To mention this to the teacher?

[AllGoingPearShaped]

My DD recently completed some exams, she's 10 so not GCSE's or anything but they were taken relatively seriously and were all done as part of an exam week at school. Just before they broke up for half term another girl came and told my DD what mark she had in her English exam, before the results had been released to anyone.

This other girl is in the same class as my DD for English and her mum is extremely close friends with the teacher, I see them leaving together and looking after each other's children after school etc. I think they went to school together.

The girl told my DD that the teacher's son had told her (the girl's) big brother what score my DD had and her big brother had told her. My DD and this girl are quite competitive with each other so I don't know if it was my DD's score only that was discussed or if there were others as well.
I'm not sure whether the teacher is aware that this happened or not but I think that any exam results should be delivered to the pupil in question and not via some whispering campaign!

Should I mention it to the teacher? She's really lovely and a great teacher and I don't know if this will open a huge can of worms. I don't know if her son found the papers and looked without asking or if she was discussing the results at home but either way not sure if IABU to feel a bit miffed that this girl knew DD's results before she did?

My DD got her score today and it is the one the girl gave her, I was waiting to see if it was the actual score or if it was a wind up!

Would appreciate any advice!

[BoggledMind]

Issues should always be brought to the teacher's attention first. If the response is not satisfactory then go to the Head.

[ScooterOnTheMotorway]

Hope you managed to have a word and it went well.

[Calyrical]

Teachers' children are definitely not perfect



I'd talk to the teacher. I wouldn't want to get her in trouble.

[kaitlinktm]

Good idea. Then if it was her son who snooped and told, she will have the chance to sort him out and put a rocket behind him.

[AllGoingPearShaped]

Thanks all. I think I'll just have a quiet word with her and see what she says. I think the most likely scenario is that someone snooped on her papers while they were at home but I think it's worth letting her know that is happened in case something similar crops up again in the future with a parent that won't give her the benefit of the doubt.

[Mrsmadevans]

I think I would have a word with the teacher and not say anything to the head or anyone else . If she is as nice as you say then she will see to it very thoroughly and be absolutely mortified .

[kaitlinktm]

She has left her papers out for all to see apparently

What? Leaving them out somewhere in her own home is hardly leaving them out for all to see.

[BewareOfDragons]

Don't just meet with the teacher. It needs to be brought to the attention of the senior management team and/or the Head.

Even if she is lovely and didn't realize, the fact is, the has breached your child's right to confidentiality. She has left her papers out for all to see apparently.

And frankly, if she's the best friend of the mother of your DD's 'rival', I don't think her finding out is as accidental as you think.

[kaitlinktm]

Of course not - why would they be?

[RMC123]

Teacher first. Give her time to address it. No need to run to the head if you haven't mentioned it to her first.

[lifetothefull]

So teachers' children aren't perfect either.

[MissionItsPossible]

Bit surprised at the amount of 'take it up with the head' responses. If she is lovely and a great teacher why not talk to her directly? She may be completely innocent in all of this and could jeopardise her career in the long run. If after talking to her you still feel like something is off or all your questions haven't been answered, then take it higher, that's my advice.

[StillDrivingMeBonkers]

My son was told some KS2 exam results that were due to go out with school reports. One of the bright sparks in the class simply went to the teachers file in break and looked up everyone's test results.

This was back before everything because so PC based though.

My point being - do not make wild assumptions

[ittakes2]

To be honest, I would leave it. You are absolutely right to be upset about it - but at this late stage in the year I'm doubtful your daughter will have any exams again so no chance of this mistake being repeated. But if you are going to talk to someone, best to talk to the teacher. You are risking though that this little girl will be told off by her mum. Which is rightly so...but then she may come to school and tell the other children what happened and it may cause problems for your poor innocent daughter. Just worth thinking about.

[noblegiraffe]

Take it to the teacher, it does sound like someone was looking at stuff they shouldn't rather than the teacher being unprofessional.

It could be at home, it could be at school that someone looked through the tests. Either way I'd be annoyed if a parent's first reaction would be to complain to the head that I'd blabbed them. Teachers generally don't do that!

[Xanadu44]

Definitely approach the teacher.

[soapboxqueen]

Yes speak to the teacher. She'll be furious that either her own children have been snooping or that her child's friend has. It isn't possible to not take marking home in the vast, vast majority of schools so leaving it all at school isn't possible.

[RedastheRose]

If the teacher and the other girls mum are friends then it's more likely that the girl has seen the marked papers in the teachers home when she's been there with her mum without the teacher knowing.

Tbh can't imagine the teachers son being interested enough in one of his mums pupils test scores to memorise them. I think involving him is her deflecting attention to the fact that she has been snooping around.

I would have a quiet word with the teacher, tell her what was said and say that you'll leave it with her to discipline the child (and son if he was involved) but that you hope it won't happen again. Really not justified to make a formal complaint or involve the headmistress is the teacher is otherwise a great teacher.

I'm sure she will be extremely mortified to find out this has happened and deal with it appropriately.

[Redsippycup]

That is really really not on - i think i would approach the teacher first and if i wasn't happy with her reaction i would go to the head.

Why would the older boys be interested in the results anyway though? I can kind of see friends brother snooping for his sister's result when he is at the teachers house, but for teacher's son to look up his friend's little sister's friend's result is very convoluted!

I don't think that it is that many degrees removed. Is there any possibility that DD's friend was at teacher's house and did the snooping herself?

[BarbarianMum]

Well I wouldn't be furious but i would have a word with the teacher. She needs to know not leave school stuff around her son.

[chickenowner]

I agree with PPs - talk to the teacher about it. I suspect that she has no idea and will be absolutely FURIOUS with her son.

[LaurieFairyCake]

I would tell the teacher and I'd bet she would be furious. And that she will be much more careful about keeping her paperwork away from her children at home.

If she really is lovely then she's going to be mortified

[d270r0]

I would mention it to the teacher but not go to the head. Its highly unlikely that the teacher told her son the scores, its more likely that he saw the scores in her planner or as she was marking the papers at home. Talk to her first as it seems mean to drop her in it if it was just seen accidentally, then she can be more careful that it won't happen again.

[user98765797837]

I agree you need to speak to the head teacher, as someone said what if it were sensitive information that the children were sharing around school.

[Suprasegmental]

It definitely needs to be addressed.

I think I'd go to the head.

I am a head and have sacked someone in the past for similar.