatsApp chat… not everyone gets invited to every party after Reception. It’s a bit odd to talk about parties in a WhatsApp group when not every child will have been invited.

On the second part, my first thought after reading the OP was that she obviously has time to go along as a parent helper. Keeping the parent group up to date with how the trip is going / some nice photos isn’t necessarily a problem. However that would only be the case if she could be certain that all parents were happy for those photos to be shared.

Definitely!!

The turning up on a school trip and taking photos is very very odd - I don't imagine the
School would be happy with a parent doing this and posting photos when children are in their care and without permission.

The other stuff I'd just ignore.

Yeh this does sound a bit bizarre. On our whatsapp group we use it almost entirely to ask logistical questions and arrange collections etc. I will snap pics/videos of the kids if I see a cute moment but I would never snap them 'sniper-style' during a school trip I wasn't even meant to be at. That's quite creepy. It would always be when kids were interacting with my own kids as well and I'd always only share privately with whichever other kids were involved too.

It's a tough one though as you don't want to seem like a bitch. If you're admin of the group I think you'd be perfectly reasonable to put a polite notice that the group is intended for admin, that sharing other posts clogs it up and suggest that anyone who wants to share photos/achievements starts a separate optional group. If you aren't admin I'd message someone who's admin privately and voice your concerns so that they can do the above. If they don't then not much you can do except not engage with the nuisance poster. Either way I'd be reporting her paparazzi shinnadigans to the school as I think this needs nipping in the bud

I'm asking in what way it breaches data privacy laws?

It seems to be a bit of a muddy area when it comes to actual law, rather than guidelines etc.

Definitely inform the school about the unauthorised photos. At our school that would be a major safeguarding issue for a couple of children. Echo PP who said all hell would break loose at our school if that happened.

@Btwmum23 you sound really lovely! Tbh I can sympathise with this mum as I often feel lonely. You don’t know what people are going through. You can’t judge someone as weird by your own standards. You have no idea what they are living, this might be her Only time to feel a connection with adults

The best day of my life was when my youngest left school for good
So pleased I don't have to deal with schools anymore.
For what I read on here sometimes it sounds as if it's worse now.
More drama with the school gate parents than their is with the kids.

Totally this.
I knew a mum like that and her husband was having an affair and left her and her kids without willing to see them anymore. She had no family. She did loads of efforts to do activities with her kids and she would send pics. She obviously needed attention and some encouragement. I was one of the parents putting some love hearths and a few time I messaged her in private complimenting her as I felt so sorry for her.
it is a lonely place to be a parent some times.

You’re being a bit dramatic. Mute the group until you have a question to ask.

The irony is you’re getting miffed because she’s posting some random stuff and you’ve come on MN and created an entire thread about it all.

We have a woman who rushes to post alerts and screenshots emails. We all value it because comms from school are so erratic and we know if we ever need an answer she most probably has it. Saves us all reading the waffle that comes out through various means of school comms which are entirely erratic.

The waffle does tail off each school year. Reception was pretty mental though.

The photos from afar on school trips is super weird though, agree with that one. However maybe she has coincidently seen them and thinks some of the parents would like to see their little ones enjoying themselves/who they’re friends hanging out with? I dunno. Seems odd.

It’s obviously bugging the life out of you and It would me too!
You don’t need to be in the chat really do you though, if there’s anything school related they’ll notify you and parties if the kid really wants your kid to go the parent will contact you or send an invite through the school. There’s no need to be in a chat with people that, at the end of the day you aren’t interested in!!ha
Contact the school to tell them about the parent acting like a creepy stalker and leave the WhatsApp chat. Simple as that.

when she next posts, reply with the suggestion that it would be good to have two whatsapp groups - one for essential messages/news and an optional one for tedious pictures of X's child.
You may want to word it a bit more diplomatically than that.