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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to report this member of staff to the head?

78 replies

walklikeapenguin · 18/03/2011 14:54

I have noticed that most days when I go to pick up my child from infant school, a member of the caretaking staff is standing immediately outside the school gates smoking a cigarette.

The staff member wears a coat in school colours, with the school logo on it.

I think that:
a) it sets a bad example if the children see
and
b) it presents a poor image of the school to passers by and parents

WIBU to bring this to the attention of the head?

OP posts:
MadamDeathstare · 19/03/2011 00:28

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

empirestateofmind · 19/03/2011 03:02

I am surprised she does it there and then. Not very professional.

JuneMummy · 19/03/2011 08:40

i work in a school and the head called a meeting for all the smokers and told them that they must not be seen smoking outside the school gates and should not be seen by pupils, parents or visitors. But if i saw it, i wouldnt complain. I see the nursery nurses at my sons Nursery having a cigarette but it doesnt really matter to me if they smoked round the corner or miles away from the nursery as long as they dont smoke on top of my son.

LynetteScavo · 19/03/2011 08:52

YANBU. If S/he needs to smoke they should do it discretely.

Swearing isn't illegal, but you wouldn't expect him to have a chat with someone outside the school gate using swear words.

Would anybody think it acceptable for the head of a school to stand outside the gates smoking?

I would have a quite word with the head. It's not a sacking offence, so the head could ask the caretaker to smoke somewhere more discrete.

Goblinchild · 19/03/2011 08:52

I've never been in a school that had a designated smoking area, so if you needed a fag break, you'd have to leave the premises. If your break is ten or 15 mins, you can't go far.
Yes it sets a poor example, but the adult in question was within their rights.

FWIW I'll be happy when smoking is made illegal.

cumfy · 19/03/2011 09:30

YANBU
I think with the current economic situation they could consider putting in a "no-smoking within 100m of the school in school hours" clause.

Goblinchild · 19/03/2011 09:32

I like that, for everyone . Parents? Random strangers?
Shall we install those cat-scarer squirty machines or just arm Y6 with water blasters?

cumfy · 19/03/2011 09:37

So long as they were employed by the school!:o

StewieGriffinsMom · 19/03/2011 09:41

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

StewieGriffinsMom · 19/03/2011 09:42

This reply has been deleted

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TidyDancer · 19/03/2011 09:49

YABU.

If your concern is really that it doesn't leave a good impression of the school, then let it go and find something else to crusade. It's happening off school premises, so don't go steaming in about it. It really is not that big a deal.

AtYourCervix · 19/03/2011 09:49

as an aside....

Do the teaching staff wear a uniform?

Why do the non-teaching staff have to wear a uniform?

all a bit paternalistic something-or-other. 'Teachers are better so we deserve to wear real clothes, cleaners/care takers are not worthy so they must wear a uniform like children'.

bollocks non?

Violethill · 19/03/2011 09:51

Are you a reasonable, intelligent person, whose intention is simply to raise the issue discreetly so that the head can ask for any staff who smoke to go somewhere else, then fine, have a quiet word.

But if you're one of those whining frustrated women with too much time on her hands, whose life revolves around nit picking on every aspect of her school lives, then butt out (pardon the pun)

So ask yourself an honest question and you'll know whether you're being unreasonable or not

Violethill · 19/03/2011 09:52

Her childrens school life, that should be

Goblinchild · 19/03/2011 10:04

AYC, staff do wear badges.
Some premises officers wear protective clothing rather than get their own clothes mucky.
Our cleaners do not wear uniforms or badges.

AtYourCervix · 19/03/2011 10:10

i hate uniforms of all sorts - can you tell?

onceamai · 19/03/2011 10:12

I think the OP is being entirely reasonable. It sets a bad example and represents the school in a poor light. I wouldn't be impressed either and I certainly would have a quiet word with the head. And for what it's worth the head invited me in for a quiet word when she was about to announce plans for a new and much stricter school uniform because I was one of the more sensible mothers.

NinkyNonker · 19/03/2011 10:19

Staff must be out of sight at all schools I've worked at.

lurkerspeaks · 19/03/2011 10:26

If it is the wearing of school clothing that you have a problem with then I agree with you.

It is bad form. I personally wouldn't care if staff member was smoking outside the school in civvies but whilst wearing uniform they represent the school regardless of whether they are off school grounds.

StewieGriffinsMom · 19/03/2011 12:18

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

HappySeven · 19/03/2011 13:17

I think you would be reasonable to mention it. If he/she's wearing a uniform then it does reflect on the school and you say it's happening at home time (think they could at least be asked to do it at different times).

Lots of hospitals don't allow employees to smoke on the grounds or just outside the grounds and I don't see why a school should be different.

HappySeven · 19/03/2011 13:22

AtYourCervix - where I work (hospital) some people obviously wear uniforms and some don't. Some uniform wearers seem to think it demeans them whereas the non-uniform wearers wouldn't mind wearing uniform as it would mean they could spend their money on clothes to wear outside work.

Really the point of the uniform is to be easily identifiable to patients and it can reassure them to see it.

AtYourCervix · 19/03/2011 14:29

Seven - your argument doesn't work. the average patient doesn't know which uniform is which anyway. if you are wearing some sort of tunic or dress you are 'nurse' even if you are a physio/OT/midwife/NA. the different colours are utterly meaningless unless you work in that particular building, what a ward manager wears in one trust may be the colour of an OT or student nurse in another. So what is meant to be 'reassuring' actually is more confusing.

Original poster
walklikeapenguin · 19/03/2011 14:40

Violet, yes, in my opinion I am intelligent and sensible!

Contrary to what a lot of the responders think, I don't think I should be able to control what adults do etc etc.

What I had in mind was a discreet word or note just saying I had noticed this and maybe it would be better if they were:

a) a bit further away from the entrance
b) wearing a different coat
and maybe c) not at times like picking up time

or some combination of some of those

OP posts:
Violethill · 19/03/2011 15:26

I think that's fine then, if your agenda is simply to discreetly make the Head aware so that simple steps can be taken to rectify the issue.

I just think it's important to make the distinction, because sadly, every school has a small number of bored, frustrated mothers who make it their life's work to interfere with every aspect of school life.

But if your motive is right, and you go about this in the right way, then I don't see a problem.