AIBU or is this teacher being very unprofessional?

[UnprofessionalTeacher]

Have name changed for this incase I get flamed for being so inconsiderate, etc. Can't take a pasting atm. Am not a troll, poos in memorable places, mile for Maude, Cod, etc.

DD is in Yr 1. She's in a class which emcompasses reception, and Yrs 1-2. Obviously a small school, but class is fairly big due to different years.

DD's teacher has a daughter who started at reception in a different primary school in Sept. This primary school only did half days for first month. So every afternoon the teacher's DD would be dropped off at school and spend the afternoon in the classroom with her mum while her mum worked.

Now this other primary school isn't far away and finishes 30 minutes earlier. A friend of the teacher's picks this girl up and drops her off with her mum every day. IE; with my daughter's teacher in the classroom for the last 20-25 minutes of the day. Now according to dd and a couple of older kids there is a fair amount of the last 20 minutes of the day spent with the teacher having her attention focused on her DD, listening to what she did in school, etc.

So one of my friends has written to the headmaster asking if he's aware of what's happening and that parents aren't happy. He's written a letter back saying as far as he's concerned it can carry on. The letter is snotty and states that he would rather have this arrangement and have his staff happy than have them pulling sickies all the time. Direct quote.

I can't believe how unprofessional it is. Its maybe not the worst thing in the world but its 20 minutes a day for the next few years where the teacher isn't focused. Not good enough in my book.

Wow. I certainly wouldn't be allowed to do this (secondary teacher). There must be all sorts of reasons why it's not acceptable.

Is the class full with 30 children? If the dd is making it 31 then I think you have even further grounds for complaint.

The child needs to be put into a different class, not the same one as her mother. No teacher is allowed to teach their own child, so this should be the same.

I'm a teacher and whenever we do school trips if a teacher wants to bring their child they become a parent first - they can't be included as a member of staff with responsibility on the risk assessment etc because were there an emergency they would naturally attend to their own child first. So YANBU, and I'm very surprised at the Head's reaction. If the fire alarm went off would she concentrate on getting her own child out rather than following procedure? I expect so - and it would be difficult to do otherwise in that situation - so naturally her focus on the actual class would be compromised.

Like babybythesea my Mum was a teacher. Actually that's a lie! She was a non-teaching-assistant in a nursery school (pre-school as they now seem to be called, not private nursery). When ever I had inset days, I went to work with her, although I was old enough that, while I couldn't be left at home on my own, I didn't need constant looking after. I used to spend all day playing with the children, I loved it, the children seemed to love it, and the staff were all fine with it. As far as I know, no-one ever compained, but then I think it's different to a school setting itswim.

Unprofessional, I agree.

At the school I work in children who are not on roll or visiting for a purpose are not insured so we have a blanket 'no children' rule for all staff.

YANBU. I can understand the head wanting to keep a good teacher happy but other arrangements should be made within the school i.e. being supervised by office staff or something. I would not be happy if this was happening in my dc's class

Not acceptable.

(Also the whole afternoon thing wasn't acceptable either).

Perhaps for a one off if child care goes belly-up, but no way should this be considered or sanctioned by the HEad.

Actually, the HEAD is the person who comes off looking worst here, not the teacher.

I would take this to the Governors and Ofsted, regarding the Head allowing this, rather than letting it get personal with the class teacher (who is perhaps simply taking advantage of a weak head).
V weird really.

Yanbu. However I would imagine this is a temporary arrangement. Presumably the teacher was using a nursery or cm before her dd reached school age as you don't mention her dd being in the class full time since babyhood! I wonder whether the teacher had childcare set up to fit before and after school and the after school Care fell through suddenly? This would be classed as an emergency and the head teacher may have agreed to allow this rather than the teacher take emergency time off. However it sounds if its been going on pretty much all term so I wouldn't class that as a crisis any more. She needs to sort out childcare. Presumably she has it in the mornings as she no doubt has to be in school far earlier than her dd gets to hers. She needs to either sort out childcare or enrol her dd in the same school as her, which would cut down childcare though obviously she would still need it for meetings etc . Very odd .

Graciouslife that's utter nonsense, there is no law which says no teacher can teach their own child

Good Lord. Nope. Not OK at all.

I think you should complain as a group to the govenors.

However I don't agree with GraciousLife - some schools may have their own rules about children not being taught by their parents but it is not a national policy that I am aware of.

I wonder whether the teacher had childcare set up to fit before and after school and the after school Care fell through suddenly? But the daughter has been going to her mums work since September! Surely they could have found more childcare by now?

Crikey I didn't realise people would be so against this. My daughter used to go to husband's place of work after school until he finished at 5.30. (Although she was at secondary school not primary.)

Yes unproffessional, and the head was completely out of order!

Kladdkaka - that's a bit different. The OP is talking about the teacher's child joining a class before the end of the day, while the class is still there.

Yes I agree- Ineedabetternickname- I did say this has gone on too long to be a crisis. I was just making the point that we can assume the teacher had childcare in place until now. The OP doesnt say the teacher is newly appointed. She doesn't say she used to have her child with her all day as a pre schooler! So it would seem she is totally aware of the need for care and had it in' place until now- so its odd that now the dd is at school this is happening. The only thing I can think of is that the teacher is a very good one who the head wants to keep, who used a nursery or cm while her child was pre school, but something has gone drastically wrong with the childcare now. And it's true that logistically arranging childcare around school can be harder than for a baby. I am not defending this situation, because clearly it's gone on too long- but I am pointing out that it doesn't sound like the teacher is just trying to save money or anything, as presumably she used to pay a lot more for childcare

Tbh I'm not sure that I would be against this providing the teacher did not stop teaching for a moment while her DD arrived in class and the pupil numbers did not go over the max limit. It does sound though as if she does stop teaching to focus on her DD, so perhaps it's that issue which needs to be managed?

I would however have a problem with the Head's head in the sand attitude, so I'd take it further on the basis that I don't want my child's teaching time reduced, rather than I just don't like it.

If the teacher's friend is picking her DD up from school, would she not be able to keep onto the child for an extra twenty minutes? I wouldn't be happy if the teacher was neglecting the class for her own child.

I'm staggered at this too. Gives us teachers a bad name. Unprofessional.

So has it been confirmed by someone over 6 that this is actually happening? I can understand the first minute or two when she enters the classroom that the teacher will be greeting her and asking if she had a good day but a 'fair amount' of time? No teacher would ignore their class for that long would they?

I wouldn't have a problem with the arrangement as such, especially as her daughter is the same age. Can you see why priority admissions are going to be given to teachers - it would stop this nonsense at a stroke!

Now according to dd and a couple of older kids there is a fair amount of the last 20 minutes of the day spent with the teacher having her attention focused on her DD, listening to what she did in school, etc.

This sentence says it all. This is what 4, 5 and 6 year old children are saying! I would be inclined to get a more reliable source.

Gracious that is rubbish, I teach my own DS, there is no law against it .

Notihng ever happens in the last 20 minutes of reception class apart from tidying up, story, getting coats and bookbags and letters sorted, and sitting on the carpet in front of the smartboard. I'm sure your DD's learning won't be affected.

As others have siad though, write to the governors if you are still not happy, but if the system works for the teacher and head, and all the children are taken care of, is it really worth making a fuss?

So what if it can't be done in all places of work, surely it's a good thing that this teacher is allowed this arrangement? Don't complain just out of spite. I see it as a shame that not more workplaces could offer this, having a child with you doesn't make you immediately unprofessional.

It doesn't matter what the children are doing in the last 20 minutes though. Its unprofessional, i can think of no other job where this would be fine