To mention this to the teacher re parent volunteer

[Saladeeta]

I don't know what is the protocol with parent volunteers but I felt unhappy with the following situation.

Parent of dds friend volunteers and checks some of her work- its a reading test. Parent texts me to say she thought dd had memorised all words, not reading them. She put it nicely, but I found it a bit odd. She then wrote a comment about having completed the task in the home school communication book. Which means she has read all through the numerous communications between me and her teacher. All friendly, nothing embarrassing, but I felt uncomfortable. Is this th I norm with parent volunteers or should I mention it to the teAcher, that o would prefer only staff to use the book?

No she should not be texting you about what your DD has done in school.
She also shouldn't be making judgements about whether your DD has memorised words or not - although of course she has that's how we read!

But I'd take a little bit of comfort from the fact your DD probably did extremely well hence the memorising comment. A bit like "well her Dd can't possibly read that well, she must have memorised it". Rather than work on her own child's reading she's taken it out on you.

I was only allowed to write in the reading diary not home/school diary. That behaviour is not on. She has ideas above her station.

Ask to speak with a DHT or HT. No parent volunteer should be writing in the home school book let alone texting anything to do with your child in class. As an HT I'd be furious if a parent volunteer had done this and would want to know about it.

Not the norm. I have volunteered at our school and we are not allowed to work in our own DC class and we are most definitely not allowed to approach other parents regarding their child's work. If we are approached by a parent we have to direct them to their class teacher.

Please talk to the teacher before the Head or Deputy - it's undermining to be bypassed (at least cc them into an email) You never know, teacher might be desperate to bin off interfering volunteer and grateful for the info oh gosh I hope it's not too obvs that I speak from experience...

At my DCs primary school, their reading diary was totally separate to any home/school record book.

I did see volunteers notes in the reading diary but only the relevant staff wrote in the home/school book.

Monday: SmallPan used the pictures to decode the words, very good try ( teacher)

Tuesday: SmallPan is using the pictures to guess the words not reading them, needs to try and read first (Parent helper)

I was FURIOUS

I agree that the volunteer has overstepped the mark, but I wouldn't put confidential information in a home-school book either, it may get lost or mislaid. I'd stick to face-to-face or email if it's sensitive.

Pantone Looks like you definitely need the conversation with the teacher.

My concerns about DS2's reading were largely ignored until the time a TA put a jolly comment in his home school book to the effect that he'd memorised the words in his book really well. I sent back an exasperated comment to the effect that that was what I had been telling them for ages, didn't they think they ought to be concerned that he couldn't decode them? It finally woke them up about what proved to be dyslexia.

If you want to stop that mother volunteering, then tell the school. Maybe she shouldn't volunteer, although I suspect it will be a loss as far as the teacher is concerned, but really the fault lies with the school for not giving parent volunteers guidelines to follow.

Yes giving up her time to help your child progress what an evil witch

No need to be so snippy Kera

Is anyone saying she shouldn't be helping in the school, KERALA? Or are they saying she has overstepped the mark a bit, and maybe the school needs to review how the parent helpers record their reading with the children, and remind them not to pass in information to the parents?

She definitely shouldn't be texting you about anything that goes on in school with your child.

We have casual TAs volunteer as it helps with their CV with their hours spent in a school, plus parent helpers but they need a NVQ qualification in our school.

I was a parent helper a few years ago and we are covered by the same confidentiality that the teachers and TAs are. I had to attend a course which covered policy and procedure and we had a safeguarding/disclosure talk too.

I had to sit a test to show I had understood the policies etc, pass said test, have the old CRB check and only then I was allowed to be a parent helper in school.

We did write in their reading records but this is a separate book from their homework diaries where teachers and parents communicate.

I would contact the school over the text message.

Think people seem to be forgetting that she is volunteering. Not being paid. Should be grateful. If anyone gave up their time to read with my child I would be bloody appreciative not picking holes in how they do the kind thing they are doing. No good deed unpunished it seems!

Kerala, that is not the point. Anyone working in a school, in a voluntary capacity or not, HAS to follow basic protocols and this woman has broken the most fundamental of the lot. She needs to be told.

People should only be grateful if the person who is volunteering follows the rules. Not being paid doesn't mean you can do what you want

People should only be grateful if the person who is volunteering follows the rules. Not being paid doesn't mean you can do what you want

Think people seem to be forgetting that she is volunteering. Not being paid. Should be grateful
Some volunteers can do more than harm than good. The charity I worked for had a volunteer who had worked in HR for a huge company, so should have been professional.
She ended up losing me money twice. First time docking me 2 days pay because I started on 3rd of the month but being p/t i did do all my hours and the next time paying me maternity pay when i had gone back to work. Both times she refused to put it right. She was "sacked" in the end because she would make confidential phonecalls in the middle of the office in a loud voice.

The volunteer has acted inappropriately and should have been briefed about confidentiality as part of the CRB checking procedure. At the schools I have worked at this would have been made clear to volunteers and staff and as a teacher I would never text or facebook information about the children's learning however trivial. Luckily at the school I work at now there are very few parent volunteers which I think is a good thing. At my children's school there are loads and I'm not comfortable with friends of my children's parents being in the classroom being involved in the work as I think that oversteps the line, also parents don't usually have the same skills that a good TA or teacher would have to support learning in the classroom. Rant over. You are not being unreasonable - have a chat with the headteacher.

No KERALA, we should not be grateful to parents who deliberately breach the confidentiality requirements of the task.

I would actually take a screenshot of the text and go straight to the head with it - it's not a class teacher level issue.

World gone mad IMO. Childrens reading books are not state secrets. Kind parents giving up time to help children read and parents complain. Have heard it all now!

Kindness and helping are only appropriate where the safety and confidentiality rules are followed..... To suggest they are not subject to appropriate rules is naive.... And honestly the fact she felt the rules didn't apply to her makes her an unhelpful volunteer , it's ridiculous to say because someone gives their time up they can do what they want

Op I echo the previous posts suggesting you talk to the teacher .... I would question what the volunteer was gaining in terms of this being about her and her "status" rather than helping