AIBU to inform school about naughty PTA mums?

[mrsamerican]

I unfortunately opened a kettle of fish. Our PTA does tea and biscuits for new reception parents on transfer day. The school very intentionally doesn't inform parents what class their child moves into, and the head specifically asked us not to walk through school as we would find out our child's teacher in four hours at the end of the school day.

One mom, while "tidying up" found a master class spreadsheet with the full names, birthday, ethnic origin and SEN status of every child in the school. She then proceeds, with several other parents to inform everyone about which class their child is in, and they all start gossiping. I kept overhearing things like "Oh, I didn't realize so-and-so had an SEN plan. That explains a lot." It was awful, and had I been the parents of those kids, I would have been royally pissed.

I went home worrying about it, and decided that it really broke the data protection agreement we signed with school (our PTA members have to be DBS checked and everything). So, I called the deputy head and discussed it with him. He immediately wanted to know where the list was, and needed to find it as it could be all over the place at pick-up time.

My husband assures me that I did the right thing, but I totally got some looks at drop-off this morning, and as there were only a handful of parents there, they have to know it was me who snitched.

Did I do the right thing? Or is finding out your child's teacher really so important that you threaten the privacy of all the other children in the school we're supposed to be helping?

There is no way that list was just happened upon.

This is unbelievable. You absolutely did the right thing, what the fuck were they thinking? Imagine being a mother of one of those children with an SEN plan and overhearing that?

I hope they get removed from the PTA.

its like the voluntary parent helps, who go into class to hear the children read, and then proceed to gossip

Of course you did the right thing OP.

I had to do an uncomfortable "right thing" at school a couple weeks ago. It was unpleasant for me to report, but sometimes you just have to get on do it for the good of the kids & school, don't you my DH made me report it because I was too cowardly at first.

Well done.

or worse, nosey hospital workers who look up colleagues' records

Yes you did the right thing, that was highly confidential information about children that has been spread about.

If the new parents were going to find out which class kids were going to the spreadsheet could have been in a folder on a desk and pta twat thought ooo whats this teachers should be able to leave paperwork on a desk and not be fearful nosey people won't go looking for it.

Yes you did the right thing, those parents breached the trust of the school.

They went looking for it. You don't find a class spreadsheet in the cupboard under the sink!

Absolutely the right thing to do. Good on you I say. And I would make a point of saying that to others, if I were to hear anyone saying otherwise.

that list is sensitive personal data about children. It's probably one of the highest categories of protected data, and the school has breached its own data control responsibilities by letting it be accessed by anyone not expressly cleared, whethe ror not the PTA parents went looking for it. It's a serious breach and I would be asking for a written response from tehm about their own failures. This isn't gossipy mean girls parents at fault, however vile they are - they should never have had any opportunity to find that list in an unencryped format however hard they looked.

Of course you've done the right thing. Although I can't get too aerated about the class thing, SEN info is confidential. I also don't think people do generally know which children are on the SEN register, let alone why. Why would you know? I only know if the child belongs to a friend of mine, or sometimes if they are a friend of my child's.

School needs to tighten up its data protection procedures for sure. This kind of information shouldn't be left lying around, though I accept it's possible to be called away from say a photocopying room for something needing immediate attention then forget to go back immediately.

The PTA people sound like absolute WANKERS.

Unanimous. You did the right thing. Gossiping PTA members should be removed.

You absolutely did the right thing. How dare they look at and discuss confidential information about other people's children.

Also, posted too soon. This is a gross DP error on behalf of the school management team.

It's not just gossiping, it's a criminal offence.

They could be prosecuted, as could the school, for breaching the data protection act. And if you think that is over the top, it does happen pretty regularly.

Well done OP you undoubtedly did the right thing. Reprehensible behaviour by the person who went looking for the list and disclosed confidential information. Hold your head high it isn't you who should be embarrassed.

It's surprising what you can't leave on your desk! I naively once thought that anything on the teacher's desk was sacrosanct. I am careful nowadays but FFS I do have to have my mark book to hand - I need it to refer to as I teach several different classes - and twice now I have see a child pick it up and open it.

A couple of years ago a parent helper looked over my shoulder as I was entering marks. I quickly turned the page to cover up information (such as SEN etc) which I need to have in there.

You absolutely did the right thing. The school shouldn't be leaving lists like that lying around ffs!

You did the right thing

That was the right thing to do.

I do wonder when I read about things like this and the behaviour of people like those on the PTA - are those people on mumsnet and can they please justify their awful (and in this case criminal) behaviour?!

You did the right thing. Explain factually what happened, with the name of the person "tidying up" if you definitely know who it was. You don't find that kind of info washing up a few cups! I hope they are removed from the PTA, it's a massive breach of trust and confidentiality on their part.

You are very brave and absolutely did the right thing. That information is data protected for a reason. well done!

Thanks everyone. I feel better now. It is just one of those things where I totally second guessed myself. We have a real problem getting volunteers and someone said to me they didn't want to because PTA just felt like massive gossip session. I now skip all the meetings and just go to help at fairs and events but I may stop next year as it is so OTT dramatic.

" I kept overhearing things like "Oh, I didn't realize so-and-so had an SEN plan. That explains a lot."

If I were the parent involved in any of those comments, I'd be requiring a full investigation into how that information got into the hands of PTA members.