To be concerned that a Mum from another class is still in our class WhatsApp group?

My son was in a prep school from age 3 to 13. Small cosy prep, 40 ish kids, about 30 were together all the way through so 10 years of school. Friends with many of the parents and we all know each other and the kids pretty well.
Kids are Y11 now but the group is still going with the odd message and we have occasional meet ups.
there’s a mum whose boy left in year 2 so this would have been in probably 2017 and she’s still on it and reading messages. I cannot understand why and it does bother me!

Agree totally.

A couple of parents volunteer to do it when the children start in reception and then at the end of every school year, the class reps will mention if they're happy to stay on or would like to step down. If they are stepping down they'll ask in the class whats app group for volunteers for the following school year.

Haven’t read all the replies, sorry
personally I wouldn’t have an issue with it, from my understanding of what you’ve written, she’s a mum in the same year group as you.

as a now retired teacher, it’s quite common to have 2/3 reception classes, I suppose it depends on your school and local authorities. But it’s quite common to have a whole year group on one WhatsApp…it means that reps etc can cover for each other, saves keep writing the same message etc. it’s quite good for whole group reminders etc and of course anything like homework you don’t understand.

are you new to the school? Does your school have a school nursery? Very often the mums know each other well from school nursery, they just get split into different classes for reception, but the mums know each other and the kids well.

tbh if you’re concerned that “a random mum”
is on the WhatsApp , I’d question what are you putting on there. Teachers aren’t stupid, they know there’s more to the WhatsApp groups other than when’s mufti day or where is my child’s missing jumper…but tbh as long as you’re sticking to those types of conversations, you shouldn’t have to worry about any mum in WhatsApp groups.

The idea that people are posting things that are ok for parents of one class to see, but not ok for parents of another class in the same year group in the same school to see is very concerning. Also aren't their lots of things the classes do together and so parties etc that might involve lots of children from both classes, therefore useful to have all the parents on?!

Is that in response to me l? 😂 I've never been called a lazy, misogynistic idiot before but I guess there's a first for everything. But of a leap to make after one comment though...

Maybe her own class doesn't have one, or she can't work out who the parent who runs it is to ask to join?

They are not run by schools are they? Parents set them up themselves so you need to know who's set it up to join.

Thank God it’s not just me..

Me too, the level of drama. So unwarranted. All that’s required if there is any concern, is hey who is this to the class rep.

Exactly this - I feel like I live on another planet sometimes with posts like these. Get a hobby.

No idea why anyone epuld want to be in the playground mummy mafia WhatsApp groups!

Who appoints these people? I retired from teaching 11 years ago. We didn't have WhatsApp groups or Class Reps. It was obviously the Dark Ages.

Is she a school mum with a reception age child but there is more than one class and they are in the other class? If so, no big deal. She probably thought others in her child's reception group might be interested as wel.

Why are you in a WhatsApp group if you have privacy concerns? If you want to know why she's in your group, ask her. Problem solved without second guessing her motives.

Surely this isn't something to fret over?! I have a number of whatsapp groups that I've muted and forgotten about.

It's so, so unlikely that a school mum who no longer had a kid in a particular class being on an old whatsapp group (for her) could result in anything sinister. Fair enough to be concerned if a bunch of randoms joined that didn't have kids at the school, but this seems silly if you know who the mum is!

Oh my Christ, get a hobby or a job. Even reading this made me feel claustrophobic.

It depends on the group. There can be loads of drama on some and none on others. Depends on the characters involved. I'm a teacher. You know when they're up to something as you'll get loads of notes in about the same thing that is clearly worrying the ringleader parent who has roused the troops. I also have friends and family that find some parents constantly have issues with their child's teacher and are looking for support in dealing with the 'issue' and they're just trying to keep out of it as their kids haven't noticed any of the crimes their teacher has been accused of.
Some groups are purely informative and others are rabble rousing. It's very dependent on the parents involved.

I wouldn't be concerned. They're part of the school community and have a child your age. What is there to be concerned about? A role of the dice could have had her child in your class...

YANBU

I'd be speaking to the admin and getting them out if possible

I'm not in a class whataspp and wouldnt join one either.

This sounds fucking terrible id never be it one

Christ i couldn't get worried up about this
In fact ones if the mums on my school WhatsApp moved to Cornwall 18 months ago she's still in the group and noone cares to throw her out

Same. To me this is the same sort of lazy misogyny that insists that all mums at the school gate are cliquey.

Some people find a class Whatsapp helpful, some don't. Assuming they're all full of drama just makes a person sound like an idiot.

😂

I think you are making a mountain out of a molehill. I have been on another class whatsap group and just did not think to take myself off....I find it odd that you are looking so closely at the whatsap group and who each and every person is on it. I have been on many whatsap group over the years with 3 kids and never know every single number on the lists.....

No drama on any of ours either so far and I’ve got children now in high school where class WhatsApp groups don’t exist.
They were just used for ‘don’t forget pe today’ etc but a friend said she came off the one for her child’s school because someone was always kicking off about something on there 😬