to think this was out of order? Teacher walks up to me at the Christmas Fair..

[BiscuitMillionaire]

... where I was volunteering on the tombola stall and demanded to know if I was transferring DD to another school. In front of about 10 parents and kids, and DD.

I hadn't picked up DD from her, as I was in the playground as the fair was starting (it was held in the playground), so DD had already joined me. I was really put on the spot. She didn't say hello or can I have a word or anything, just 'I want to talk to you' in quite a brusque, possibly stroppy voice (and I thought, uh-oh, what's DD done today?). She then said that the office had told her they'd got an email saying that DD was being transferred to X school and wanted her to ask me. I replied, 'er, um, nothing is confirmed yet, they only emailed me last night'. And she walked off.

To explain: we moved back to the UK in the summer and could only get places at this current school, which for various reasons (including distance from home) I'm not happy with. So I remained on the waiting list for my first and second choice schools. I didn't know if we would get places (for my two children) this academic year, but got an email last night from Admissions saying we were being offered places for January and that we have until next Thursday to accept or decline. I hadn't even had a chance to reply yet, but had just emailed the new school to ask if I could visit.

So Admissions messed up by telling the current school before I'd even accepted. But why the hell couldn't the school office just phone me? Or the teacher ask to speak to me in private? I hadn't told DD yet, but luckily I don't think she realised what we were talking about.

Is it normal for teachers to be pissed off that you're moving your child?

Teacher obviously very U.

Possibly less U than the deputy head who shouted at me in front of my whole class about moving school after GCSEs tho. And he really wondered why I was moving?!?

whois: that is worse

I forgot to mention, DD is in primary, year 1.

I removed my son from an appalling school - his teacher was a horrible bullying woman and the rest of the staff weren't much better.
On his last day she was screaming at us at the top of her voice as we walked away "You'll regret it - he won't settle in. He won't be happy - you'll see." (She was wrong btw - he has flourished.)
Surreal behaviour - she took it very personally.

Don't let it bother you.

That is so unprofessional of the teacher I would be tempted to make a formal complaint

That is so unprofessional of the teacher I would be tempted to make a formal complaint

harticus: that's truly appalling!

The thing is, the teachers are OK, it's really nothing to do with her teaching. I was planning to tell them that it wasn't because of their teaching.

doubletrouble (doubleposter?): I don't think I would go that far. Especially as we're leaving. I was just rather flabbergasted.

That's awful! She was really out of order. I would have hated to be put on the spot like that.

No, not normal. I would be sad to see any of my children go (I've got a lovely bunch this year), but relieved that that's about 4 less books to mark per day, one less report to write, one more gap at Parents' Eve etc.

That's awful. Teacher here clearly sees it as a rejection, but it's a professional one, not a personal one, and should have the sense to take it up with you in a professional manner.

registration of children on the school roll should be confidential information. Not only was she insensitive and rude, she was also very unprofessional and possibly in breach of confidentiality, as whether you are applying for other school places should not be broadcast. What if you were secretly trying to flee an abusive partner, and she blabbed it and gave the game away.

WTF has it got to do with her anyway? A stiffly worded letter of complaint to the school and governors.

That's a good point about potentially trying to flee abusive partner, I hadn't thought of that.

The woman sounds unhinged! As does the woman who screamed at the other poster re: moving her son.

There are two things that bug me about a child leaving: 1) if they're lovely, I'll miss them and 2) getting a new child partway through a year is a pain. We always have waiting lists so class always full.